V5.6 3-Nov-1988 1. *** NOTE COMMAND SYNTAX CHANGES ***** "ADD" renamed to "ADD FILE" or "ADD BATCH" This will allow a number of other ADD xxx commands at a later stage "CREATE" renamed to "CREATE BATCH" As with ADD there a number of other CREATE commands coming. 2. ADD BATCH/MODERATOR to allow a newsgroup moderator to post items into a moderated newsgroup with correct approval and retention of the original poster's address. 3. Alter CANCEL command to allow a moderator to cancel any posting in the relevant moderated newsgroup. 4. I have added a number of new commands and command qulaifiers. In general these are synonyms for existing functions. The HELP file describes these commands in detail. 5. The default keypad has changed again (ugh! - sorry bout this): KP5 is UP KP2 is DOWN the DIR functions KP4, KP5, KP6, KP, have been moved up 1 row: KP 7,8,9,- The previous top row functions now need the gold prefix ie what was KP7 is now PF1,KP7 and so on. V5.5 10-Oct-1988 NEWS V5.5 includes the stubs of a number of areas that will be included in NEWS V6.0. These include - - An interface to VMS MAIL including most of the functionality of the VMS MAIL User Agent - Changes to the display algorithm to allow the display virtual display to change in size in relation to the size of the text file, to a maximum of 10,000 lines of text. 1. Use the V5 VMSMAIL_PROFILE.DATA file for personal name, editor, print queue, queue form, and send flags - For V5.5 this only includes the personal name - the other fields will be added in V6.0 2. Logical name NEWS_TIMEZONE This is a logical name which is set to the code of the local timezone: e.g. $ DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXEC NEWS_TIMEZONE "PDT" This corrects a bug in NEWS where local time was specified as "GMT" in all outgoing news postings. Note that if you do not define this logical name, then "GMT" is still used as the timezone! 3. NEWS_PERSONALNAME logical name This logical name (if defined) overrides the use of the mail personal name as the personal name for the user when posting NEWS items. The logical name should be defined as a process level logical name. 4. NEWSRC, NEWS_REGISTER logicals, NEWSRC profile NEWS profile file. NEWS maintains a NEWS profile file on a per user basis. The default file specification of this file has been changed to: "SYS$LOGIN:NEWSRC" If the logical name "NEWSRC" is defined (as a process logical name), then this logical name is used, and for compatibility with previous NEWS versions, if the logical name "NEWS_REGISTER" is defined (and not NEWSRC), then NEWS_REGISTER is used as the profile file spec. NOTE that these logical names should translate to FULL file specifications - NEWS does NOT supply a default file spec when opening the profile file. 5. NNTP object name for DECnet The DECnet NNTP driver code now attempts to connect to: node::"TASK=NNTP" Therefore the remote system will attempt to run NNTP.COM from the DECNET account. 6. NEWS_node_TASK logical name (NNTP connection over DECnet) V5.5 introduces a change to the DECNET object name for the NNTP server: V5.4 and previous versions connected to a remote NNTP server over DECnet via the string: node::"NEWS=". I have been informed that Ultrix supports a DECnet implementation of an NNTP server, but the connection string is: node::"TASK=NNTP" Version V5.5 now attempts to connect to the "TASK=NNTP" for all remote DECnet connections to NNTP. You can change this by using the logical name NEWS_node_TASK to be defined as the object connection string. e.g.: $ DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXEC/NOALIAS NEWS_CSC_TASK "NEWS=" will alter NEWS to connect to node "CSC" using the string: CSC::"NEWS=" to access the NNTP server on node CSC. 7. NEWS_NETPOST, NEWS_NONETPOST logical name Two logical names have been added to the NEWS configuration. The intent of these logical names is to allow the local news manager to restrict some users on the local system to posting rights only on LOCAL newsgroups, and not network-wide newsgroups. NEWS_NONETPOST is an optional /SYSTEM/EXEC logical name which translates to an identifier. If the user owns this identifier, then the user cannot post to network groups. This logical name is used when the majority of users have network posting rights, but a small subset are restricted to local newsgroups. NEWS_NETPOST is an optional /SYSTEM/EXEC logical name which translates to an identifier. If this logical name is defined when ownership of the identifier is required for non-local newsgroup posting. This logical name would be used where the majority of users are restricted to local newsgroups, and a small subset have rights to post into the wider network. 