PHP-Nuke is a Web Portal System, storytelling software, News system, online community or whatever you want to call it. The goal of PHP-Nuke is to have an automated web site to distribute news and articles with users system. Each user can submit comments to discuss the articles, just similar to Slashdot and many others.
PHP-Nuke is a web-based automated news publishing and content management system based on PHP and MySQL. The system is fully controlled using a web-based user interface. PHP-Nuke was originally a fork of the Thatware news portal system.
Main features include: web based admin, surveys, top page, access stats page with counter, user customizable box, themes manager for registered users, friendly administration GUI with graphic topic manager, option to edit or delete stories, option to delete comments, moderation system, Referers page to know who link us, sections manager, customizable HTML blocks, user and authors edit, an integrated Banners Ads system, search engine, backend/headlines generation (RSS/RDF format), and many, many more friendly functions.
PHP-Nuke is written 100% in PHP and requires a web server which supports the PHP extension (such as the Apache HTTP Server), as well as an SQL database (such as MySQL, mSQL, PostgreSQL, ODBC, ADABAS, Sybase or InterBase). Support for 25 languages, Yahoo like search engine, Comments option in Polls, lot of themes, Ephemerids manager, File Manager, Headlines, download manager, faq manager, advanced blocks systems, reviews system, newsletter, categorized articles, multilanguage content management and a lot more.
The system is released as free software under the GNU General Public License. Until version 7.5, the latest version of the software was freely downloadable from the PHP-Nuke website; version 7.5 is the first version for which a US$10 download charge is made. This is permitted under the GNU GPL (providing the source code is included), but the purchaser of the software has the right to freely distribute the source code of the product. This charge only applies to the latest version of PHP-Nuke; previous versions are available free of charge. Version 8.1 is being distributed for US$12.
Starting with version 5.6, the display of a copyright message on webpages is required according with the GPL license section and approved by the Free Software Foundation as explained on the official web site.
What is PHP?
PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is a computer scripting language, originally designed for producing dynamic web pages. It is mainly used in server-side scripting, but can be used from a command line interface or in standalone graphical applications.
While PHP was originally created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1995, the main implementation of PHP is now produced by The PHP Group and serves as the de facto standard for PHP as there is no formal specification. Released under the PHP License, the Free Software Foundation considers it to be free software.
PHP is a widely-used general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for web development and can be embedded into HTML. It generally runs on a web server, taking PHP code as its input and creating web pages as output. It can be deployed on most web servers and on almost every operating system and platform free of charge. PHP is installed on more than 20 million websites and 1 million servers, although the number of websites with PHP installed has declined since August 2005. It is also the most popular Apache module among computers using Apache as a web server. The most recent major release of PHP was version 5.2.6 on May 1, 2008.
PHP originally stood for Personal Home Page. It began in 1994 as a set of Common Gateway Interface binaries written in the C programming language by the Danish/Greenlandic programmer Rasmus Lerdorf. Lerdorf initially created these Personal Home Page Tools to replace a small set of Perl scripts he had been using to maintain his personal homepage. The tools were used to perform tasks such as displaying his résumé and recording how much traffic his page was receiving. He combined these binaries with his Form Interpreter to create PHP/FI, which had more functionality. PHP/FI included a larger C implementation and could communicate with databases enabling the building of simple, dynamic web applications. He released PHP publicly on June 8, 1995 to speed up the finding of bugs and improving the code. This release was named PHP version 2 and already had the basic functionality that PHP has today. This included Perl-like variables, form handling, and the ability to embed HTML. The syntax was similar to Perl but was more limited, simpler, and less consistent. Andi Gutmans, who, along with Zeev Suraski, rewrote the parser that formed PHP 3
Zeev Suraski and Andi Gutmans, two Israeli developers at the Technion IIT, rewrote the parser in 1997 and formed the base of PHP 3, changing the language's name to the recursive initialism PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor. The development team officially released PHP/FI 2 in November 1997 after months of beta testing. Afterwards, public testing of PHP 3 began, and the official launch came in June 1998. Suraski and Gutmans then started a new rewrite of PHP's core, producing the Zend Engine in 1999. They also founded Zend Technologies in Ramat Gan, Israel, which manages the development of PHP.
