vBadvanced Forums  

Installation Upgrading F.A.Q. Help & Support


vBadvanced Links Directory
Introduction
vBadvanced Links Directory is an advanced links directory which is built around, and completely integrated with vBulletin. It includes more features and flexibility than any other links directory built around vBulletin to date, and allows you to quickly set up and easily maintain your links directory. It allows unlimited categories, subcategories, and links. Also includes many other options such as user favorites, subscriptions, comments, ratings, and much more!
Features:
  • Fully integrated with vBulletin.
  • Unlimited categories & sub-categories.
  • Unlimited links.
  • What's New & What's Popular sections.
  • Allow users to comment on links.
  • Allow users to rate links.
  • User Favorites.
  • User Subscriptions.
  • Add your own custom fields.
  • Advanced searching features.
  • Sticky links.
  • Shows the number of replies and links per category.
  • Shows the number of hits, posts, last person to reply to links, and etc for each link.
  • Advanced sorting options in each category.
  • Allow users to send links to their friends.
  • Allow users to report broken/problematic links.
  • Private directories.
  • Set permissions based on usergroups.
  • Completely template based so it is very easy to change the look and feel.
  • Moderate links before they will appear per usergroup.
  • Ability to choose moderators to moderate each category.
  • Easily find and remove or suspend broken links.
  • Easily find and remove/suspend duplicate links.
  • Allow users to send links to their friends.
  • Allow users to report broken/problematic links.
  • Private directories.
  • Options to mass delete/suspend links.
  • Optimized to handle thousands and thousands of links without a performance hit.
  • Installer that will install all of the templates, phrases, and all database modifications.
  • And MUCH more!
Help & Support
If you have any problems or questions please post them at vBadvanced.com in the appropriate forums. I will be more than happy to help in any way I can if the request for help is made there. Anyone trying to contact me via email, private message, or any other means will be ignored.
Copyright
This script is © 2003 - 2004 vBadvanced.com and PlurPlanet, LLC.
This script is NOT to be re-distributed in any way or placed on a website for download.
All copyright notes in the script itself must remain unchanged.


Installation Instructions
Step 1 - Admin CP Modifications
Go to your Style Manager under "Styles & Templates" in your Admin CP. Choose to modify All Style Options. On this page, you will see a section for "Image Paths". Here you must change the path for each image directory (Title Image, Button Images Folder, Miscellaneous Images Folder, etc) to the full path (ex - /forum/images or http://yoursite.com/forum/images).

You must do this for each of your styles, otherwise your images will not show up!
Step 2 - File Modifications
In your /forum/admincp/index.php file:

Find: 
	$printhr = false;
	if (can_administer('canadmincalendars'))

Above that Add: 
	// ***
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['modify_settings'], 'vba_links_admin.php?do=modifysettings');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['edit_directories'], 'vba_links_admin.php?do=dirmanager');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['add_directory'], 'vba_links_admin.php?do=addcat');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['modify_permissions'], 'vba_links_admin.php?do=permissions');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['add_link'], 'vba_links_admin.php?do=addlink');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['view_all_links'], 'vba_links_admin.php?do=viewlinks');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['custom_fields'], 'vba_links_admin.php?do=customfields');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['validate_new_links'], '../' . $modcpdir . '/links.php?do=validate');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['validate_new_posts'], '../' . $modcpdir . '/links.php?do=validateposts');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['maintenance'], 'vba_links_admin.php?do=maintenance');
	construct_nav_group($vbphrase['vba_links_directory']);

	construct_nav_spacer();
In your /forum/admincp/usergroup.php:

Find:
print_input_row($vbphrase['title'], 'usergroup[title]', $usergroup['title']);

Above that Add:
	$lperms = convert_bits_to_array($usergroup['linkspermissions'], $_BITFIELD['usergroup']['linkspermissions']); 

	foreach($lperms AS $key => $linkperms) 
	{ 
		construct_hidden_code("usergroup[$key]", $linkperms); 
	}
In your /forum/includes/adminfunctions_template.php file:

Find:
	'aaa' => 'AAA Old Backup'

Above that Add:
	'adv_links' => $vbphrase['group_adv_links'],
In your /forum/includes/init.php file:

Find: 
// ### INSERT PLUGIN USERGROUP PERMISSIONS BITFIELDS HERE ###
// ----------------------------------------------------------

Below that Add:
$_BITFIELD['usergroup']['linkspermissions'] = array(
	'canviewlinks'					=> 1,
	'canaddlinks'						=> 2,
	'caneditlinks'        	=> 4,
	'caneditotherslinks'	  => 8,
	'candelete' 						=> 16,
	'candeleteothers'				=> 32,
	'moderatelinks'					=> 64,
	'canreplytolinks'				=> 128,
	'canviewreplies'				=> 256,
	'cansearchlinks'				=> 512,
	'cansendlinktofriend' 	=> 1024,
	'canratelinks' 					=> 2048,
	'caneditposts'					=> 4096,
	'caneditothersposts'		=> 8192,
	'candeleteposts'				=> 16384,
	'candeleteothersposts'	=> 32768,
	'canviewlinksdir'				=> 65536,
	'canviewprivate'				=> 131072,
	'moderateposts'					=> 262144
);
In your /forum/modcp/index.php:

Find:
	if ($canmass)
	{
		construct_nav_group($vbphrase['thread']);
		construct_nav_spacer();
	}

Below that Add:
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['validate_new_links'], 'links.php?do=validate');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['validate_new_posts'], 'links.php?do=validateposts');
	construct_nav_group($vbphrase['links']);
	construct_nav_spacer();
In your /links/links_config.php file that came with this script:

Now open your links_config.php file and find:
chdir('../forums');

Replace this with the full path to your forum on your server.
Not sure what this means?