8. File name changes: All NNTP modules have been changed to the form NNTP_function. The NEWS.DOC file documents the purpose of each file. V5.4 20-Aug-1988 1: MAIL_READER.EXE is not shipped in this release. With the integration of the functionality of this code into the ADD command of NEWS, there is no longer any requirement for a separate pass through the NEWS input files. 2: VMS Version 5.0. I have tested NEWS under VMS V5.0 as yet, but not exhaustively. I understand VMS V5 contains some enhancements which affects NEWS: 2.1 SMG now allows large virtual displays: this fixes a bug in NEWS where newsgroups which contain more than 820 items were displayed incorrectly. 2.2 SYS$SYSTEM:VMSMAIL.DAT has been replaced by VMSMAIL_PROFILE.DATA. This implies that the startup code which gets the user's personal mail mail name is now incorrect. This requires a code fix. The changes required for VMS V5.0 were limited to a re-link, but I have not had sufficient time to exhaustively check everything 3: Added /DIRECTORIES pass to the SKIM command. This pass deletes all directory files within the NEWS_ROOT file hierarchy which do not match current active newsgroups. 4: Changed ADD command to dispose of message fragments which in v5.4 were files in the "junk" newsgroup. Such message fragments are now not saved. 5: Changed default format of ADD_TRANSFORM translation table to correctly parse the @distribution address format 6: Change REPLY and FORWARD commands to accept lists of internet addresses 7: Add ACLs for newsgroups to allow control over access to newsgroups. Read access to the newsgroup directory is required before the newsgroup is added to the local newsgroup set. 8: Make SET SEEN a synomym for SKIP 9: Make CLOSE a synomym for NEWSGROUPS 10: WIN TCP/IP is now supported in this code, but there are a number of items to note: 1 - I have not had the opportunity to test this code - the interface routines were supploed by Jim Patterson (jimp@cognos.uucp), and are included as is. 2 - To include the WIN code you will need to run NEWSBUILD.COM and recompile NEWS. NEWSBUILD.COM will look for files in the area TWG$TCP:[NETDIST.INCLUDE], and if found then WIN calls will be included in the compilation. 3 - If the TWG support is used then protocol "TCP" is the WIN interface. To explicitly nominate the protocol, then the protocol values "CMUTCP" and "WINTCP" have been added for this purpose. 11: The HISTORY file (NEWS_ROOT:HISTORY.DAT) is no longer used in this version Due to speed reasons this has been changed to an RMS ISAM file, "NEWS_ROOT:HISTORY.V60". You can delete the .DAT file. V5.3 5-Aug-1988 The following bugs have been reported by Jonathan Ridler (Melbourne University): >1. Use of SEARCH causes the up-arrow key to lose its definition and revert > to its DCL command line recall function. Down-arrow is unaffected. ** Fixed (newssearch.c) >2. When SEARCH'ing with the qualifier /[NO]DISPLAY but without a search-text > specified (i.e. continuing search), the qualifier is ignored. The > qualifier of the original command (with search-text) always applies. ** Fixed (newssearch.c) >3. When the length of a line in an added item exceeds 80 characters, the line > is wrapped to the next line, but appearing to lose 1 (one) character at > each wrap. ** Fixed (newsdisplay.c) >4. The documentation for NEWS_SCANSIZE uses the term "scanning through" > news items. The scansize applies in SEARCH (ok), but also apparently > in READ's. Is this intended? Yes - this is intended. I have added a new command: SET DISPLAY/SCANSIZE=n If n == 0 then the old display algorithm is used - otherwise the first n lines of the item are displayed on the first screen in both SEARCH and READ. >5. In NEWSSITE.C, the VMS MAIL file is presumed to be SYS$SYSTEM:VMSMAIL.DAT. > On a VAXcluster, the logical name VMSMAIL can be used to refer to a > different mail database file. Would it be possible to use VMSMAIL if > defined (in Exec-mode) else default to SYS$SYSTEM:VMSMAIL.DAT ? [ This > would obviate the only change we make to the NEWS sources here. :-) ] ** Fixed (newssite.c) >6. Is the problem which you have previously explained about opening the > SMG pasteboard on SYS$OUTPUT (versus TT:) (causing blank lines