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@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@ +This document explains how to install the forum-list bridge. This is very +much a work in progress. + +1. Check out the bridge code from SourceForge: + + svn co https://vassalengine.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/vassalengine/site-src/trunk/bridge + +(Note: The code is in the VASSAL repository at present because it was +developed for VASSAL's forum. I will probably move it to its own repo +at some point.) + +2. Two modifications need to be made to phpBB's posting.php to set up +the bridge in the forum-to-list direction. You can get the changes by +applying posting.patch to posting.php. + +Note that after applying the patch, you'll need to modify the path in +each new require_once to match where you've put the bridge files. + +3. For the list-to-forum direction, you need to set up an alias to receive +mail from your list. I'm using postfix, so I added this to my /etc/aliases: + +forum-bridge: "|/usr/local/lib/bridge/postfix_handoff.pl" + +Here, forum-bridge should be whatever you want the bridge address to be named, +and the path you should adjust to wherever you put postfix_handoff.pl. (Mine +is where it is due to SELinux issues.) Adjust the URL in postfix_handoff.pl +as needed. + +Then, subscribe your bridge address to your mailing list. + +4. Bridge database: The bridge keeps a database which maps + +* Create a MySQL database, and populate it using src/schema.sql. +* Create a user for the DB, put the database name, username, and password + into BridgeConf.php. (BridgeConfg.php.example is given as an example.) + +* The posts table correlates phpBB post ids with email message ids. This + table is filled as posts are made. There's nothing to configure here. + +* The forums table maps each list address to the id of the forum which + receives its messages by default. E.g., mine contains one row, + + 'messages@vassalengine.org', 2 + + This means that messages coming in from the mesages@vassalengine.org list + which would start new threads on the forum will start those new threads in + the forum with id 2. (Incoming messages which are part of existing threads + are posted to those threads.) If I had more than one list in use, I could + direct its new posts to forum 2, or some other forum, if I so chose. + +* The lists table maps each forum id to the address of the list which + receives its messages. I have forums with ids 2-9, so I have these + eight rows: + + 'messages@vassalengine.org', 2 + ... + 'messages@vassalengine.org', 9 + + E.g., this means that messages posted to the forum with id 3 are sent + out to the messages@vassalengine.org list. (You could, in principle, + direct posts in different forums to different lists; I just happen not + to in my current setup.) + +5. Other adjustments: + +* Set $php_root_path in PhpBB3Conf.php. +* $sender in forum_post_send.php should match the bridge address. +* The regex which strips the list footer in PhpBB3.php will need to be + adjusted to match your list footer. + +6. TODO: + +* Installation could be improved somewhat, e.g., by pulling all +configuration data into one file. + +* $sender and list footer should be configured per-list and pulled from +the lists table. + +* There are PHPUnit tests in test/. More tests should be written. All + existing tests should pass, but don't at present. + + WARNING: DO NOT run the tests on a live forum, as they will blow away + your phpbb_users table. + + +Joel Uckelman +uckelman@nomic.net +29 July 2010 + |