Step 3 - Upload Files
Upload the new vBadvanced files and your modified vBulletin files to the directories listed below.

/forums/admincp - vbalinks_install.php, vba_links_admin.php, index.php, usergroup.php
/forums/includes - adminfunctions_template.php, init.php, adminfunctions_links.php, functions_links.php
/forums/includes/cron - links_search.php, links_subscriptions.php
/forums/modcp - index.php, links.php
/links/ - Upload this folder and all of it's contents into your root directory
Step 4 - Run the Install Script
Now you're almost done! It's time to add the vBadvanced settings and templates. Run the install script from your browser by going to http://yoursite.com/forum/admincp/vbalinks_install.php.

This script will make all necessary changes to your database and install the templates, phrases, settings, and etc for you. Once the script is done go to your Admin CP and you will see a new group of options called "vBa Links Directory" in the left frame. That is where you will modify the settings and set up your new links directory.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q.I'm not sure how to find the path to my forums.
Or
I get an error like this when I first try to install the script:
Warning: chdir() [function.chdir]: No such file or directory (errno 2) in /home/yoursite/html/links/links_config.php on line 8

A.The path to your forums directory is set wrong. Create a file called info.php with the following content:

<? phpinfo(); ?>

Then upload that file to your server and go to it in your browser. You will see a list of options that were set by your host. One of them is called:

_SERVER["PATH_TRANSLATED"]

Copy that path, paste it over what you currently have for your path in the links_config.php file, and add the name of your forums directory after it. Reupload your links_config.php file.
Q.Now that I've installed this script I can't log out!
A. Try clearing your cookies. If you're still having problems afterwards, edit your Cookie Domain (Under Cookies and HTTP Header Options in your vBulletin options section) and change that to ".yoursite.com" (note the two dots!).

Help & Support
Before asking for support Please read the F.A.Q above! If you have any problems or questions that are not covered in the F.A.Q. please post them at vbadvanced.com in the appropriate forum. I will be more than happy to help in any way I can if the request for help is made there. Anyone trying to contact me via email, private message, or any other means will be ignored.


Upgrading
Upgrading From RC2
First open your /forum/admincp/index.php file and look for the following code:

construct_nav_option($vbphrase['view_all_links'], 'vba_links_admin.php?do=viewlinks');

Right below this, Add:
construct_nav_option($vbphrase['custom_fields'], 'vba_links_admin.php?do=customfields');

(This adds a link to your new Custom Fields options.)

Next, open your new links_config.php file and look for this line:
chdir('/home/yoursite/public_html/forum');

Change that to the full path to your forum on your server.

Now upload the new files which you downloaded in the zip package over your existing files. (For a full list of the files that need to be uploaded, click here.)

Then open your browser and go to http://yoursite.com/forum/admincp/vbalinks_install.php.
Once there, click on the link that says "Click here to upgrade -->".
That will make all necessary database changes. Once that is finished, remove that file and you are done.
Upgrading From RC1
First open your /forum/admincp/index.php file and look for the following code:

	// ***
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['modify_settings'], 'linksadmin.php?do=modifysettings');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['edit_directories'], 'linksadmin.php?do=dirmanager');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['add_directory'], 'linksadmin.php?do=addcat');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['modify_permissions'], 'linksadmin.php?do=permissions');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['add_link'], 'linksadmin.php?do=addlink');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['view_all_links'], 'linksadmin.php?do=viewlinks');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['validate_new_links'], '../' . $modcpdir . '/links.php?do=validate');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['validate_new_posts'], '../' . $modcpdir . '/links.php?do=validateposts');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['maintenance'], 'linksadmin.php?do=maintenance');
	construct_nav_group($vbphrase['vba_links_directory']);

	construct_nav_spacer();

Replace this with: 
	// ***
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['modify_settings'], 'vba_links_admin.php?do=modifysettings');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['edit_directories'], 'vba_links_admin.php?do=dirmanager');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['add_directory'], 'vba_links_admin.php?do=addcat');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['modify_permissions'], 'vba_links_admin.php?do=permissions');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['add_link'], 'vba_links_admin.php?do=addlink');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['view_all_links'], 'vba_links_admin.php?do=viewlinks');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['custom_fields'], 'vba_links_admin.php?do=customfields');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['validate_new_links'], '../' . $modcpdir . '/links.php?do=validate');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['validate_new_posts'], '../' . $modcpdir . '/links.php?do=validateposts');
	construct_nav_option($vbphrase['maintenance'], 'vba_links_admin.php?do=maintenance');
	construct_nav_group($vbphrase['vba_links_directory']);

	construct_nav_spacer();

(This modification is necessary because we have decided to rename the admin file from 'linksadmin.php' to 'vba_links_admin.php' to allow all vBadvanced products to have similar admin file names and allow them to be grouped together in a better fashion.)

Next, open your new links_config.php file and look for this line:
chdir('/home/yoursite/public_html/forum');

Change that to the full path to your forum on your server.

Now upload the new files which you downloaded in the zip package over your existing files. (For a full list of the files that need to be uploaded, click here.)

Then open your browser and go to http://yoursite.com/forum/admincp/vbalinks_install.php.
Once there, click on the link that says "Click here to upgrade -->".
That will make all necessary database changes. Once that is finished, remove that file and your old 'linksadmin.php' file from your server and you are done.