in batch > log files), also causing the screen to be cleared when invoking NEWS with > /NOSCREEN. Can this be overcome? ** Fixed - much the same as bug #10 >7. In a newly created (local) newsgroup, if an item (i.e. #1) is posted and > then immediately refered to (e.g. READ, SHOW ITEM, etc.), there is "no > current item". Pressing Up- or Down-arrow enables the item to be > recognized. ** Fixed (newsutility.c) 8. Items which have been READ are sometimes left as UNREAD when NEWS is EXIT'ed. The following demonstrates: SELECT ... ! get into item directory of a newsgroup. DOWN 1000 ! point to last item. POST ... ! post an item to the current newsgroup. DOWN ! point to new item. READ EXIT ! ... new item remains unread at next entry to NEWS. ** Fixed (newsregister.c, newsutility.c) >9. Not any fault of NEWS this, but a suggestion: a Melb. Uni. Unix site had > a s/w fault which allowed an item to be *posted* to a moderated newsgroup, > as well as mailed to the moderator. This Unix site feeds our VMS news site > (UCSVC) and consequently, the item arrived and was added into the newsgroup. > The item was obviously feral (after a fashion anyway) and lacked an > "Approved: " header. Is it reasonable to expect (and enforce) an > "Approved: " header on moderated newsgroup items being added? ** Fixed (newsutility.c) This code had been commented out - I was testing at the time. >10. I'm not sure how to tackle this one: NEWS (or perhaps SMG?) seems to use > the "Device_Type" attribute of the terminal to determine how to format the > screen - fair enough ... if the device_type is something other than > "Unknown". Because of the variety of terminals we have here, we > do not put any SET TERM /INQUIRE into our system login. Since users > here are not infrequently "computer illiterate", their terminals remain > device_type "Unknown" (even VT220's) unless they do something themselves - > generally of course, they don't. Not unreasonably I guess, NEWS responds > somewhat unhelpfully in such circumstances. Can any account be taken of > this attribute (or others?), any assumptions made, or on-line advice > given? Perhaps /NOSCREEN should be presumed under these circumstances? > Certainly, an extra section in the documentation (HELP and .DOC) on > Terminal_Setup would be, I think, very useful. ** FIXED (news.c,newsutility.c) DOCS not updated. >11. Something which is mentioned not infrequently by users, and I am hence > obliged to ask, is can the startup time for NEWS be reduced? My usual > response to the question is something like "it has to do a lot of stuff > to give you all that info; it's a sophisticated system, you know!". But, > I thought I'd better ask. (Please ignore this question if it is excessively > stupid or presumptuous). There is a fair amount of mapping files into memory - it could only become faster on startup if I started using async file qios (ugh!) - the other aspect is that of response time while running news vs startup time - the method of mapping large amounts of data to memory makes the program run faster, but the consequent memory demands slow down startup. Its one of those trade-offs. The following bugs have been reported by Marc Elsen: From: PSI%AUSTPAC.02062166012::ELSEN 1-JUN-1988 06:34 To: PSI%UUNEWS::GIH900 Subj: NEWS V5.2 , an SPR ! > Geoff , > > The following letter is an attempt to suggest some improvements and > remarks with respect to NEWS V5.2. > I would like to point out however that all these points must be regarded > as positive criticism since I deeply respect the undertaking of writing > a program like this and distributing it to the public community. > > News V5.2 should is a clear example of the fact that writing software > in today's times is a very difficult enterprise. > I mean by this that standards for software packages qua interactivity, > documentation , readable source code , modularity , maintainability are > becoming so high that one REALLY SHOULD THINK TWICE before writing a > computer program. > This aspect is somewhat too less realized by many people.I always feel a > bit sorry when I see people posting programs in comp.os.vms setting > your prompt to current directory , doing this ,doing that... > I relealize however that especially when one is a starting computer user > writing a computer program can be a very creative and fullfilling > hobby. > > I believe NEWS meets the standards described above.It for instance uses > a menu systems which in a few