Major Additions - vBMS : vBulletin Mail System

vBulletin Mail System

Finally, for vBulletin 3.6, there is a port from filburt1's original hack. For those of you who aren't aware, he essentially declared it open source, and it's been a bit of a wait for someone to fix it up... I've wanted it for my site, too, so I finally sat down and just did it.

What is this?
The vBulletin Mail System is a way to give your users webmail access from your site. They can have a name@yourwebsite.com address, send and receive emails and attachments, etc. Options such as mailbox quotas, limits on numbers/types of attachments, a message trailer ("Free mail at yourwebsite.com!") at the end of each message, etc. are all available as well.

Please note: this is a pre-final version. As far as I have seen, it is working so far for me, but I have not tested it completely and thoroughly and it's very likely there'll be a number of bugs popping up. However, I have successfully been able to install this on a clean board, exchange emails regularly (including attachments), go through all the basic options/etc. without any errors popping up, so it should be fine. Still, make sure you back up your database before installing this, just due to the nature of its "beta"-ness.

To install: upload all files from the "upload" directory to your server in the proper directories. Then, navigate to admincp/vbms_install.php on your server and run the installer. It will make several template additions. If your navbar or header templates hav been modified, it will not be able to do it automatically, and you'll have to add these edits yourself.

In template navbar, find:

<td class="vbmenu_control"><a href="usercp.php$session[sessionurl_q]">$vbphrase[user_cp]</a></td>

Add after:

			<if condition="$show['popups']">
				<td class="vbmenu_control" id="navbar_vbms">
					<a href="vbms.php$session[sessionurl_q]">$vbphrase[email]</a>
			
					<if condition="$vbms_newmessages['newcount'] > 0">
						<span style="font-weight: normal; padding: 1px 1px 1px 2px; margin: 0px 3px 0px 2px; border: 1px inset" class="alt1">
							<phrase 1="$vbms_newmessages[newcount]">$vbphrase[x_new]</phrase>
						</span>
					</if>
				
					<script type="text/javascript">
						<!--
							vbmenu_register("navbar_vbms");
						// -->
					</script>
				</td>
			<else />
				<td class="vbmenu_control" id="navbar_vbms">
					<a href="vbms.php$session[sessionurl_q]">$vbphrase[email]</a>
				
					<if condition="$vbms_newmessages['newcount'] > 0">
						<span style="font-weight: normal; padding: 1px 1px 1px 2px; margin: 0px 3px 0px 2px; border: 1px inset" class="alt1">
							<phrase 1="$vbms_newmessages[newcount]">$vbphrase[x_new]</phrase>
						</span>
					</if>
				</td>
			</if>

Find:

<!-- / header quick search form -->
	</if>

	<if condition="$show['member']">

Add after:

		<div class="vbmenu_popup" id="navbar_vbms_menu" style="display: none">
			<table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" border="0">
				<tr><td class="thead">vBulletin Mail System</td></tr>
				<tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="vbms.php?$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[navbar_inbox]</a></td></tr>
				<tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="vbms_new.php?$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[navbar_write_message]</a></td></tr>
				<tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="vbms_ab.php?$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[navbar_address_book]</a></td></tr>
				<tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="vbms_folders.php?$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[navbar_folders]</a></td></tr>
				<tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="vbms_filters.php?$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[navbar_filters]</a></td></tr>
				<tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="vbms_options.php?$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[navbar_options]</a></td></tr>
				<tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="faq.php?$session[sessionurl]faq=faq_vbms">$vbphrase[navbar_help]</a></td></tr>
			</table>
		</div>

In your ACP, there should be a new set of options in a "vBulletin Mail System" category. That set of options is your main set of management stuff, and is pretty straightforward.

Feel free to post with any bugs or questions you find, etc. I'm trying to get this working again thoroughly, for all of us.

FAQ

• Is POP support available for my users?
  No, this is similar to a webmail system.
• What is a catch-all email address, and how do I set it up?
  A catch-all address is an email address that any mail sent to your server that isn't picked up by another account will go to. For example, if someone sends an email to randomgibberish@yoursite.com and you do not have a "randomgibberish" account defined, it would forward to your catch-all account that you have set up, such as all@yoursite.com.
• Can I run this if my server doesn't let me have a catch-all mail account?
  Yes, but it's not recommended. As has been suggested by a few members, you can set up one mail account to the be "catch-all" and have vBMS connect to that, then set up mail accounts for each member who wants one and have it forward to the catch-all. All this has to be set up manually with your web host, and takes a great deal of willpower and availability from the website administrator, and is thus not recommended.
• I'm receiving the following error:
  

  Fatal error: Call to undefined function: imap_open()...

  If you're getting an error similar to this, you do not have IMAP functionality available in PHP. Find your php.ini file on your server (usually /usr/local/lib/php.ini on Linux, C:\Windows\php.ini on Windows), and find the extensions section. Uncomment the line ";extension=php_imap.dll" (that is, remove the semicolon at the beginning) and restart your web server. If you don't have access to your web server to do this, contact your web host about installing IMAP support for PHP. If they won't do it, then this hack is not for you.
• I can't connect to the mail server, with this error:
  

  Warning: imap_open() [function.imap-open]: Couldn't open stream {localhost:110/pop3}INBOX in /includes/vbms_class_installer.php on line 791

  First, make sure that your port number and server information are right. Some mail servers are on non-default ports (this is common), and some you may have to connect to a different host besides localhost (this is very rare). Also, try using the "Force no-TLS connection" option in the vBMS Options in the ACP.
• I can connect to the server just fine, but it won't get any email!
  Check the "Mail checking logs" in your ACP (under the vBulletin Mail System area). If there are no logs, then the cronjob probably isn't running. If there are logs, see if there are any errors in there. If it's checking the mail account fine and simply says there are no messages, check with a webmail to see if the catch-all account is even receiving mails. If the webmail shows that the account has mail stuck in it and vBMS isn't picking them up, but vBMS is saying it's checking the account alright and finding 0 messages, then you're likely connecting to the wrong account. By doing these steps, you should at least be able to figure out where the problem is occurring.

