NNTP Gateway for Usenet ( Newsgroups ), Mailing Lists

The latest version: V2.3.2 (31 Oct 2004)

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 is basically a hacked vB2 NNTP gateway written by Gilby to work with vB3. The original hack can be found here:

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


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.
• Supports TABLE_PREFIX.
• 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

• AdminCP interfaces. (completed)
• Installation/upgrade script. (completed, coded into AdminCP)
• Traditional "> " lead posting interface.

What do you need and do not need?

You do not need to edit vB php files if you use two bookmarks
You need to edit one vB php file to insert two lines of code if you want direct click links within AdminCP.
No need to 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.

Support

Please post your support questions to this thread. Please check the FAQ in the third post within this thread first.

================== UPDATES ======================
Jul 31 2004 (release version 2.2.0)

• Provided option of not importing attachments
• Provided option of pause between messages
• Provided option of not sending messages to USENET
• Provided mechanism to skip importing a message if it was crashed on it
• Provided "Default Footer" option
• Provided strip_footer function for mailing lists
  (written originally by KevinM)
• Provided Killfile functions with Header/Body/AND/OR settings
• Provided ability to thread messages by subject for mailing lists
• Provided ability to use a single POP3 account for different mailing lists
  (use prefix)
• Merged KevinM's attachment routine, save thumbnail to hard drive
  as vB3.0.3
• Official support to have the script run by Scheduled Tasks
• Many bug fixes

Please note, when you manually run the script, you must turn on the debug mode. Otherwise nothing will be displayed on the screen.

To run as debug mode: http://forums.yourdomain.com/gateway.php?debug=1

25 Oct 2004

• Provided the option of sending posts using the real email address
• Provided the option of sending posts using a fixed email address for
  each group.
• Posts are now held back if they are in the moderating queue
• Scheduled task log is now working
• Provided the option of sending the debug messages to the vB3 cron log
• Bug fixes

31 Oct 2004

Fixed bugs running the gateway by the vB3 Scheduled Tasks

1 March 2004

Uploaded the new zip file. It contains one or two bug fixes.

[flicknut]

I just received this email through my contact form today:

> --------------------------------
>
> ++++ you. ++++ you hardcore.
>
> How DARE you incorporate usenet, and make me participate with your
> website?? You make it look like the threads are started here, and we are
> subject to your rules and regs. I never subscribed here, and you are not
> google, where it is implicit that the Usenet group is being archived. You
> are not attributing the newsgroup, you are
> hijacking our posts that we made in good faith.
>
> Next, if someone violates YOUR guidlines, but their post did not violate
> their isp providers guidelines for Usenet, and that person is "reported"
> to their isp by a participant here...you get my drift?
>
> Lazy, plagerizing, deceitful, unfair...you name it, you lazy bastards, you
> ARE it.
>
> Jerks. May your website be a failure...in fact, I am contacting YOUR ISP
> and webspace provider, and complaining. Expect more from other usnet-only
> users.
>
> --------------------------------

[kmike]

<font size="1">No wonder Usenet has fallen into decline, with such amount of unmotivated hate and zealotry there...</font>

[Deriel]

I'm having a trouble with e-mail subjects with more than 64 characters... the import simply stops everytime. Some idea?

[lierduh]

Originally Posted by Deriel

I'm having a trouble with e-mail subjects with more than 64 characters... the import simply stops everytime. Some idea?

Please provide more information.

[lierduh]

Originally Posted by flicknut

I just received this email through my contact form today:

> --------------------------------

This is not the first, and will not be the last.

Generally forums should not advertise the forums throught the gateway. Even the linked thread URLs can be considered advertising, so I turn all the footers off, only leave the username to be sent with the message. Also the forum owner should educate their users about what the gateway is. Failing that, making the USENET forums as moderated forums may be the way to go.

Edit: the newer version I am working on (not uploaded, only used in my board and in the cvs) tags all the imported user names with Ext User(usenet user name). So it will be more clear for the origin of the USENET messages.

BTW, new features will only be added to the version vb3_5 branch. vb3_5 branch is the newer version to work with vB3.5.

[Deriel]

Originally Posted by lierduh

Please provide more information.

I'll try to :think:

Here are the complete header of a message that cannot be imported. Pro process stop and resume only after I delete the message. I using the Hack in a Message List, not Usenet

