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...

[G-man]

In the exim config file ( /etc/exim.conf ), near the bottom is a section that begins with virtual_userdelivery: - in that section is a line which says mode = 0660 - change this to mode = 0666

I changed this setting and vbounce worked great then I noticed today it brought down my entire email delevery system by switching the the email permissions on all the domain accounts on my server causing denial of emailsfor the entire day until it click I was the one that screwed up the system with that setting. I ahve switched it back.

Help! Please!

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by G-man

I changed this setting and vbounce worked great then I noticed today it brought down my entire email delevery system by switching the the email permissions on all the domain accounts on my server causing denial of emailsfor the entire day until it click I was the one that screwed up the system with that setting. I ahve switched it back.

Help! Please!

Not sure about the exim stuff since I've never used it. But you're saying that you switched it back and now the email works fine, but not vBouncer? Why not try the IMAP/POP method, since it will require no changes to Exim.

[G-man]

Originally Posted by tamarian

Not sure about the exim stuff since I've never used it. But you're saying that you switched it back and now the email works fine, but not vBouncer? Why not try the IMAP/POP method, since it will require no changes to Exim.

Correct. Evidentily that setting made all local email boxes on the server where they were chmod to block incoming emails.

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by G-man

Correct. Evidentily that setting made all local email boxes on the server where they were chmod to block incoming emails.

I've updated the instruction to warn about this problem, and simply recommended IMAP/POP

[G-man]

Tamarian,
Thank you. I have yet to get the IMAP/POP to work. Can anyone point out how they are doing it with Exim>?

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by G-man

Can anyone point out how they are doing it with Exim>?

I have never used Exim, but it should be no different than any other POP mail account. If you already have created an account for vBouncer, then use the vBouncer setting in the vBulletin Options to enter the POP username and password for that account.

[PING1434a]

Ok, isntalled this hack, seems to working fine. Just one question though, when i run the vbounce collect and vbounce clean up , is it supposed to clear/purge the stats page? Because my stats just stay there...

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by PING1434a

Ok, isntalled this hack, seems to working fine. Just one question though, when i run the vbounce collect and vbounce clean up , is it supposed to clear/purge the stats page? Because my stats just stay there...

The stats are cleared when the defined period is over. So if you minitir bounces within the last 7 days, it will clear stats that are older than 7 days on the next run of the clean script. It will also clear each member's stats if they exced the defined period, and are "processed", to avoid penalizing them for the same bounces.

Don't forget to click install

[G-man]

I am now getting:

Vbounce

Fatal error: Call to undefined function: imap_open() in boards/includes/cron/vbouncer-collect.php on line 163

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by G-man

I am now getting:

Vbounce


Fatal error: Call to undefined function: imap_open() in boards/includes/cron/vbouncer-collect.php on line 163

This means that your server's PHP installation was not compiled with IMAP support.