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<html> |
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<head> |
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<title>Newsportal readme</title> |
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</head> |
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<body textcolor=black bgcolor=white> |
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<h1 align=center>News portal</h1> |
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|
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<p>Version 0.24pre1</p> |
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|
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<h2>Introduction</h2> |
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|
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<p>News portal is a PHP based newsreader. It is licensed under the GNU |
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Public License (see enclosed LICENSE). |
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</p> |
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|
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|
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<h2>Overview</h2> |
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|
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<p>This script collection enables the access to a newsserver (by NNTP) from |
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a webpage. It allows you to combine web-forums and newsgroups. |
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The script is also suitable for presentation of announce newsgroups |
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on web pages, without having the user notice that he is in fact accessing a newsserver. |
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</p> |
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|
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<p>The main functionality of the script is located in the file |
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<tt>newsportal.php3</tt>, which contains the major part of the implemented php3-functions. |
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In addition to that there are four more php3-files, which are directly accessed |
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by the browser. |
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<UL> |
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<li><i>index.php3</i> shows the available newsgroups of the newsserver (if |
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you have added the names to groups.txt) |
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<li><i>thread.php3 </i>displays the article-overview of a newsgroup. The |
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articles are displayed in a thread. |
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|
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<li><i>article.php3</i> displays an individual article. |
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<li><i>post.php3</i> posts a message into a newsgroup. WARNING: This script |
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produces absolutely not RFC conformal messages. Thus 'umlauts' in the Subject |
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are not mime encoded ! It still works fine though. |
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<li><i>config.inc </i> contains the configuration. |
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<li><i>body.inc</i> contains the header and the body-tag of the pages. This way |
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the layout of the pages (i.e. the background) can easily be adjusted. |
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<li><i>german.lang </i>: The German language definitions |
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<li><i>english.lang </i>: The English language definitions |
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</ul></p> |
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|
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<p>Since fetching the article overview of the newsserver takes quite some time, |
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newsportal caches this data in the directory |
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<tt>spool/</tt>. Any file can be put in this directory, they will |
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automatically be regenerated. |
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</p> |
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|
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<h2>Installation:</h2> |
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|
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<p><ol> |
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<li>download the zip or tar.gz archive |
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<li>unzip it to a directory |
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|
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<li>The file<tt>config.inc</tt> |
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must be edited with your settings (the most important variables are: |
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<i>$server, $port, $title and $readonly</i>). |
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|
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<li>Write the names of all groups newsportal should show into the file <tt>groups.txt</tt>. |
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Behind the groupname, seperated by a blank, a description of the group can be added. If the description is missing, |
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newsportal will try to request the description from the newsserver. |
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|
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<li>The spool directory has to be created and configured to grant read an write access to the newsserver |
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("chmod 777 spool" ). |
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</ol></p> |
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|
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<h2>Configuration</h2> |
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<p>The following adjustments can be made in <tt>config.inc</tt> |
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</p> |
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|
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<p><b>Directories and files:</b> |
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<UL> |
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<li><i>$file_newsportal="newsportal.php3":</i>Name of the file containing |
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the newsportal-functions. |
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<li><i>$file_groups="index.php3"</i>: The file which shows the list of |
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available newsgroups. |
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<li><i>$file_thread="thread.php3"</i>: The file which shows the |
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article-thread of a selected newsgroup |
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<li><i>$file_article="article.php3"</i>: Displays an article |
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<li><i>$file_post="post.php3"</i>: The file which allows you to post an |
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article to a newsgroup. This file can be removed, if the system is set on |
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readonly (see below). |
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<li><i>$file_language="english.lang"</i>: Reference to the language |
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definition file. |
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<li><i>$file_footer</i>: Optionally, the name of a file can |
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be indicated, which will be attached to every article posted to a newsgroup. |
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</ul></p> |
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|
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<p><b>Newsserver setip</b> |
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<UL> |
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<li><i>$server </i>: Hostname or IP of the newsserver |
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<li><i>$port </i>: Port of the newsserver, normally 119 |
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<li><i>$post_server</i>: Optionally an extra newsserver can be indicated here |
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which is used by post.php3 for writing articles. |
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This is useful if two newsservers need to be accessed, a fast read-only server and a slow server |
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to post articles. Be aware that it might take some time until the posted article will show up on your |
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main newsserver ($server), which you use to read articles. |
