Links and Downloads Manager

LDM extends VBulletin to manage a library of documents, files and links to other web sites. Documents can be stored on your own web site, stored on your server separate from the web site, uploaded by your user community, or held somewhere else altogether. So you can use LDM to provide your user community with access to your own files and allow them to share files with each other.

12/08/06 - Versions that work with vb36 are available and supported in the VB36 thread. Version 2.2.1, which works with VB 3.5 but not with VB 3.6, remains available here.

Thanks to everyone who has helped with all the design, testing, etc.
Translations are provided (thanks dLutt and LeeWicked) into German, (thanks to Allan) into French, and (thanks to Hugo) into Spanish. Harry1951 has handled the Dutch translation.

Screenshots, Instructions and How to Install

Full details and instructions are available as a Wiki at http://www.eirma.org/wikis/index.php...nloads_Manager

LDM installs as a VBulletin product. There are no modifications required to standard VB code.

Basically - upload php files and run the installer through VB's Product installer. No changes needed to VB code. Remember to BACKUP YOUR DATABASE. By default, LDM prefixes its database tables 'local_'. Edit the configuration file, local_links_init.php, if you need/wish to change this.

LDM can handle an essentially unlimited number of categories and nested subcategories, and an unlimited number of entries (hyperlinks or downloadable files). Each entry can be placed in one or several categories. Categories can have styles. Descriptions and titles can optionally include BBcodes, smilies, images and html, giving the possibility to add images, colouring, etc. File types can be flagged using icons and individual entries can also have associated thumbnail images.

Standards templates are provided for libraries of links, files, documents, and photographs.

Users can offer comments and rate the links/downloads. Each user is allowed one rating and many comments per entry, and can freely edit these if they change their mind.

Permission to use specific features is established via the product's admin page, where the administrator specifies which usergroups can add and edit entries, comment and rate these entries, moderate, etc.

By default, all entries are visible to all users. You can restrict visibility/access to links and categories by using the permissions masks from your board's forums.

Moderation of new entries is available but turned off by default.

Users can report bad links to the relevant moderators/administrators.

Each user can flag links as his/her "Favourites".

Modules are provided for VBAdvanced.

Hooks are provided in suitable places in LDM and sample plugins are included in the release (see extras directory), for example to integrate with ID3 tags in mp3 files, for slideshows, to autocreate new threads in your forums, etc.

Plus much more.

[GrendelKhan{TSU]

Originally Posted by |oR|Greg

You mean like, upload something, and have it show the link they're to copy for their signature?

yes. have it be an option in admin to show or hide link.

[Holidazed]

Originally Posted by bitg

Is there a way to deny access to particular categories and sub-categories based on the usergroup? It would be nice if I can choose to show the category title to a usergroup and then deny them access when they click on it (maybe with a link to purchasing a subscription) or just not showing the category to them.

So far, I have set my forum permissions to now allow unlogged in people to see the forum that links to a particular category, but if they go directly to the link, it lets them in.

Ideas?

AndrewD, any answer to my question?

[arcadian_girl]

just installed this, and it seems great, but i'm so confused, i don't even understand how to upload a file, or where to upload it to. :/ can i upload files via ftp? if so, where do i upload them to? i couldn't find the folder where the uploaded files would be stored. i looked at the online manual, but the bit about uploading files didn't make much sense to me :/

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by arcadian_girl

just installed this, and it seems great, but i'm so confused, i don't even understand how to upload a file, or where to upload it to. :/ can i upload files via ftp? if so, where do i upload them to? i couldn't find the folder where the uploaded files would be stored. i looked at the online manual, but the bit about uploading files didn't make much sense to me :/

Hi, sorry that you are confused. You can use this hack in several ways - including using it to upload files, or pre-loading them via ftp then using this to make them available to others.

- As installed, it allows admins to give users access to files that have already been pre-uploaded somewhere on your site or somewhere else on the internet.

- If you want to enable uploads, then you have to enable this via the LDM admin/settings page:

- Create a directory (for example, /uploads) in the root of your web site.
- LDM/admin/settings -> controls on file uploads
- Set upload_dir to /uploads
- Set upload_enabled to yes
- Leave the other two upload_* settings as they are for the time being

- Next thing to consider is what filetypes you will allow to be uploaded. By default, LDM will accept uploads of any types that are defined in the main VB/admin/attachments/filetypes table, for files that are no bigger than the maximum size in that table. If you want to allow new filetypes (e.g. mp3), then you need to add these to the vb attachments table. This is explained in the oline manual, section 5.6

- If you want to allow other users to create entries and/or upload files, then you have to given them permission via the LDM admin/permissions page.

If you get stuck, send me a PM with details of your board and an account with admin privs. I'm happy to take a look and set things up for you.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by bitg

AndrewD, any answer to my question?

Have you 'associated' the category with the protected forum (LDM/edit category/parent forum)?

[arcadian_girl]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

Hi, sorry that you are confused. You can use this hack in several ways - including using it to upload files, or pre-loading them via ftp then using this to make them available to others.

- As installed, it allows admins to give users access to files that have already been pre-uploaded somewhere on your site or somewhere else on the internet.

- If you want to enable uploads, then you have to enable this via the LDM admin/settings page:

- Create a directory (for example, /uploads) in the root of your web site.
- LDM/admin/settings -> controls on file uploads
- Set upload_dir to /uploads
- Set upload_enabled to yes
- Leave the other two upload_* settings as they are for the time being

- Next thing to consider is what filetypes you will allow to be uploaded. By default, LDM will accept uploads of any types that are defined in the main VB/admin/attachments/filetypes table, for files that are no bigger than the maximum size in that table. If you want to allow new filetypes (e.g. mp3), then you need to add these to the vb attachments table. This is explained in the oline manual, section 5.6

- If you want to allow other users to create entries and/or upload files, then you have to given them permission via the LDM admin/permissions page.

If you get stuck, send me a PM with details of your board and an account with admin privs. I'm happy to take a look and set things up for you.

wow...thank you so much for getting back to me so fast, and being so helpful i've created the uploads folder, and i uploaded a test file. i added the filetypes that i'll be uploading, too. but now that the file is uploaded, how do i find that file in the download manager, and make it available to people for download? i tried every place in the download manager admin cp, and couldn't find where to find the file and make it available.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by arcadian_girl

wow...thank you so much for getting back to me so fast, and being so helpful i've created the uploads folder, and i uploaded a test file. i added the filetypes that i'll be uploading, too. but now that the file is uploaded, how do i find that file in the download manager, and make it available to people for download? i tried every place in the download manager admin cp, and couldn't find where to find the file and make it available.

You go to the main LDM page - http://yoursite/forum/local_links.php and select categories/add category and create the first category group in which your links will appear (for example 'My Downloads') then you select 'Add Link' and you are given a form which allows you to add a link to that directory or to upload a new file.

[arcadian_girl]

by george, i think i've got it i'm probably speaking too soon and will be back in five minutes with another question, but i think i've got the basics now. thanks for being patient with a newbie

[pumarjr]

how do i increase the [PHP Maximum Upload Size] which is set to 2mb in the AdminCP home page? screenshots provided below

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by pumarjr

how do i increase the [PHP Maximum Upload Size] which is set to 2mb in the AdminCP home page? screenshots provided below

Not sure what is going on. The VB admincp quickstats and the LDM table of php settings read and display the same value from your php.ini, i.e. upload_max_filesize, so they should be the same.