Links and Downloads Manager

LDM extends VBulletin to manage a library of documents, files and links to other web sites. Documents can be stored on your own web site, stored on your server separate from the web site, uploaded by your user community, or held somewhere else altogether. So you can use LDM to provide your user community with access to your own files and allow them to share files with each other.

12/08/06 - Versions that work with vb36 are available and supported in the VB36 thread. Version 2.2.1, which works with VB 3.5 but not with VB 3.6, remains available here.

Thanks to everyone who has helped with all the design, testing, etc.
Translations are provided (thanks dLutt and LeeWicked) into German, (thanks to Allan) into French, and (thanks to Hugo) into Spanish. Harry1951 has handled the Dutch translation.

Screenshots, Instructions and How to Install

Full details and instructions are available as a Wiki at http://www.eirma.org/wikis/index.php...nloads_Manager

LDM installs as a VBulletin product. There are no modifications required to standard VB code.

Basically - upload php files and run the installer through VB's Product installer. No changes needed to VB code. Remember to BACKUP YOUR DATABASE. By default, LDM prefixes its database tables 'local_'. Edit the configuration file, local_links_init.php, if you need/wish to change this.

LDM can handle an essentially unlimited number of categories and nested subcategories, and an unlimited number of entries (hyperlinks or downloadable files). Each entry can be placed in one or several categories. Categories can have styles. Descriptions and titles can optionally include BBcodes, smilies, images and html, giving the possibility to add images, colouring, etc. File types can be flagged using icons and individual entries can also have associated thumbnail images.

Standards templates are provided for libraries of links, files, documents, and photographs.

Users can offer comments and rate the links/downloads. Each user is allowed one rating and many comments per entry, and can freely edit these if they change their mind.

Permission to use specific features is established via the product's admin page, where the administrator specifies which usergroups can add and edit entries, comment and rate these entries, moderate, etc.

By default, all entries are visible to all users. You can restrict visibility/access to links and categories by using the permissions masks from your board's forums.

Moderation of new entries is available but turned off by default.

Users can report bad links to the relevant moderators/administrators.

Each user can flag links as his/her "Favourites".

Modules are provided for VBAdvanced.

Hooks are provided in suitable places in LDM and sample plugins are included in the release (see extras directory), for example to integrate with ID3 tags in mp3 files, for slideshows, to autocreate new threads in your forums, etc.

Plus much more.

[Boofo]

Originally Posted by arcadian_girl

hi Boofo

Well, hello there, young lady.

Any idea how to fix my problem posted above?

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Boofo

Can some please help me with the forum of this setting?Right now is is set at:but I am still getting a red x next to the link, even after rebuilding the thumbnails. Does anybody have any idea what I am doing wrong?

Bob, sorry to learn that you haven't got this sorted out. Quite honestly, easiest approach is to me have admin access to your site.

[Boofo]

PM with the details is on it's way, sir.

And thank you.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by arcadian_girl

i'm having trouble with the extra to auto-create a thread when a new file is uploaded. i uploaded the plugin, but nothing's happening-it's still not creating the thread. i was kind of confused as to the instructions-was i supposed to do something other than just install the plugin?

thanks

I'm assuming that you've uploaded the autocreate_plugin.xml plugin and you can see from your VB admincp that it is active and tied to ldm_addlink_inserted.

The thread creation is *only* triggered if these conditions are met:

1) The new entry is given (explicitly or automatically) an "associated forum".
2) The forum is real and open (i.e. you've not set it up as a *category* forum or a *linked* forum* in the VB admin/forum pages)
3) The user who is creating the new LDM entry has permission to post in that forum

By default, LDM does not automatically associate new links with one of your forums, so by default, this *extra* will not do anything.

Further, by default, only admins can assign an associated forum - for them, the *Add Link* form will include a selection list titled "Parent Forum".

If you want to change this so that new entries from all users will have a default associated forum, you can do one of the following:

- Set *default_forumid* on the LDM admin/settings page to one of your forums. By itself, this will associate all new entries in all categories with the selected forum. So if this is all that you do, everytime a user creates a new entry in LDM, there will be a new thread in that forum.

- Edit one or all of your categories and set its *Parent Forum*. This will ensure that all new entries added to that category will be associated with the selected forum. So if this is all you do, each time a user creates a new entry in LDM, the new thread will be created in the forum that you've just associated with the category

- Give one or more of your usergroups *can_set_permissions* permission, on the LDM Admin/Permissions page. This will allow users in these groups to decide for themselves the forum with which to associate the new entry, an dtherefore which forum will contain the new thread. (This permission allows users to do a couple of other things too, so take care if you don' trust your users.)

