vBouncer (PHP): reduce server load by unsubscribing bouncing members from threads

There's also a vB 3.5 version: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...threadid=83486

vBouncer is a handy tool for busy forums (or those that do not require email verification) to control the amounts of bogus emails sent from and to your server. This was initially released for vB 2.x and vB 3.0.x as a Perl script, and is now fully integrated with vB as scheduled tasks with admin panel control.

What vBouncer does: vBouncer monitors your mail spool file, and identifies members responsible for large amounts of bounced emails. It then issues a PM warning, and when the unsubscribe threshold is met, it will will unsubscribe them for all threads, and sets them to the "no email" subscription level.

After a couple of runs, this should significantly reduce your server load.

Features:
Manual or auto processing option
Collect logs via IMAP/POP or mail spool file
Uses vB's cron files (Scheduled tasks)
Custom filters to match patterns in bounced emails
Encryption header to authenticate bounces.
Stats on members with bouncing emails, and error codes
Tuning options
Verbose cron logs for diagnostics
Option to send PM warning prior to reaching the limit
Option to send PM notifications after reaching the limit
Option to change the member's subscription default
Option to all thread subscriptions to "no email"
Option to all forum subscriptions to "no email"
Option to move offenders to a different primary usergroup
Option to process 5.0.0/550 errors (email unknown) upon a single email, isntead of observing the bounce limit

Installation:
1. Extract the files into the corresponding directories (admincp => admincp, includes/cron => includes/cron)
2. Run the installation script in the admincp
3. Fill out the settings menu in the vBouncer section of the admin panel (see the how-to post below)
4. Edit includes/mail.php
Find:

PHP Code:

if ($minusf)
        {
            $this->success = @mail($toemail, $subject, $message, trim($headers), "-f $fromemail");
        }
        else
        {
            $this->success = @mail($toemail, $subject, $message, trim($headers));
        } 


Replace with:

PHP Code:

global $vboptions;
                if (is_valid_email($vboptions['vbouncer_spool_account'])) {
                        if ($vboptions['vbouncer_header_return_key'])
                                $headers .= 'X-Return-ID: ' . md5($vboptions['vbouncer_header_return_key'] . $toemail) . "\n";
                        $this->success = @mail($toemail, $subject, $message, trim($headers), '-f' . $vboptions['vbouncer_spool_account']);
                }
                else
                        $this->success = @mail($toemail, $subject, $message, trim($headers), "-f $fromemail"); 


In admincp/index.php, find:

PHP Code:

                                  if (can_administer('canadmincron')) 


Add before::

PHP Code:

                          if (can_administer('canadmincron'))
    {
        construct_nav_option('vBouncer Settings', 'options.php?do=options&dogroup=vBouncer', '|');
        construct_nav_option('Stats', 'vbouncer.php?do=stats', '<br />' );
        construct_nav_option('Diagnostics', 'vbouncer.php?do=diag', '<br />');
        construct_nav_group('vBouncer');
    } 


5. Once ready, add the cron scripts to your scheduled tasks: vbouncer-collect.php (should be run daily, or more frequently) and vbouncer-clean.php (weekly, equal to Bounce limit period)

Change log:

- July 11, 2005 v1.2 Bug fix for some server/PHP setups; resolve aliases for return keys, otherwise some aliases would be considered forged.

- July 5, 2005 v1.1 Bug fix in standard report pattern matching

- July 4, 2005 v1.0 Added encrypted header for authentication (suggested by Paul M).

- July 3, 2005 v0.9.1 added fixed a bug preventing IMAP/POP log collection.

- July 2, 2005 v0.9 added IMAP/POP option and custom filters file vbouncer.ini

- June 27, 2005 v0.51 for 3.0.7 Corrected installer file.

- June 27, 2005 v0.5 for 3.0.7 Add setting for custom header strings.

- June 26, 2005 v0.2 for 3.0.7 Initial release No changes, just removed the plugin

Screenshots from 3.5 beta, but it looks the same on 3.0.7...

[|Jordan|]

That error came from the 051 update

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by MyIS_Jordan

That error came from the 051 update

That just can't be Line 20 is not the same as the one you posted.

Is it possible you downloaded the 3.5 version?

[psico]

Tnx! Now it?s working!

Originally Posted by tamarian

My bad. Updated zip 0.51 should have it.

[tamarian]

The next version will have a POP/IMAP option. This will be useful to those in chroot environments, or those on multiple servers, or using external mail servers.

I have it working, but I need some test volunteers. If you have a POP account for the subscriber_notify account, send me the POP access info by PM. (The worst I can do is delete a couple of bounced emails!)

I can't install Exim on my system, since I never used it, and would be time consuming for me.

[psico]

Originally Posted by tamarian

The next version will have a POP/IMAP option. This will be useful to those in chroot environments, or those on multiple servers, or using external mail servers.

I have it working, but I need some test volunteers. If you have a POP account for the subscriber_notify account, send me the POP access info by PM. (The worst I can do is delete a couple of bounced emails!)

I can't install Exim on my system, since I never used it, and would be time consuming for me.

I have a problem to get the email address of certain bounced mails, for example this:

From MAILER-DAEMON Tue Jun 28 17:22:58 2005
Return-Path: <>
Delivered-To: psicofxp-bounce@psicofxp.com
Received: (qmail 10394 invoked for bounce); 28 Jun 2005 17:22:58 -0000
Date: 28 Jun 2005 17:22:58 -0000
From: MAILER-DAEMON@mx11.elserver.com
To: bounce@psicofxp.com
Subject: failure notice

Hi. This is the qmail-send program at mx11.elserver.com.
I'm afraid I wasn't able to deliver your message to the following addresses.
This is a permanent error; I've given up. Sorry it didn't work out.

<Marto04@hotmail.com>:
65.54.253.99 does not like recipient.
Remote host said: 550 Requested action not taken: mailbox unavailable
Giving up on 65.54.253.99.

I don?t know what custom header have to use for this bounce...

Can u help me?
Tnx in advance.

Psico.

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by psico

Can u help me?

Yes, this is currently what I'm working on for the POP part, where some MTA's don't show full error-code headers, just content. What is your server's email software? Exim?

If you can send a large file containing all the bounces, it would help me test the new code. Better yet, temporary access to the subscriber_notify POP account.

[psico]

Here is the bounce file.

I can´t give u access to the pop account because i´m using qmail with something like vpopmail, so the mail ends in the file not in the pop folder...

I really need this hack...badly...my server have too much load because of bounced mails...

Tnx a lot!

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by psico

Here is the bounce file.

I can?t give u access to the pop account because i?m using qmail with something like vpopmail, so the mail ends in the file not in the pop folder...

I really need this hack...badly...my server have too much load because of bounced mails...

Tnx a lot!

No problem, I'll send you temp copy to test. Please save me a copy the bounced email file, as the bigger the sample the beter.

[psico]

Originally Posted by tamarian

No problem, I'll send you temp copy to test. Please save me a copy the bounced email file, as the bigger the sample the beter.

The sample above is not enough?

Here is another...

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by psico

The sample above is not enough?

Here is another...

I prever something really big, just to see how your MTA rewrites headers from different ISP's. Think something in the tune of 100 megs