NNTP Gateway for Usenet ( Newsgroups ), Mailing Lists

The latest version: V3.5.0Alpha 1 (21 Jul 2005)

What is it?

This hack provides a gateway from vBulletin forums to the USENET. It allows forum members to read newsgroup messages as well as to send posts to the newsgroups. In a nutshell, it turns vBulletin forums into a basic function news reader.

For an added bonus, this package also supports mailing list archive and forum to mailing list gateway. The software retrieves messages from a pop3 account and import them into the forums threaded. It also allows a forums user to send messages to the mailing list by the forum posting interface.

Why?

The gateway will be appreciated by forum members who do not know how to set up a news reader, or people who do not have port 119 open in their network. A forum interface to read and post news are often considered to be better than a news reader.

The gateway adds more contents to your forums and allows the members to interact with wider audience. It is common to see new users signing up to use this feature.

History

This hack was originally coded by Gilby for vB2. I modified the hack to work with vB3 and have been maintaining and improving the hack. I have now done the modification for this to work with vB3.5.

The very original hack by Gilby can be found here:

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...7&page=1&pp=15

The vB3 version can be found here:

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=65152

Features

Some of the features and improvement include:

• Handles both newsgroup posts and mailing lists.
• Handles MIME encoded messages and attachment.
• Handles UUEncoded messages.
• Two Admin Control Panels for all settings.
• Automated installation.
• Correct thread implementation. All imported messages and posts sent to newsgroups will be threaded correctly according to References and Message-ID headers.
• Optional setting to thread by subject for mailing lists that strip references header.
• Imported messages will be searchable just like normal forum posts.
• Similar threads are built when the messages are imported if the system setting is on.
• Multiple attachments importing.
• Save attachment to database or file according to vB setting.
• Thumbnail created while importing image files.
• Multiple attachment post to newsgroup is also supported.
• Selectable X-No-Archive header honouring system.
• Light on system resources.
• Global Killfile to filter out unwanted messages. Killfiles can have OR and AND effectiveness.
• Strip footer by setting for incoming messages. Strips out repeated message footers.
• Built options to disable signatures and footers for out going messages.

Future development

• Traditional "> " lead posting interface.

What do you need and do not need?

You do not need to edit vB php files.
No need to manually run SQL.

Installation

Basically the AdminCP interfaces take care of installation as well as upgrade in the background. Back up your database first. The scripts can modify your database without alerting you!

Please follow the instructions in the readme.txt file for more details.

It is not a must to click "INSTALL" for this hack if you use it, I do try better answering the questions from people who do.

Support

Please post your support questions to this thread. Please check the FAQ in the second post within this thread first. It may be surprising, but it is possible your question is answered in the adminCP NNTP settings.

Please always provide more details about your problem. Examples and debug messages will certainly help. Well, if you don't even try to have some effort to compose your question, the answer you get may also not include much effort.

================== UPDATES ======================
Jul 21 2005 (release version 3.5.0 Alpha 1)

AdminCP xml file is written by Kadence.

• Ported to work with vB3.5.
• Existing bug fixes.
• Debug message can be sent by email or logged in vB Tast Scheduler.
• Known problem: image attachment thumb nail creation still needs work.
• Needs to be done: Documentation.

Quick installation instruction:
1) Upload files to their correct directory
2) Enter AdminCP, click on NNTP Settings once to install/upgrade. Change settings to your like.
3) Click on NNTP Groups once to install/upgrade.
3a) For new install. Run once
http://www.yourdomain.com/setlastmsg.php

Delete this file afterwards.
If you are upgrading from an older version. There is no need to upload this file. Actually this file should not be there except brand new install.

4)
Manually run in debug mode: http://forums.yourdomain.com/gateway.php?debug=1

[KW802]

Originally Posted by tpearl5

Oh, and where do you actually put the killfile? I don't have a form to put any values in.

The name "killfile" is kind of a misnomer... any entries you put into that ACP option will actually have the affect of skipping the post, not actually moving it to a seperate forum or file.

[tpearl5]

Originally Posted by KW802

The name "killfile" is kind of a misnomer... any entries you put into that ACP option will actually have the affect of skipping the post, not actually moving it to a seperate forum or file.

Right. I didn't realize there was a 'values' field. duhh

I just figured out how to get the quick reply and reply buttons to go away for newsgroup threads.

See attached Advanced gateway hacking guide for the steps I used. I have 3.5 but I would think it would work fine in 3.6 as well.

[Aylwin]

I've just noticed that forum subscription doesn't work (at least not for me). When new threads are created from the newsgroup/mailing list I don't receive any email notification.

Does anyone know how to code this? Or point me in the right direction?

[Rik Brown]

I'm looking for other sources to network this Gateway with beyond Usenet. Is anyone using this Gateway to network forums other than Usenet? It appears Microsoft pubic forums are a possibility. Is there anything else out there that people are using the Gateway with?

Thanks. -- Rik

[mpascal]

Just upgraded from 3.5.2 to 3.6.4

The instructions say:

2. How to run your AdminCP interface?

OPTION A (Edit a php file)

Edit ./admincp/index.php file
Find
construct_nav_option($vbphrase['vbulletin_options'], 'options.php?null=0', '<br />');

Below, add
construct_nav_option('NNTP Gateway Settings', 'nntp_settings.php', '<br />');
construct_nav_option('NNTP Gateway Newsgroups', 'nntp_groups.php', '<br />');

Above step adds two links to your Admin Control Panel for you to click.
================================================== =======================

That worked fine in 3.5.x but in 3.6 there is no such line.
I tried a couple of similar places but then the NNTP links would show up in every menu category.

Thanks
Marino

[tpearl5]

I found that if I put 'www' and 'http' in the killfile, there are a significant amount of posts that are not imported from usenet, sometimes causing threads to be not found by reference and split up. Has anyone else experienced this?

[dotcomguy]

Thank you for this hack. I currently have it setup and am importing posts from four newgroups. However, I am noticing a problem with bbcodes. The gateway script automatically adds color and adds [url] tags around URL's, however these bbcodes are not being parsed correctly when viewing the thread. The raw bbcode appears. I suppose I could rebuild the post cache to fix all those that I have already imported, but it would be nice if new posts added would have corresponding entries in the postparsed table.

Thanks

[Droll]

Installed this hack and finally got it running, I think I have applied all "updates" found in this thread, but I got a big problem.......

When downloading pictures from the news, some of them will be corrupted ( not all, pictures I have sent to the news group are fine , most of the other are distorted or just blank )

This one is downloaded with Thurderbird news client
http://tinyurl.com/376raf

This one is downloaded with this hack
http://tinyurl.com/3a2lma

Running vBulletin 3.6.5 on a ClarkConnect ( Linux Centios ) based server ( dual P3, 1GB ram )

Arne Kjetil

[panda1]

Will this NTTP Newsgroup hack work well with 3.6.5?

I coudn't locate any hack for 3.6.5!

Any body around have installed it successfully?

Thanks!

Panda1

[Rik Brown]

Originally Posted by panda1

Will this NTTP Newsgroup hack work well with 3.6.5?

I only use the newsgroup option but that part works fine for me with vb 3.6.5. -- Rik