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by oglsmm

1) Is it possible to just rename local_links.php to another name?
For example files.php, etc

See section 2.2 of the online manual

Originally Posted by oglsmm

2) Is there a way to force users who have permission to upload to only upload to a specific Catagory?

As admin, do the following:

- On the main LDM permissions page, *deny* all/selected usergroups permisison to upload files, i.e. take away *can_upload_files* permission, Also take away *can_select_category* permission

- In the category/categories where you want them to be able to upload, Edit Category, select third tab (User Group Permissions), and give them back *Can_upload_files* permission.

This permission will apply to the chosen category and *by default* to its subcategories. If you don't want it to apply to the subcategories, repeat the process in the subcategories and take the permission away again.

The basic point is that many of the permissions are inherited from the base level down through the tree structure.

[Boofo]

I want to thank Andrew here in the thread for all his help in fixing my mistake earlier. The support is fantastic and the best I have seen here on the org in a long time. Thank you, sir, and keep up the great work.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Benj_1

andrew anyway you could russle up another addon to show a users files in there profile? id be willing to donate (if your accepting them now )

cheers mate

Benj, the attached plugin will list the user's five most recent entries in her profile.

To use it, you need to do the following:
a) Create a new single line text profile field called "My Recent LDM Entries"
b) Import the attached xml as a new plugin

You will see the latest entries from users who leave the My Recent LDM Entries profile field blank

I'll integrate it properly into LDM with the next release.

[arcadian_girl]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

I'm assuming that you've uploaded the autocreate_plugin.xml plugin and you can see from your VB admincp that it is active and tied to ldm_addlink_inserted.

The thread creation is *only* triggered if these conditions are met:

1) The new entry is given (explicitly or automatically) an "associated forum".
2) The forum is real and open (i.e. you've not set it up as a *category* forum or a *linked* forum* in the VB admin/forum pages)
3) The user who is creating the new LDM entry has permission to post in that forum

By default, LDM does not automatically associate new links with one of your forums, so by default, this *extra* will not do anything.

Further, by default, only admins can assign an associated forum - for them, the *Add Link* form will include a selection list titled "Parent Forum".

If you want to change this so that new entries from all users will have a default associated forum, you can do one of the following:

- Set *default_forumid* on the LDM admin/settings page to one of your forums. By itself, this will associate all new entries in all categories with the selected forum. So if this is all that you do, everytime a user creates a new entry in LDM, there will be a new thread in that forum.

- Edit one or all of your categories and set its *Parent Forum*. This will ensure that all new entries added to that category will be associated with the selected forum. So if this is all you do, each time a user creates a new entry in LDM, the new thread will be created in the forum that you've just associated with the category

- Give one or more of your usergroups *can_set_permissions* permission, on the LDM Admin/Permissions page. This will allow users in these groups to decide for themselves the forum with which to associate the new entry, an dtherefore which forum will contain the new thread. (This permission allows users to do a couple of other things too, so take care if you don' trust your users.)

got it to work, thank you!! i wish all hack authors were as good with support as you are

[oglsmm]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

See section 2.2 of the online manual

I fixed that now. My problem was I had also Installed ecdownloads and I did not like it, so I removed the plugin but not the files. I had two dowloads.php and thats why following the instructions did not work.

Thanks

Originally Posted by AndrewD

As admin, do the following:

- On the main LDM permissions page, *deny* all/selected usergroups permisison to upload files, i.e. take away *can_upload_files* permission, Also take away *can_select_category* permission

- In the category/categories where you want them to be able to upload, Edit Category, select third tab (User Group Permissions), and give them back *Can_upload_files* permission.

This permission will apply to the chosen category and *by default* to its subcategories. If you don't want it to apply to the subcategories, repeat the process in the subcategories and take the permission away again.

The basic point is that many of the permissions are inherited from the base level down through the tree structure.

I'm sorry I am just not seeing the 3rd step. I go to Admin Cpanel, choose catagories and the 3rd panel down is access permissions, but when I click edit it takes me to the forum permission editing (part of vb) not the LDM permission(s) editing.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by oglsmm

I'm sorry I am just not seeing the 3rd step. I go to Admin Cpanel, choose catagories and the 3rd panel down is access permissions, but when I click edit it takes me to the forum permission editing (part of vb) not the LDM permission(s) editing.

Sorry, I've confused you.

These inherited permissions are set in the individual category edits, not in the admincp.

In LDM itself (not the LDM admin), go to the category of interest, then Edit Category, then you'll find that there are three tabs across the top. The third, at the far right of the screen is 'User Group Permissions'