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.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by ZED28

Quick update! I've just gone ahead and installed your Beta (I do trust you with my life, signed the disclaimer..) and it appears to fix a few of my problems! :squareeyed:

There is a thumbnail upload now which is awsome and though the full sized skin is displayed (opened) in the browser, it has the correct name so a right click and save as will work in that scenario. If I could prompt the user to save as though instead, that would be better.

Also, the thumbnail quality could be better; is there a way to improve that? :ninja:

Good to hear - I'll take another look at the save as/open questions (went round and round this a year or so ago because of Adobe Acobat's habit of stealing the browser) - the thumbnail generation also needs some more work at some time, but am not sure about the quality issue - the image is resample down to the specified size and I don't know if there is any control on the resampling method.

[ZED28]

Andy, is there any way to hide the input fields for remote files and thumbs? I know you can disable remote linking in the admin section but the fields are still visible in the upload section.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by ZED28

Andy, is there any way to hide the input fields for remote files and thumbs? I know you can disable remote linking in the admin section but the fields are still visible in the upload section.

In other words, you want a clean option for 'uploads only'?

So the options would be
- No uploads, only links/downloads
- Uploads and links/downloads
- Uploads only

Any other sensible splits?

[ZED28]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

In other words, you want a clean option for 'uploads only'?

So the options would be
- No uploads, only links/downloads
- Uploads and links/downloads
- Uploads only

Any other sensible splits?

Exactly. Right now the deny linking works but with the spaces for the URL's still visible, the end user doesn't know its disabled until he actually tried to use it. I think these changes would be really useful - and maybe a way to be able to "Label" the description field above each input field? This would allow a greater level of customization towards the targeted use. For instance, mine could say "Browse the Skin to Upload" where other sites could have something completely different.

[ZED28]

Strange, I have the naming problem back the the images I upload. Are they renamed as they are stored? :ninja:

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by ZED28

Strange, I have the naming problem back the the images I upload. Are they renamed as they are stored? :ninja:

All uploads are renamed as they are stored. With version 2.1.0, the origiinal name was thrown away, but with 2.1.1 betas the original name is retained and used when downloaded again. If you have uploads in your database from 2.1.0, their original names have gone for good, even if you upgrade to 2.1.1. But new ones should be ok. Let me know if this is not the case.

[Nam]

I installed on my vb test site the beta one and so far I haven't found any bug. I also tried with Internet Download Manager (IDM) version 5.01 and there is no resume supported. It's understandable because the link is hidden.

The file download and limit work great, I'm wonder if I can apply download limit in A category and bandwidth limit to B category, I guess it would take a lot of coding. Another question is that if I have too many links, say 10,000 (now I already have 1000), would anti-leech link affect website perfomance? And how bad would that be?

I will report any bug that I found, so far so good, thanks so much Andrew. Happy New Year to you and your family.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Nam

I installed on my vb test site the beta one and so far I haven't found any bug. I also tried with Internet Download Manager (IDM) version 5.01 and there is no resume supported. It's understandable because the link is hidden.

Good, thanks.

Originally Posted by Nam

The file download and limit work great, I'm wonder if I can apply download limit in A category and bandwidth limit to B category, I guess it would take a lot of coding.

I'll take a look. I think this will probably have to wait.

Originally Posted by Nam

Another question is that if I have too many links, say 10,000 (now I already have 1000), would anti-leech link affect website perfomance? And how bad would that be?

The impact depends on how many users are simultaneously trying to obtain downloads which are physically stored on your site or (worse) have to be read through your site. The number of entries in your database is not really relevant.

Originally Posted by Nam

I will report any bug that I found, so far so good, thanks so much Andrew. Happy New Year to you and your family.

Thanks - and to you too

[Benj]

sorry ive been away for a bit.. whats the happenings ? any news on anti leeching music?

[ZED28]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

All uploads are renamed as they are stored. With version 2.1.0, the origiinal name was thrown away, but with 2.1.1 betas the original name is retained and used when downloaded again. If you have uploads in your database from 2.1.0, their original names have gone for good, even if you upgrade to 2.1.1. But new ones should be ok. Let me know if this is not the case.

I think that's exactly what it was then. I uploaded a lot of stuff last night - all went without a hitch! New thumbs look so much better!