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.

[lierduh]

Originally Posted by Marv

But one thing I?ve got to mention.. - everything I post in the forums now becomes imported to the newsgroups twice. First as a new posting and in the same moment as a reply to it. Here?s the debug-msg: Someone else with that problem out there ? I installed the hack as-it-is out of the box without any changes.

Found the bug, please download again and replace the nntp.php file.

[James T Brock]

Ok, i'm finally making some progress on this! I'm finally able to post messages to usenet. New threads and replies are showing up fine.

When I saw there was an upgrade, I deleted the old files and replaced them with the new version you just uploaded a few hours ago. Only know I have found a new problem. This is a far smaller problem than before though.(I'm just relieved I can finally post!) Everytime I post a message when I check usenet the sender is show like this in the username field; "newthread[username]"

What have I done wrong?

I saw the new option for designating a name for all users to display in usenet, but I dont want everyone to have the same name. I want THEIR names to show up. I also don't want their real emails to show up. That's an invitation for spam. So I left the new option black.

Is this "newthread[username]" thing in place of the senders name a bug, or have I done something wrong?

[Marv]

Originally Posted by lierduh

Found the bug, please download again and replace the nntp.php file.

/done and working fine.

And again - Thanks for all the work, lierduh !

[theispreport]

Hello, I am using the new version and got a quick question. Is it possible to:

use this function "My Name <myemail@a_domain.com>" in the "Edit Newsgroup Settings"

but have "My Name" be a dynamic variable of the posts username?

[Marv]

Originally Posted by James T Brock

Everytime I post a message when I check usenet the sender is show like this in the username field; "newthread[username]
What have I done wrong?"

Can?t confirm that for my forums - everything shows up as it should. Have you downloaded 2.3.1 and re-updated your files ?

[lierduh]

Originally Posted by James T Brock

Is this "newthread[username]" thing in place of the senders name a bug, or have I done something wrong?

It is certainly a bug. I have found one "$" missing in the code. This bug would only show when you allow the Guests to post (unregistered users to post).

I have fixed that and uploaded again. For the folks who just downloaded the v2.3.1, please do it again. To justify all the downloads. I have added a new feature in the script. When you change the $do_cron_log value from 1 to 0. The debug message will be emailed to the site email, even if you use the Unix cron job.

[lierduh]

Originally Posted by theispreport

Hello, I am using the new version and got a quick question. Is it possible to:

use this function "My Name <myemail@a_domain.com>" in the "Edit Newsgroup Settings"

but have "My Name" be a dynamic variable of the posts username?

This can not be done without changing the code.

[SaN-DeeP]

Originally Posted by lierduh

Those messages were sent from your forums. That indicates the posting was successful.

but those messages are not on the NNTP servers, mentioned above..
this is the major problem i have..

any idea ? or how can i debug the same ?

Regards,

[theispreport]

Originally Posted by lierduh

This can not be done without changing the code.

Any chance of adding this as a feature? Or if its not to much guide me to the section of code that would need changing..

[lierduh]

Originally Posted by SaN-DeeP

but those messages are not on the NNTP servers, mentioned above..
this is the major problem i have..

any idea ? or how can i debug the same ?

Regards,

Then who sent these posts?

http://groups.google.com.au/groups?h...3DN%26tab%3Dwg