From:	MERC::"uunet!VM1.NODAK.EDU!OWNER-ANU-NEWS" 12-MAR-1993 09:27:52.38
To:	Multiple recipients of list ANU-NEWS <ANU-NEWS@VM1.NoDak.EDU>
CC:	
Subj:	Re: NEWS.ITEMS GETTING VERY LARGE

In article <1993Mar11.001921.1@kean.ucs.mun.ca>, wayne@kean.ucs.mun.ca writes:
> My problem is that news.items is getting extremely large. Is there a
> procedure totrim this back. I have 'skim' running to skim off expired items
> that seems to be working ok. However, news.items does not get smaller.

CONVERT alone won't do it.  Here is my version of NEWSPACK.COM that I
execute a couple of times per week.

NEWSPACK needs sole access to the index files while it is executing.

$ !             N E W S P A C K . C O M
$ !
$ ! Author:
$ !     G Huston
$ !       Computer Services Centre
$ !       Australian National University
$ !
$ ! Version
$ !     V5.6     3-Nov-1988     GIH
$ !     V5.8     7-Apr-1989     GIH
$ !       - Name change for news groups and item file
$ !     V5.9    15-May-1989     GIH
$ !       - Remove convert/reclaim as it is functionally useless!
$ !
$ !**********************************************************************
$ !     Start code
$ !
$   on error then goto abort
$   edit := edit
$   oldprv = f$setprv("SYSPRV")
$   if .not. f$privilege("SYSPRV") then exit
$   analyze/rms/fdl/output=news_root:newsitems.fdl news_root:news.items
$   edit/fdl/analyze=news_root:newsitems.fdl/nointer news_root:newsitems.fdl
$   convert/fdl=news_root:newsitems.fdl -
        news_root:news.items news_root:newsitems.new
$   rename news_root:newsitems.new news_root:news.items
$   purge/log news_root:news.items
$   del/log news_root:newsitems.fdl;*
$   analyze/rms/fdl/output=news_root:newsgroups.fdl news_root:news.groups
$   edit/fdl/analyze=news_root:newsgroups.fdl/nointer news_root:newsgroups.fdl
$   convert/fdl=news_root:newsgroups -
        news_root:news.groups news_root:newsgroups.new
$   rename news_root:newsgroups.new news_root:news.groups
$   purge/log news_root:news.groups
$   del/log news_root:newsgroups.fdl;*
$   analyze/rms/fdl/output=news_root:history.fdl news_root:history.v60
$   edit/fdl/analyze=news_root:history.fdl/nointer news_root:history.fdl
$   convert/fdl=news_root:history.fdl -
        news_root:history.v60 news_root:historyv60.new
$   rename news_root:historyv60.new news_root:history.v60
$   purge/log news_root:history.v60
$   del/log news_root:history.fdl;*
$ abort:
$    exit


--
- Ken

===========================================================================
Ken Connelly                             Internet: connelly@uni.edu
Systems/Operations Manager                     or: connelly@iscsvax.uni.edu
Information Systems and Computing Services
University of Northern Iowa             USWestNet: (319) 273-5850
Cedar Falls, IA  50614-0121                   FAX: (319) 273-3509
                Branstad for Governor???  Just say *NO*!
===========================================================================