On May 22, 2000, PHP 4, powered by the Zend Engine 1.0, was released. On July 13, 2004, PHP 5 was released, powered by the new Zend Engine II. PHP 5 included new features such as improved support for object-oriented programming, the PHP Data Objects extension (which defines a lightweight and consistent interface for accessing databases), and numerous performance enhancements. The most recent update released by The PHP Group is for the older PHP version 4 code branch. As of January 2008, this branch is up to version 4.4.8. PHP 4 is no longer under active development but will be supported by security updates until August 8, 2008.
In 2008, PHP 5 became the only stable version under development. Late static binding has been missing from PHP and will be added in version 5.3. Alongside PHP 5, PHP 6 is also under active development. Major changes include the removal of register_globals, magic quotes, and safe mode.
PHP does not have complete native support for Unicode or multibyte strings; unicode support will be included in PHP 6. Many high profile open source projects ceased to support PHP 4 in new code as of February 5, 2008, due to the GoPHP5 initiative, provided by a consortium of PHP developers promoting the transition from PHP 4 to PHP 5.
Added a new block today to place TeamSpeak block on your PHPNuke site using Javascript. You can download the block in our downloads section http://www.ravenuke.com/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=getit&lid=17 . Then you need to go over to tsviewer.com and create an account to get the code to insert into the block. Visit our forums if you need help editing your block.
Posted by RaveMaster on Monday, December 15 @ 13:39:29 CST (2533 reads) (comments? | Score: 0)
Added a new PHPNuke Global Link / URL Sharing module
This module was created to increase your link popularity (A hyper link pointing to your site from another site). Inbound links effect your link popularity and your rankings in many search engines such as Google, MSN, Yahoo, HotBot, etc. Many search engines use Link Popularity as a factor for determining page rank.
The way this works is as follows. If 100 websites use this module and all 100 sites are listed in the list, then each site is linked to 100 times.. and so on.
Sooo... the more sites that use this module the more popular that site will be. The best part about it is, you do not have to do anything but upload and activate the module. All emails from the form are sent to me, the links file is stored on my server and the links are updated by me. So as sites are added to the list, the list changes dynamically on your site.
Want to add your phpNuke website to this list? Fill out this form located at www.ravenuke.com/modules.php?name=Link_Share. On the next page will be a confirmation that your site has been submitted as well as a download link. Sites added within 48 hrs. Due to the fairness of all. No links will be added if you do not have this module uploaded and activated on your site. This is not meant to be a free ride for anyone.
Posted by RaveMaster on Sunday, November 30 @ 13:41:49 CST (2110 reads) (comments? | Score: 0)
Crysis : Warhead - Eagerly anticipated, sadly unwilling to purchase
By Nathan Beauchamp "Dakotad555"
Crysis is simply amazing, and I expect Warhead to be excellent also. I've waited for this release, but sadly, I will not be buying it. The DRM in this game is a deal-breaker for the following reasons:
1. Securom 7, the DRM scheme, installs itself on your computer and is as hard as a computer virus to uninstall. It requires making registry edits, and is far outside the realm of what most people are comfortable with Securom 7 causes possible security issues, system failures, and some legitimate software to stop working. It can prevent legitimate programs that burn cds to stop functioning correctly. It does not install when you uninstall the game. EA doesn't disclose these facts on the game's packaging, or in the game's EULA.
A very similar program was deemed illegal by the Supreme Court. The FTC's previous ruling against Sony can by found here:
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2007/01/sony.shtm
"Installations of secret software that create security risks are intrusive and unlawful," said FTC Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras. "Consumers' computers belong to them, and companies must adequately disclose unexpected limitations on the customary use of their products so consumers can make informed decisions regarding whether to purchase and install that content."