Return-Path: <sentto-2458507-36227-1120444200-teste_nf_listas=valinor.com.br@returns.groups.yahoo.com>
Delivered-To: teste_nf_listas@valinor.com.br
Received: (qmail 86047 invoked by uid 1011); 4 Jul 2005 02:31:54 -0000
Received: from n24.bulk.scd.yahoo.com (66.94.237.53)
     by laurelin.valinor.com.br with SMTP; 4 Jul 2005 02:31:54 -0000
Comment: DomainKeys? See http://antispam.yahoo.com/domainkeys
DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; q=dns; c=nofws; s=hotel; d=yahoogrupos.com.br;
     b=Txb9pQq7e04HAMjz1k2ereT0zmw7cpDSFRmC7lylF4H2w7ZFs7Ad6dvgUhH1scIbXEWY+ChnCTc5g0cxyFZNPv+iNHwdXm6fuvxx6DYw2ev5Lw++ZL5ycIriBhUk6Y7H;
Received: from [66.218.66.59] by n24.bulk.scd.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 04 Jul 2005 02:30:00 -0000
Received: from [66.218.66.27] by mailer8.bulk.scd.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 04 Jul 2005 02:30:00 -0000
X-Yahoo-Newman-Property: groups-email
X-Sender: lordpas@yahoo.com.br
X-Apparently-To: valinor_br@yahoogrupos.com.br
Received: (qmail 28172 invoked from network); 4 Jul 2005 02:29:59 -0000
Received: from unknown (66.218.66.218)
     by m21.grp.scd.yahoo.com with QMQP; 4 Jul 2005 02:29:59 -0000
Received: from unknown (HELO n31.bulk.scd.yahoo.com) (66.94.237.60)
     by mta3.grp.scd.yahoo.com with SMTP; 4 Jul 2005 02:29:59 -0000
Comment: DomainKeys? See http://antispam.yahoo.com/domainkeys
Received: from [66.218.69.1] by n31.bulk.scd.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 04 Jul 2005 02:29:55 -0000
Received: from [66.218.66.65] by mailer1.bulk.scd.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 04 Jul 2005 02:29:55 -0000
To: valinor_br@yahoogrupos.com.br
Message-ID: <daa6v0+u0re@eGroups.com>
In-Reply-To: <20050703180435.95520.qmail@web80902.mail.scd.yahoo.com>
User-Agent: eGroups-EW/0.82
X-Mailer: Yahoo Groups Message Poster
X-Originating-IP: 66.94.237.60
X-eGroups-Msg-Info: 1:12:0
X-Yahoo-Post-IP: 200.102.98.75
From: "lordpas" <lordpas@yahoo.com.br>
X-Yahoo-Profile: lordpas
Sender: valinor_br@yahoogrupos.com.br
MIME-Version: 1.0
Mailing-List: list valinor_br@yahoogrupos.com.br; contact valinor_br-owner@yahoogrupos.com.br
Delivered-To: mailing list valinor_br@yahoogrupos.com.br
List-Id: <valinor_br.yahoogrupos.com.br>
Precedence: bulk
List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:valinor_br-unsubscribe@yahoogrupos.com.br>
Date: Mon, 04 Jul 2005 02:29:52 -0000
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?q?Re:_[VALINOR]_Diferen=E7as_entre_esp=EDritos_elficos_e_humanos.?=
Reply-To: valinor_br@yahoogrupos.com.br
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

The message subject is Re: [VALINOR] Diferen?as entre esp?ritos elficos e humanos. and its body is

Se Luthien volta como mulher, como diz o Silma, n?o existe raz?o 
para Dior ser meio elfo.


Mas eu sei que existem fontes que o citam assim. ? nessas horas que 
eu queria um help do Boss, j? que ele parece saber sobre Dior, etc...

E claro, os descendentes de Dior no caso s?o meio elfos por causa 
dos tchaca-tchacas que ocorreram entre Idril e Tuor, Earendil e 
Elwing, etc... N?o existe a real necessidade DELE ser meio elfo pra 
explicar alguma coisa. 

E Tolkien ainda me mata o rapaz antes da hora, gasp... s? pra 
ficarmos na d?vida sobre at? quando ele teria vivido, etc... bem 
apagadinho esse Dior tamb?m. Nem parece filho de Luthien & Beren.

Lordpas

--- Em valinor_br@yahoogrupos.com.br, ghostty2001 <ghostty2001@y...> 
escreveu
> Lord, eu acredito que Dior seja meio elfo, pois
> Luthien era elfa na verdade, apenas ganha a chance de
> voltar como mortal para poder viver o seu amor por
> Beren em paz. Mas ? apenas algo que eu acho que possa
> ser uma resposta convincente!!
> 
> ghostty
> 
>




PARA SAIR DA LISTA basta enviar um e-mail *a partir do e-mail que est? cadastrado na
lista* para valinor_br-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

GUIA DE COMO SE CADASTRAR NO YAHOOGRUPOS
http://www.valinor.com.br/artigos/artigo.asp?id=454

PARTICIPE TAMB?M DA VALINOR_FILMES: 
http://br.groups.yahoo.com/group/valinor_filmes

PARTICIPE TAMB?M DO NEWSLETTER_VALINOR: 
http://br.groups.yahoo.com/group/valinor_newsletter

PARTICIPE TAMB?M DO FORUM VALINOR: 
http://forum.valinor.com.br 
Links do Yahoo! Grupos

<*> Para visitar o site do seu grupo na web, acesse:
    http://br.groups.yahoo.com/group/valinor_br/

<*> Para sair deste grupo, envie um e-mail para:
    valinor_br-unsubscribe@yahoogrupos.com.br

<*> O uso que voc? faz do Yahoo! Grupos est? sujeito aos:
    http://br.yahoo.com/info/utos.html

What another informations should I send?

[lierduh]

Originally Posted by Deriel

What another informations should I send?

A debug log will centainly help.

I imported that message without any problem.

I notice the subject is mime coded.
Does your php server have "imap_mime_header_decode" function?

[Deriel]

Originally Posted by lierduh

A debug log will centainly help.

I imported that message without any problem.

I notice the subject is mime coded.
Does your php server have "imap_mime_header_decode" function?

I put a serie of "print" to investigate and the processing stops in these lines:

                        logging("Getting message number $current: ");
                        $last_loaded = $current;
                        $mime = new mime();

[Deriel]

Another problem. The title match method isn't working ok, like in

http://forum.valinor.com.br/forumdisplay.php?f=86

The is a thread for every mail reply

[Gutspiller]

Does this work with 3.0.7?