years every basic 'terminal' will offer > to a user,while probably within 20 years it will become an audio/visual > system. > > So , here it goes.I might post this list again with followup points > and arguments if I find any. > If always repost everything with points added , please note that this > is only for the sake of keeping archive and as a result is has no other > intentions. > > Please feel free to correct me of any of my remarks are incorrect , > unjustified or a result of not very well reading the documentation. > > All the following remarks are related to : * NEWS V5.2 > compiled with : * VAXC V2.3 > used under : * VAX/VMS V4.7 (and V4.7A) > > > 1. News exits with an access violations if the command > 'clear mark' is used within NEWS. ** Fixed (newsregister.c) > 2. When dealing with 'checkgroup' control messages NEWS exits with > an access violation unless the source module NEWSADD.C is compiled > with /NOOP ** I have never noticed this error - more information required please (a minor change has been made to newsadd.c but this may not be the problem) > 3. (keeping this one still under further investigation...) ** fair enough! > 4. NEWS should be able to automatically react on various control messages > such as 'set group moderated' or 'newgroup' control messages. > Now only a command file is created which must always be manually > executed by NEWSMGR. > Unix news packages for instance can create or modify groups > automatically although a mail is still send to the news account. ** Fixed (newsadd.c, newwscmd.cld) ADD/EXECUTE command (/EXECUTE is the default) > Also there should be some mechanism for NEWS to recognize that a > particular node uses for instance a main server for all USENET > newsgroups , thereby automatically creating COM files with > lines containing '/server=node' as a result from for instance > checkgroup control messages. > Until now such com files must always be edited and the > qualifier above must be edited manually on the lines were needed. ** Fixed (newsutility.c) but not in the way suggested - the attributes of the "default" newsgroup are passed on BY DEFAULT to all created newsgroups, so that there is no need to add additional qualifiers into the checkgroups command file. > 5. Since there is a 'clear mark' command in NEWS I feel there also should > be an 'clear kill' commamnd to remove KILL filters so that editing > 'news_groups.register' would no longer be needed. ** Fixed (newsregister.c) > 6. The 'search/edit' kommand should as a result edit the item where the > string searched for is found and position at that string within > the file.Now the cursor is just at the beginning of the file. > (I realize that this is a fancy one and might be difficult to implement). ** Correct - but this is not easy - particularly if the editor is user definable. Do you have any suggestions as to how this could be done?? > 7. The NEWS command 'add/delete news.batch;*' does not work.I.e. it only > reads the last version of 'news.batch' without considering the others > Note that the commmand behaves in the same way without /delete. ** I cannot reproduce this problem - I get wildcard expansion correctly Do you have any more details?? > 8. One of the aspects of NEWS being able to have server nodes is that > unfriendly users can ,by collecting all items from a remote server > for instance, possibly write melt down a disk on the node at which he > is working. > Maybe NEWS should support some kind of accounting mechanism thereby > generating reports to news managers telling them who mainly uses NEWS > and who for instance is responsible for high server load! ** I'll keep this in mind - Currently there is a qualifier /KEEPREQUEST on SET NEWSGROUP. If this qualifier is negated then NO local copy of the item is kept. The best solution is to define the logical name NEWS_DISK_ALLOCATION as a 'target' number of disk blocks for NEWS to occupy (this number would be logically tied to the disk quota for the news manager account which owns all the item files. The actions of SKIM would be to remove local copies of item files (only in /SERVED newsgroups) to achieve this target, and also inhibit the local saving of remotely accessed item files once this disk quota is exceeded (as well as mailing USENET each time a SKIM finds that usage is over quota). I'll look at this in a future release. > 9. If the 'add/cregrp' is used within NEWS and a group gets actually created > a message should still be posted to USENET.I believe this is not the case > at this moment. ** I'm not sure I agree with this - as /cregrp requires mews manager privs, then logically the news manager is creating the newsgroup. I'll look at this in a future release. >10. When NEWS displays an error condition at the bottom line then this line > should be cleared immediately when that error condition no longer exists. > This can sometimes be a bit confusing.I don't have a good example > for the moment but I might add one later. ** I thought I'd done this!! >11. Some combination of qualifiers should be supported within NEWS > such as 'DIR/REG/SIN=TOD' ! 