Links and Files Database

The VB3.0 version is no longer supported although there have been no reported problems for some time

See here for the VB 3.6 version of this hack, which is now the supported version. This version currently also works with VB 3.5
See here for the VB 3.5 thread for this hack.

What's new in v1.60?

Option to display associated thumbnail images
Option to accept/not accept new entries if these already exists in database
Code for mass edits (accessed via admincp) tidied up
VB phrasing completed
Includes a full French and a partial German translation (thanks to cclaerhout, Allan and LeeWicKeD), handled properly by installation script.
Various bugs fixed and tested against php4 and php5:
Better database validation (on startup/in admincp: links with invalid associated forumids, categories with invalid parentids)
Alternative linkbit templates provided (default uses a fieldset, the other is the old-style table row)
Alternative category selection templates (pull down menu/list of checkboxes),
Star rating displayed using standard VB stars rather than in text form
Series of minor bug fixes
See file change.txt in zip file

What it is/does

- Provides a searchable database of weblinks and/or downloadable files, for example manuals, music files, pictures, etc.
- Integrates within VBulletin, without requiring any code changes.
- Transparently handles links and file downloads. (If you want to provide downloads from your own site, you need a separate tool to upload these files. This hack does not and will not include a file uploader.)
- Provides unlimited nested categories.
- Each link/file can be a member of multiple categories.
- Link and category title and descriptions can use all BBCODEs, giving the possibility to add images, colouring, etc, as you wish
- Viewing/access permissions controlled using VBulletin forum system
- Users can rate links, in a similar manner to VB thread rating.
- File downloads are semi-leechproof, i.e. the user does not see where the file is stored and can only access the link if she has access to the associated forum.
- Audio files playable via Windows Media Player can be offered as a jukebox .
- Tracks who downloads what
- Validates links on entry/editing, and provides admin facility to validate the entire database.

Installation/upgrading instructions

Read instructions.txt in the zip file. Installation script works out whether to install or upgrade.

To upgrade from an earlier release of this hack, simply re-run the installation script. If you modified the templates in the top styles, you will lose these modifications unless you back up and re-edit.

PLEASE BACK UP YOUR DATABASE

See also

For screen shots, see attachments.

Tested with

VBulletin 3.0 and higher
PHP 4.1.1 and 4.3.4, should work with all 4.x versions, seems ok with 5.0.4
MySQL 4.0.
Reported ok with MySQL 4.1 but not exhaustively tested

Credits

Initially inspired by drkFusion's vb2 hack "vb Link Directory" v.2 and discussion about v.3 on Vbulletin.org. This is a complete rewrite with many more features. Every credit to the VBulletin folks for providing the infrastructure and to those on vbulletin.org who have helped with testing.

Integrations/Conversions

Natch has written extensions to integrate this hack with VBindex and VBAdvanced.

For convenience, this hack includes fully integrates with, but does not install, his VBIndex hack - i.e. the required template and code are provided, and the admin panel handles the configuration settings. Please refer to his thread for instructions.

Integration with VBadvanced is described in thread 1319 at vbadvanced.com.

The zip file includes a script and instructions for converting from vbLinks v2 (see thread 44551

[dlouly47]

Ok Got it up however when I or users try to download , its starts fine but then closes in about 20 seconds? Cuts the file download short? It must be settings in my PHP.INI? Please let me know how to adjust this ..

Thanks again for the wonderful work

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by dlouly47

Ok Got it up however when I or users try to download , its starts fine but then closes in about 20 seconds? Cuts the file download short? It must be settings in my PHP.INI? Please let me know how to adjust this ..

Thanks again for the wonderful work

If it's your php.ini settings, try looking at the section

PHP Code:


;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
; Resource Limits ;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

max_execution_time = 30     ; Maximum execution time of each script, in seconds
max_input_time = 60    ; Maximum amount of time each script may spend parsing request data
memory_limit = 8M      ; Maximum amount of memory a script may consume (8MB) 


[Cent]

Hey AndrewD! HELP PLEASE!!!

How can I make, that who adds the link, wrote the E-mail? That on a mail the letter was sent it, that the reference has been added in the catalogue! Sorry for my English!

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Ranam2k

Hi AndrewD
Thaks alot of the script i still use it since ver 1
i wanted to ask you something

In my site i add the download files in a diffrent server & on that server i enabled the hotlinking protection even for direct request
the only way to download is if the refferal for the download is comming from my site

is there a way to add a specific refferal Url in the script so it send it with the link while the force redirection option is on ?! or even while the force redirection is off ?!

Thinking about this (but without spending time trying it out )...

If force_redirect is off, etc, the download is handled as a series of reads/writes. The code uses an fopen() call to access the download file, and this turns into an HTTP GET. My Apache log shows that this GET is recorded against the IP address of the requesting server, so your file host should be able to see that the request is legitimate.

If force_redirect is on, then the code eventually drops through to the STANDARD_REDIRECT template within Vbulletin. This sends a series of HTTP headers to the file host, and I would think you could add an HTTP_REFERER.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Cent

Hey AndrewD! HELP PLEASE!!!

How can I make, that who adds the link, wrote the E-mail? That on a mail the letter was sent it, that the reference has been added in the catalogue! Sorry for my English!

Hi Cent. Sorry, I'm not quite sure I understand what you're asking.

Do you want the hack to send an email to the person who creates a new link when that link is accepted by the moderator?

Let me know, and I'll try to help.

[dlouly47]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

If it's your php.ini settings, try looking at the section

PHP Code:


;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
; Resource Limits ;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

max_execution_time = 30     ; Maximum execution time of each script, in seconds
max_input_time = 60    ; Maximum amount of time each script may spend parsing request data
memory_limit = 8M      ; Maximum amount of memory a script may consume (8MB) 


Thanks Andrew... I actually thought that was it and I replaced the Values to
-----------------------------------------------------
max_execution_time = 0 ; Maximum execution time of each script, in seconds
max_input_time = 0 ; Maximum amount of time each script may spend parsing request data
----------------------------------
As well as used set_timeout = 0 on top of the php.ini

and it works like a charm.. Again.. Thank you for the hack and the support.. Awesome man!@

[Cent]

Do you want the hack to send an email to the person who creates a new link when that link is accepted by the moderator?

Yes! But not "when that link is accepted by the moderator". I don`t moderete the new links. =)

I want, that after the adding a new link, mail was sent to person who creates a new link. WOW! +)

Sorrrrry for my English!

[Ranma2k]

Originally Posted by Cent

Yes! But not "when that link is accepted by the moderator". I don`t moderete the new links. =)

I want, that after the adding a new link, mail was sent to person who creates a new link. WOW! +)

Sorrrrry for my English!

Please chose one of the following :
*if a person adds a link the system will send an e-mail to him conforming that it was added ?!
*if a person adds a link the system will send an e-mail to the people subscriped to it !
* if a person ads a link the system will e-mail the admin about it !


i'm out of options

[Ranma2k]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

Thinking about this (but without spending time trying it out )...

If force_redirect is off, etc, the download is handled as a series of reads/writes. The code uses an fopen() call to access the download file, and this turns into an HTTP GET. My Apache log shows that this GET is recorded against the IP address of the requesting server, so your file host should be able to see that the request is legitimate.

If force_redirect is on, then the code eventually drops through to the STANDARD_REDIRECT template within Vbulletin. This sends a series of HTTP headers to the file host, and I would think you could add an HTTP_REFERER.

i C
i'll give it a try .. and i'll post the results here

[Cent]

*if a person adds a link the system will send an e-mail to him conforming that it was added ?!

Thanks!