2. The game has limited activations (5) meaning that you can only install the game a total of 5 times. I think I rebuilt my computer 4 times just in life span of the original Crysis (always chasing more frames, new graphics card, then two of them in crossfire, new processor {quad core} etc... With this new DRM I would have run out of installs in only 6 months or so! I will not pay $30.00 for a game rental, which is what 5 installs effectively makes this game. Even the version available for download through Steam comes packaged with the install limit and Securom, really calling into question the purpose of both: Steam by its very nature prevents piracy, so why would the Steam version need additional DRM OR an installation limit???
3. DRM doesn't stop piracy, it only hurts honest consumers like myself (I own, and have paid for, literally hundreds of games). Spore is a perfect example of how DRM doesn't stop piracy. It is now the most pirated game in history, despite this same invasive DRM. Pirates don't care about DRM; they crack it and then happily play their DRM free version. It is those like myself who buy the game retail that get stuck with all the crumminess of DRM.
4. DRM means you can never re-sell your copy. This potentially violates the doctrine of first sale, which has been upheld by the Supreme Court on more than one occasion. Basically, if you buy this game and don't like it or finish playing it and don't want it any more, you will never be able to sell it to someone else, because there is no way to demonstrate to them that there are installs left on your version. You can read about first sale law here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-sale_doctrine.
In conclusion, the game itself is not the issue here. The issue is that a really excellent game comes packaged with an invasive, draconian DRM scheme that cannot be uninstalled, has ring 0 access to your computer, limits your installations to three, and can potentially crash software you have installed, or even your computer itself.
This would not be acceptable in the case of a DVD or CD, so why would we as consumers accept it in a game? I honestly feel bad that Crytek got hooked up with EA and their malware DRM, as I love their games. I hope that by not buying this one (unless they change the DRM scheme) I and others will influence EA games, or at least Crytek, to steer clear of DRM that only hurts me and you, their honest, paying customers. If you want to learn more about DRM, here is a useful guide:
http://www.indicare.org/tiki-download_file.php?fileId=195
***UPDATE***
YES I HAVE READ THE FAQ PUT OUT BY CYRTEK. Their FAQ fails to answer or even address many of the concerns with DRM:
1. How is this DRM expected to prevent piracy since all DRM (even Securom 7x) gets cracked almost immediately? (Take a look at Spore which was cracked in HOURS, not days)
2. Why do we, the paying customers then get stuck with DRM, while pirates, who pay nothing, get a superior copy without DRM?
3. I have problems with any DRM that installs in the background, is virus hard to uninstall, and has ring 0 access to my system. I am the administrator of my computer NOT Securom 7x, and any program that takes that control away from me is unacceptable. It is also well known to cause conflicts with legitimate software, and even cause some user's computers to crash. The FTC shot down Sony's similar DRM a couple years ago; this seems like the same thing all over again. Securom 7 utterly fails in its stated purpose, to prevent illegal copies of the game. So why is it still being used considering all of it's negatives?
4. Why is this DRM necessary on the Steam version? Steam, by its very nature, prevents illegal copies from being made.
5. Is the number to get new activations toll free? Also, EA has deplorable customer service (check out the fiasco for those of us with Vista 64-bit who purchased Crysis online and were forced to play at 32-bit, all while EA insisted it was our computers that were the problem, when it was their garbage software installer) and I frankly don't trust them. What assurances are in place that if making a call, someone will be able and willing to help us in a reasonable amount of time?
If they get back to me with answers, I will happily modify this review as necessary.
Posted by RaveMaster on Saturday, September 27 @ 16:51:58 CDT (2245 reads) (comments? | Score: 5)
Added XFire Module/Blocks
Added to downloads a Xfire Module with Scrolling Block. MPG-Xfire is a module with a choice of 2 blocks that can be used on your site. Admin control via adminphp.
Users can submit there own profiles and Admins can edit, add or delete profiles. MPG-Xfire was developed by majorplaying.net. Compatible with phpNuke 7.6, 7.x, platinum and 7.6.b.4v2
Posted by RaveMaster on Wednesday, July 09 @ 19:59:29 CDT (2618 reads) (comments? | Score: 0)
Downloads Fix for PHP 5 +
Added new fix for the Downloads page when receiving the error " Warning: mktime() expects parameter 1 to be long, string given in " when using PHP 5 + PHPnuke Downloads Module.
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