Install clicks, donations and HotM nominations are always welcome.

[Krofh]

Originally Posted by whiteeagle0

PHPimap
Failed (not loaded)
Suggestion action: Ask your host to recompile PHP with the imap extension, or if your host uses Windows, to enable the imap extension in php.ini.

i run a linux server how do i enable this or is it okay to proceed with out it???

and also i get this error

The following phrases exist and may result in alternate text being displayed in vBMS pages: method, warning, and warning

You can ignore the second warning. The first one means that the IMAP libraries are not installed in PHP, and so PHP cannot access mail accounts. To enable it, edit php.ini and uncomment the line "extension=php_imap.dll", then restart your web server.

Originally Posted by dizzy100

Does this allow them to use outlook express for their mail or is it strictly internal ?

No, this is strictly internal.

Originally Posted by TTG

Only seems to pick up the main usergroups, not any additional ones .. how can I add other usergroups !?

Seems to send ok but not receive !

The mail account that vBMS checks needs to be the "catch-all" mail account on your server. That means you need to set it up on your web host so that any mail sent to arghsiblah@yoursite.com (really, any address that doesn't exist) will forward to vbms@yoursite.com (or whatever your catch-all account is), and then have vbms check the vbms@yoursite.com address for any incoming mail. I can't give you directions for how to do this, it's different with every web host. Then, if it still doesn't receive mail, first check the catch-all account to see if it's actually receiving mails, then check the "Mail Checking Logs" in the ACP to see if vBMS is picking up the ones that are coming in. You should be able to figure out where the problem is occurring in there.

Originally Posted by blockbusted

True, but I'm sure it causes quite a server load.

Very possibly; I haven't gotten a chance to take the time to look at what it does to the server load. However, by not giving POP3 access (for Outlook EXpress, etc.), you're keeping your users on your site more rather than letting them be freeloading off of you.

[whiteeagle0]

where can i turn phpimap on

please give me the whereabouts in my ftp

i run linux


EDIT how much is the full version of this???

[bada_bing]

This seems like an awesome hack but will have to have it mature a bit and get some bugs worked out.

Few things need to be identified
Server load
Usergroup issue
Control panel screen shots user & admin
reported bugs

[Krofh]

Originally Posted by whiteeagle0

where can i turn phpimap on

please give me the whereabouts in my ftp

i run linux


EDIT how much is the full version of this???

Telnet/SSH into your server, then type "whereis php.ini". Usually it's in /usr/local/lib.
There is no "full version" or "free version" anymore, this is the full version. Filburt1 released it as open-source because he was done developing it, and asked the general community to update it to be compatible with vBulletin 3.6.

[Lizard King]

Originally Posted by Krofh

The only style changes that have to be done outside of adding vBMS templates are the ones I've detailed in the first post, occurring in navbar. The phrase warnings are also ignorable. I didn't fully get to updating what the installer says, but it has no problems adding new phrases and such.


Yeah; admins automatically have full rights; after that, you can customize it for each specific usergroup (except banned and unregistered users, neither of those can have email accounts at all )

Install script isnot working if you receive any errors i mentioned.

[dizzy100]

Good point about the stickiness of your site by being internal. When they log in to check their email there is always a chance they'll check the rest of the website out.

Does this inform signed in members of new mail ?

And i have to admit i am concerned on server load as the catchall has to be sorted to send to individual members. How is this achieved ? Does it do it on a cron or when the member checks his or her mail ?

[TTG]

Originally Posted by Krofh

The mail account that vBMS checks needs to be the "catch-all" mail account on your server. That means you need to set it up on your web host so that any mail sent to arghsiblah@yoursite.com (really, any address that doesn't exist) will forward to vbms@yoursite.com (or whatever your catch-all account is), and then have vbms check the vbms@yoursite.com address for any incoming mail. I can't give you directions for how to do this, it's different with every web host. Then, if it still doesn't receive mail, first check the catch-all account to see if it's actually receiving mails, then check the "Mail Checking Logs" in the ACP to see if vBMS is picking up the ones that are coming in. You should be able to figure out where the problem is occurring in there.

Thanks for the reply .. still no go and I've tested web mail from host cpanel and catch all email does work.
Mail checking logs shows nothing .. "Nothing to do"
Anyone else got this to receive ? I'd be interested to know how you got it to work.

[masterme]

Empty buttons with the package, so we can add our own language etc. (really do not understand that such things are not standard, not only for mod etc, but styles and so on...)

I think I will use this one when it is no longer beta, nice work!

[bluechris]

Installed and working in 2k3 with IIS and 3.6.5

Great thx man.

[whiteeagle0]

i don't run my own server thats the prob

my web hosts does but he's not online right now

is there a way to do it manully?


edit: can you make it look my like the usercp for the emails??? i want it too look like hotmails but also the usercp?

and can we remove the copyright or can i buy a copyright removal?