'DIR/SIN=TOD' for instance only works > for all newsgroups. ** This will be fixed in a future release of news. >12. NEWS should support the command 'print/queue' thereby immediately > printing the item requested on the specified queue.This has > the advantage of letting users print items on different print queues > from within news. > Also users with low diskquota could be hampered when they start > using a lot of print command within news.At a certain point they > will be forced to exit news,print their files and then enter news > again. ** This will be fixed in a future release of news. >13. NEWS should support the callable editor interfaces (EDT,LSE,TPU). > This will improve speed by avoiding subprocess creation inorder to 'run' > the editor needed. ** I haven't placed support in for callable LSE yet, but callable tpu and now callable edt are supported in NEWS >14. Various error conditions should be a bit more detailed. > For instance when the NEWS command 'create group groupname' fails only > the error line 'cannot create group' is displayed.There can > be a lot of reasons why however. > One line for instance could be 'cannot create group (diskquota exceeded)'. > > For instance a user reads an article in a group which is served > at a remote node.He sometimes gets the error message > 'cannot access item text'.This might however be > 'cannot access item text (node unreachable)' or > 'cannot access item text (network protocol error)'. ** this area of error treatment requires much more attention - A .MSG file with appropriate LIB$SIGNAL calls is the best answer here. This is future release material. >15. When creating a group called 'comp.protocols.iso.x400.gateway' I > got the error '%REM-I-QIOERR, internal QIO error' after pushing > return on the 'create [y]' prompt. > Everything seemed o.k with the group however.I was indeed at that time > logged on to that VAX with set host,so this problem might be > entirely due to the 'set host' (REM) facility and as a result not be > related to NEWS. ** The diagnostic indicates this is an error associated with SET HOST >16. When reading articles in NEWS one sometimes can get bored reading > a certain article.The line should therefore > for instance be modified and read > indicating to the reader how many lines 'are still to come'... ** Good suggestion - Fixed (newsdisplay.c) >17. The arrow keys in NEWS should retain there standard VMS function > also in SCREEN mode. > What I mean by this is that various VMS utilities such as mail , based > on MSG, still leave the up and down arrow keys free for the > COMMAND RECALL CAPABILITY.In fact the COMMAND RECALL CAPABILITY is > programmed in these utilities. > This is not so in NEWS and sometimes can > be very irritating (pressing the up arrow key accidently expecting the > last kommand entered to show up again). ** Its an either/or situation - the up/down arrow keys are used to move the cursor within the current directory - I cannot also use them with a command recall functionality at the same time. >18. The command 'set newsgroup */itemhold= ...' is VERY CONFUSING in news. > I.e. it should do what is says namely setting all groups to the > values of the qualifier specified. > This facility is if I understand it correctly currently not available > in NEWS. ** Fixed (newssetshow.c) set newsgroup * will modify ALL newsgroups: the syntax is altered to allow wildcard expansion: set newsgroup anu* will modify all anu newsgroups and so on. > The above command only sets a default which gets applied when > a newsgroup is created.That feature however should be denoted with > a command such as 'set newsgroup DEFAULT/itemhold=...' or > 'set newsgroup ALL ...' ** Fixed (newssetshow.c) - "set newsgroup default" implemented to change the default values. >19. The commands 'forward/headers' and 