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<li><i>$post_port </i>: Port of your post-newsserver |
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<li><i>$server_auth_user</i>: If the newsserver requires authentication by name and password put your username |
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here. Otherwise just set the variable to "". |
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<li><i>$server_auth_pass</i>: Put your password here. |
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</ul></p> |
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|
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<p><b>Thread Layout</b> |
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<ul> |
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<li><i>$treestyle </i>:The appearance of the message tree: |
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<ul> |
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<li>0: Simple listing of the articles</li> |
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<li>1: Easy listing of the articles, with some more HTML tags</li> |
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<li>2: Simple listing in a table</li> |
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<li>3: Threaded with HTML-tags (UL, li)</li> |
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<li>4: Threaded with text characters</li> |
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<li>5: Threaded with graphical images</li> |
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<li>6: Threaded with text characters and table</li> |
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<li>7: Threaded with graphical images table</li> |
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</ul></li> |
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|
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<li><i>$thread_fontPre</i>: The code given here is put in front of every text fragment in thread.php3, i.e. |
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font face or size can be set.</li> |
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<li><i>$thread_fontPost</i>: The same as $thread_fontPre, |
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only code is appended at the end of the text.</li> |
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|
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<li><i>$thread_showDate,<br> |
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$thread_showSubject,<br> |
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$thread_showAuthor</i>: |
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<ul> |
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<li>true: the date / the subject / the author are displayed in |
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the thread</li> |
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<li>false: output is suppressed.</li> |
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</ul> |
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|
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<li><i>$thread_maxSubject </i>: Maximum number of characters of the subject displayed</li> |
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<li><i>$maxarticles</i>: This number indicates the maximum amount of |
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overview data of a newsgroup newsportal tries to get from the newsserver. |
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"0" means no limitation. $maxarticles also indicates the amount of articles |
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to be stored in the spoolfiles. A lower value means less work for newsportal</li> |
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<li><i>$maxarticles_extra</i>: The problem with $maxarticles is that all |
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article data must be completely requested again by the new server, if the |
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indicated value is exceeded. |
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$maxarticles_extra can be set to prevent this. |
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The article-spool will only be restructured if |
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$maxarticles + $maxarticles_extra articles are present, whereby |
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$maxarticles many article data are requested. |
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Only if an exact given number of articles should be displayed on the web page, the value of |
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this variable schould be set "0".</li> |
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<li><i>$age_count </i>: Number of different age levels for the |
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coloured marking of articles</li> |
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<li><i>$$age_time[n] </i>: maximal age of an article in seconds, |
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so that the article gets marked with the colour $age_color[n]. |
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n is a natural number > = 1 and all numbers from 1 to n must be |
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assigned, gaps are not permitted.</li> |
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<li><i>$age_color[n]</i>: The colour in which the article is marked</li> |
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<li><i>$thread_sorting </i>: The sort sequence for the articles: |
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<ul> |
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<li>0: No assortment, articles are displayed in the order in which they are polled from |
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the server. This is nearly like ascending |
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assortment.</li> |
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<li> 1: ascending assortment, the oldest articles to the top.</li> |
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<li> -1: descending assortment, the newest articles to the top.</li> |
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</ul></li> |
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<li><i>$articles_per_page</i>: If this value is not 0, the maximum amount of articles is given, which are to be |
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displayed on one page at the same time. The thread will be split into |
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individual pages.</li> |
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<li><i>$startpage</i>: In connection with $$articles_per_page |
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the variable indicates, which page is to be displayed first: |
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<ul> |
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<li>"first": The page with the newest articles</li> |
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<li>"last": the page with the oldest articles</li> |
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</ul> |
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The specification should be co-ordinated with <i>$thread_sorting</i>. |
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"first" for 0 and 1, and "last" for -1.</li> |
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</ul></p> |
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|
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<p><b>Article layout</b> |
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<ul> |
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<li><i>$article_show["Subject"],<br> |
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$article_show["From"],<br> |
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$article_show["Newsgroups"],<br> |
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$article_show["Organization"],<br> |
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$article_show["Date"],<br> |
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$article_show["Message-ID"],<br> |
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$article_show["User-Agent"],<br> |
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$article_show["References"]</i>: |
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"true" displays the |
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respective header line in article.php3, by "false" it |
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is suppressed.</ul></p> |
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|
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<p><b>Frame support</b><br> |
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Example files for the frame support are located in |
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<tt>extras/frames/</tt>. In this section the names of the frames can be |
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defined. If you want to use frames you have to set the variable |
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$frame_thread to "thread_frameset.php3". |
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<ul> |
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<li><i>$frame_articles</i>: Name of the article frame. Must be the same as |
