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

[AWS]

Originally Posted by Grinler

On another note, has anyone who uses this script ever had a problem with any usenet providers when they found out what you were using the script for? Did they cancel your service or tell you that it was not allowed? Are there any known services that know about this script and do not care if you use it?

As long as you stay under the alloted download limits you'll be OK.
I've been running this hack using GigaNews 2 gig per month account for 3 years and have never had a problem. If you pull binaries then you'll need a larger amount. I pull about 35 text groups and I have never used anywhere near my allotment.

[Grinler]

Any idea if they know what you are using it for? Just curious as though it does not break any AUP they may not like it. Btw, how do you like giganews?

[KW802]

Originally Posted by AWS

I changed that block of code to use the new image class that vbulletin has although I do actually have the function image file. Must be leftover from an older version after upgrade. Forgot I had modified that part of the script.

I'd be interested in seeing the modified version using class_image.php instead, doesn't matter if it's phmtl or php.

[srpompon]

Originally Posted by KW802

I'd be interested in seeing the modified version using class_image.php instead, doesn't matter if it's phmtl or php.

i also...

[laxyy]

Originally Posted by Cyburbia

This:

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html dir="ltr" lang="en">
<head>
	<title>Scheduled Task Manager - (my site) - vBulletin Admin Control Panel</title>
	<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" />
	<link rel="stylesheet" href="../cpstyles/vBulletin_3_Default/controlpanel.css" />
	<script type="text/javascript">
	<!--
	var SESSIONHASH = "";
	function set_cp_title()
	{
		if (typeof(parent.document) != 'undefined' && typeof(parent.document) != 'unknown' && typeof(parent.document.title) == 'string')
		{
			parent.document.title = (document.title != '' ? document.title : 'vBulletin');
		}
	}
	//-->
	</script>
	<script type="text/javascript" src="../clientscript/vbulletin_global.js"></script>

</head>
<body style="margin:0px" onload="set_cp_title();">
<div class="pagetitle">Scheduled Task Manager</div>
<div style="margin:10px">
<!-- END CONTROL PANEL HEADER -->

<p><b>Mailing list gateway</b></p><p>Done</p>

<!-- START CONTROL PANEL FOOTER -->
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.vbulletin.com/" target="_blank" class="copyright">vBulletin v3.5.0 Release Candidate 1, Copyright &copy;2000-2005, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.</a></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>

Just raw HTML.

its good to get update from news group
I just installed this mod,, but facing some problem and its not updating the contain rapidly,

its gives error when i run it
"Another instance of gateway.php is running, try again in 30 minutes if the script was crashed."

its megarly updating less than hundred post each time

Plz guide me in this

Thanx

[laxyy]

its good to get update from news group
I just installed this mod,, but facing some problem and its not updating the contain rapidly,

its gives error when i run it
"Another instance of gateway.php is running, try again in 30 minutes if the script was crashed."

its megarly updating less than hundred post each time

Plz guide me in this

Thanx

[Maddog417]

I'm also having all sorts of problems with this hack. For starters, the documentation is a fiasco and there are so many different issues and problems here on the forums I'm not certain what is working on this hack.

I installed the files as best I could given that the files included in the current version aren't even mentioned in the Readme. Whenever I attempt to run the http://www.yourserver.com/vbdir/gateway.php?debug=1 script, I get the following error:

Warning: fsockopen(): unable to connect to myemail.com:110 in /includes/pop.php on line 40
Connection timed out (110)
Warning: fwrite(): supplied argument is not a valid stream resource in /includes/pop.php on line 107

Warning: fgets(): supplied argument is not a valid stream resource in /includes/pop.php on line 99

Warning: fwrite(): supplied argument is not a valid stream resource in /includes/pop.php on line 107

Warning: fgets(): supplied argument is not a valid stream resource in /includes/pop.php on line 99

Done

I'm trying to get this to work for a Mailing List, not a newsgroup. So far I can't even get the gateway.php to run at all.

Does anyone have this working for vb3.5.4 for a mailing list? If so, can you provide some tips on exactly how you did it? Thanks.

[Maddog417]

Every time the gateway.php attempts to run, I also get this:

Database error in vBulletin 3.5.4:

Invalid SQL:
UPDATE nntp_settings
SET value = WHERE varname = 'last_postid';

MySQL Error : You have an error in your SQL syntax. Check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near 'WHERE varname = 'last_postid'' at line 2 Error Number : 1064

[jmw]

Why doesn't any of you guys takes this hack and be in charge of delivering timely updates and charge a fee for it? This hacks appears to be abandoned and it is needed badly. There is a ton of money to be made with these abandoned hacks. There are a ton of people that don't know a line of code and that don't want to put up with these buggy hacks, lack of updates problem and don't mind to shell out money. Remember, the majority of Vb customers don't know a line of code. Where is that paid hack directory anyway?

[AWS]

Originally Posted by Maddog417

Every time the gateway.php attempts to run, I also get this:

Looks like the querry wasn't run when you installed the hack. Did you follow the install instructions and open the gateway settings page before you added any newsgroups?