'reply/headers' do not work as intended. > When the editor is called to view the item the header lines are not > included. ** Fixed (newsforward.c) Marc Elsen (System Manager/Software Engineer) Kathol. Univ. of Louvain Dep. E.S.A.T. Kard. Mercierlaan 94 3030 HEVERLEE Belgium tel. 32(0)16220931(ext. 1080) EMAIL : ...!kulcs!kulesat!elsen (UUCP) elsen%kulesat.uucp@blekul60 (BITNET) psi%020622166012::elsen (PSI MAIL) NEWS V5.2 26-Apr-1988 --------- CHANGES TO NEWS from V5.1 to V5.2 1.NEWS remembers the newsgroup directory setting across invocations of NEWS. News will now record the directory level in news_groups.register. The directory level is stored at the end of the first record of the file, delimited by a '^' character: 0 comp.protocols.iso^3 -- If this field is not located, then DIR/ALL is the default. 2.Forcing a default directory mode: Users may define the logical name NEWS_DEFAULT_DIRECTORY to be one of the values ALL NEW REG SINCE SINCE="date" In this case NEWS will ALWAYS initialize the directory mode to the value of the logical name 3.Forcing mail copies of local postings. The system manager may create the file "news_manager:news_post.cc" to force local users to perform mail copies to pre-defined addresses of local postings into certain newsgroups. The file contains a list of newsgroups and internet mail addresses. eg: # news_manager:news_post.cc # # cc: file for local postings. The file format is two fields per line - # the first field (in col 1) is the newsgroup, and the second field # is the internet-format address of the cc: mail copy comp.os.vms info-vax@kl.sri.com anu.network gih900@fac3.anu.oz This is similar to 'semi'-moderated newsgroups - a moderator (or a mailing list address) can be cc'ed all local postings. This mechanism does NOT apply to network news feeds - only locally originated items. 4.User selectable copies of personal postings. The user may create the file "sys$login:news_post.cc" or use the logical name NEWS_POST_CC to make cc'ed mailings of personal postings into specified newsgroups e.g: * gih900@fac3.anu.oz Would generate a mail copy of all postings made by yourself. 5.New qualifier to POST and FOLLOWUP: /SELF is now implemented for these commands. /NOSELF is the default. /SELF generates a mailed copy of the news posting back to yourself. 6.NEWS.EXE will be shipped for the V5.2 version - previously each site had to edit (or rewrite) the module add_transform.c. V5.2 has introduced the following changes to internet - vms mail address translation scheme: o Add_transform will also attempt to read "news_manager:news_address.cnf" to load the address translation rules from a text file (avoiding the requirement to write site specific code and re-link NEWS for each site). The format of the address translation rules is the same as the internal format used in previous versions of add_transform.c. e.g.: # news_manager:news_address.cnf # # This file contains the address translation rules, which allows site # specific translation of internet-style address formats into formats # acceptable to VMS MAIL. # # The file has the following format: # # (in column 1) is a comment line - the line is ignored # internet_address rebuild_rule # internet_address rebuild_rule # internet_address rebuild_rule # # The internet address field must start in column 1 and must not # contain space characters. The '*' character may be used to # force a wildcard match with the address being tested. The '?' # character matches any single character. # # The rebuild rule must be separated from the internet address # by at least one space character. The '\' character is used # as the escape character: normally it is used to specify # match subsitiutions. (the '\' character itself is specified # by the sequence '\\' # # For example the following rules extract any internet addresses which # mention the "anu" subdomain and use decnet addressing - otherwise # the mail is forwarded via decnet to node "gateway" and directed to # the PMDF mail handler on that node: # # # this is an example address cnf file # *@*.anu.* \002::\001 # *@*.anu \002::\001 # *@* "gateway::in%""\001@\002""" # *::* \001::\002 # * \001 # The following rules are used on the production anu system "fac3" #------------------------------------------------------------------ # local mail: *@fac3 \001 *@fac3.anu* \001 fac3::* \001 # any other internet addresses redirected to ultrix internet gateway (node anu) *@* "anu::""\001@\002""" # any other decnet addresses *::* \001::\002 # anything else * \001 o By default (if news_manager:news_address.cnf cannot be located or opened) add_transform will translate all addresses of the form *@* to the address in%"*@*" - i.e. direct all addresses to the PMDF mail handler. 