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defined in <tt> thread_frameset.php3</tt>.</li> |
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<li>$frame_thread</i>: Name of the thread frame. |
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<li><i>$frame_groups</i>: Name of the frame for the grouplist, normally set |
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to "_top" to open a new frameset.</li> |
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<li><i>$frame_post </i>: Name of the frame for post.php3</li> |
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<li><i>$frame_threadframeset </i>: Name of the frame, in which the |
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frameset is to appear, which takes up the article and thread Frames. |
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Normally set to "_top".</li> |
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<li><i>$frame_externallink</i>: Target frame for external links within |
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articles.</li> |
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</ul> |
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|
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<p><b>Safety settings</b> |
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<ul> |
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<li><i>$send_poster_host</i>: "true" means that a header-line named "X-HTTP-Posting-Host:" |
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will be attached to every posted article, set to the hostname of the user who wrote the article.</li> |
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<li><i>$readonly </i>: if set to "true", the newsportal is read-only. The file post.php3 can be safely removed.</li> |
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<li><i>$testgroup </i>: if set to "true" newsportal checks if a group is |
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listed in <tt>groups.txt</tt> when accessed through thread.php3. |
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Otherwise a group could be seen simply entering the right URL, although |
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the group is not displayed in the group list.</li> |
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<li><i>$validate_email </i>: Sets how newsportal checks an |
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email address in post.php3 for syntax: |
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<ul> |
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<li>0: no examination. Not recommended, since the |
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newsserver will give an error message, if the address is not syntactically |
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correct.</li> |
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<li>1: Checks the address on syntactic correctness.</li> |
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<li>2: Additionally a MX or A record is checked for the domain-name of the e-mail address. |
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Newsportal performs a hostname lookup.</li> |
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</ul> |
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</UL></p> |
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|
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<p><b>General setting</b> |
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<UL> |
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<li><i>$title</i>: The value of this variable is put in the title-header of |
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the generated webpages.</li> |
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<li><i>$organization </i>: Name of your organization. Put after the |
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"Organization:"-header when posting articles.</li> |
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<li><i>$setcookies </i>: Permits the user to save his name and his |
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email-address as cookies in his browser.</li> |
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<li><i>$compress_spoolfiles</i>: Sets whether the spool files should be compressed or not. |
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This is recommended under normal conditions, since the size of the spoolfiles shrinks |
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approximately to about 15% of the original size. Be aware that some PHP-Versions |
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do not support compressing |
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</UL></p> |
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|
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<h2>Safety notes</h2> |
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|
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<p>A few things must be kept in mind to not allow newsportal to open |
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safety-holes: |
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<ul> |
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<li><tt>config.inc</tt> can be requested by every user that knows the filename, |
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if you do not move it to a protected area of your webserver. |
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</ul></p> |
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|
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<p>This script was originally (and actually still) only meant |
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for access to local newsgroups. If you use it with UseNet newsgroups, |
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following problems could show up: |
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<ul> |
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<li>Articles could be posted anonymously (i.e. spamming), see $send_poster_host</li> |
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<li>Newsportal produces 8-bit header lines (i.e. the Subject), |
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which is not permitted. However there do not seem to be any problems.</li> |
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<li>There are lists with so-called "open" newsservers in the |
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internet. Mostly "open" doesn't mean for this server that everyone is |
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allowed to use this server. Normally it means that the operator of the server |
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forgot to protect his server adequatly. So before using an "open" newsserver, |
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you should make sure that the operator permits the use of his |
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server for newsportal.</li> |
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<li>Posting articles anonymously is not accepted in most UseNet groups. |
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Before you give writing access to a newsgroup, you should ask the users in the newsgroup |
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if they have no objections. <b>Do not give public write access on UseNet newsgroups, |
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if you do not know exactly, what you are doing!</b></li> |
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</ul></p> |
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|
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<p>The author reserves the right not to be responsible for the topicality, correctness, completeness or quality of the program provided. |
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Liability claims regarding damage caused by the program provided, will therefore be rejected.<br> |
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In other words: Use this program at your own risk !</p> |
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|
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<h2>Compatibility</h2> |
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|
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<p>Newsportal should work with every phpserver with php3 support |
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and every newsserver. Webserver and newsserver do not need to run on the |
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same machine.</p> |
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|
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<h2>Contact</h2> |
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|
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<p>Florian Amrhein<br> |
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email: <a href="mailto:florian.amrhein@gmx.de">florian.amrhein@gmx.de</a><br> |
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WWW: |
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<a href=http://florian-amrhein.de">http://florian-amrhein.de</a> |
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</p> |
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</body></html> |
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