7.Store Message-ids in lower case - This has been a somewhat confusing area: V5.0 used lower case conversion on all message ids - which removed the somewhat annoying aspect of having to type in message-ids in the correct mixed case - V5.1 (with a NNTP link to a Unix system in mind) used exact case for message ids - HOWEVER, to quote from RFC977 "Commands and command parameters are not case sensitive." With this in mind, it is far easier to convert all identifiers to lower case. There still remains some confusion on this issue as this is at variance with the RFC822 spec. NEWS will use internal lowercase format until the debate about this issue on the net is resolved one way of the other. 8.New qualifier combination: READ/NEW/FOLLOWUP will read according to the following algorithm: read the next unread item within the current group which is a followup posting to the current item if no such item is found, use the normal read/new algorithm This allows reading of new items on a conversation base rather than random conversation order. This command is bound by default to the '.' key on the keypad 9.Full NNTP support over CMU's TCP/IP - there are number of changes: new files: TCPSERVER.EXE - NNTP server which can be configured into IP/TCP as a known server on socket 119 NEWSCLIENT.EXE - support for remote access over TCP to remote news server new qualifier: /PROTO Proto may be one of two values - "DECNET" (the default value) indicating that the remote newsserver is reachable via a call to the remote decnet news server object, or "TCP" indicating that the TCP transport should be used to connect to post 119 on the remote system. This qualifier is used with the CREATE and SET NEWSGROUP commands e.g.: CREATE newsgroup/SERVE=node/PROTO=TCP SET NEWSGROUP newsgroup/SERVE=node/PROTO=DECNET 10. SKIM now accepts a list of newsgroups (including wildcards) as the newsgroup list to skim (performing the same skim operations on a subset of the available newsgroups). e.g. SKIM aus.*,anu.* 11. Wildcard characters now include the '?' character as well as the '*' character: '?' matches any single non-null character. 12. POST has an additional qualifier: /CONTROL. This qualifier creates a Control: line in the news item header whose contents is the same as the Subject: line. NEWS MANAGER privilege is required to use this qualifier.: e.g. NEWS> POST/SUBJECT="version"/CONTROL .... 13. The POST/HEADER and FOLLOWUP/HEADER now prompt for the value to use as the optional item expiry time. The input format used is the VMS date format. 14. The Expires: header is now examined on incoming network NEWS feeds. If used then the item life is set using this date. The minimum value accepted is 2 days and the maximum is one year. 15. The interpretation of the FLAGS in NEWS.SYS and the Control: line parser have been altered to support ihave/sendme feed types. The 'N' flag in NEWS.SYS will generate a feed file based on item identifiers, and this file can be sent to the remote site using the POST/CONTROL command. Incoming sendme Control messages generate postings of the requested items and incoming ihave messages generate automatic sendme responses as required. 16. The ihave/sendme protocol has been extended to include a NNTP-based link. A new file, NNTPFEED.EXE has been written to feed a set of NEWS items to a remote site using the NNTP ihave command. V5.1 1. Added UNREAD and MARK commands V5.0 1. Implement NNTP server as a DECNET object, and integrate the ability to serve newsgroups on a client node from a server into the NEWS program. 2. Remove the OPEN/CLOSED status from newsgroups 3. Add more qualifiers to SKIP and DIR V4.4 1. Move moderator addresses into the file NEWS_MANAGER:MAILPATHS V4.3 1. More bug fixes 2. Implement SEARCH command 3. Implement CANCEL command V4.2 1. Minor (and some major!) sundry bug fixes V4.1 1. More bug fixes 2. Change register file to track ALL newsgroups - not just registered ones 3. Improve startup time using delayed reading of newsitems. V4.02 1. Added execution of the control messages 2. Fixed sundry bugs in all modules V4.01 1. Minor bug fix in NEWSUTILITY - no number greater than 127 could be read in at the command level.