ANU NEWS V6.0 - 14 July 1990 Page 1
ANU NEWS
Version V6.0
14 July 1990
Geoff Huston
Australian Academic and Research Network
Australian National University
Canberra, Australia
1.Introduction
ANU NEWS is a computer-based conferencing system. As such, it has many
similarities to a normal electronic mail system (e-mail), as well as some
major differences:
¥ e-mail is typically a person-to-person communication. In such a system
a third person cannot view the mail contents, and the mail is essentially a
transaction between the sender and recipient.
This e-mail model can be extended with the use of mailing lists. In
this situation each user posts a mail item to a list of others, each of
whom receive a copy of the mail. In this model the mail transaction is
extended to include a group of users, but privacy is still intact to the
extent that users who are not on the mail distribution list cannot
participate in the mail conversation. The mailing list can be maintained on
a central site, or each user may keep a copy of the list - the resultant
functionality from the user viewpoint is essentially unchanged.
¥ Bulletin boards take the mailing list model one step further by
allowing all users to have the ability to view all postings, and all
postings made by users are public to all other users of the bulletin board
(this is a simplification of many bulletin boards, which commonly provide
functionality which encompasses all these models of communication, and
more). As with mailing lists, the bulletin board data can be held on a
single central system (acting as a server for client systems), or each
system in a network may hold a copy of the postings. In both cases the
functionality is similar from the user viewpoint.
ANU NEWS is an implementation of such a bulletin board. ANU NEWS allows the
user to view all postings made by other users of the news facility, and
also allows the user to contribute to the conference by posting an item to
the news system.
Individual postings within the news system are termed items. Items are
classified into a single hierarchy of newsgroups. All items of similar
subject matter are logically grouped together for presentation within a
newsgroup (analogous to the use of folders within a e-mail application).
Unlike person-to-person e-mail, all items posted into news are (normally)
readable by all users on the system, so the items in news are intended for
general view, and all users of the local host may post items into any
newsgroup. Typically, the local news host system is linked to a wider
network of other news hosts, and the local host will receive news items
that were posted on other hosts on the network, and local postings will
also be sent through this wider network. This default public status of news
items is qualified by the ability within ANU NEWS to configure restricted
newsgroups with an explicit readership list.
ANU NEWS implements the Internet Standard for Interchange of USENET
Messages (Internet Request For Comment (RFC) 1036), and as such has many
similarities with the Unixtm-based news software set distributed within the
USENET. However ANU NEWS is not based on any port of this software to
VAX/VMS. The application has been designed with the objective of
implementing the required functionality of USENET news, using data and file
structures that can be executed efficiently on a VAX/VMS system, and
supporting a user interface which is based on the VAX/VMS user environment.
The implementation of the USENET standard under VAX/VMS implies that a
VAX/VMS site can be configured into the global USENET news network, and
will accept USENET news batches from neighbouring USENET sites, and
generate correctly formatted news batches for transmission to adjacent
USENET sites.
The ANU NEWS package also implements the Network News Transfer Protocol
(NNTP), as documented in the Internet document RFC 977. The software
distribution includes an implementation of an NNTP server, NNTP CLient and
various utilities to enable news network transfers using NNTP.
This implementation can use both DECnettm and TCP/IP as the transport
layer. With DECnet, the NNTP applications are implemented using an NNTP
DECnet Object. With TCP/IP the implementation is configured to use the
applicable Internet standard, TCP Port 119. The implementation of ANU NEWS
and NNTP also supports remote access using the TCP/IP protocols. The
supported VAX/VMS implementation of TCP/IP include Multinettm, WIN TCP,
Ultrix Connection, EXCELAN TCP and the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)
implementation of TCP/IP.
This allows a VMS/VMS system to interoperate with remote VAX/VMS or Unix
hosts (or any other system which can support TCP/IP access) in either NNTP
client or server roles using TCP/IP and DECnet. ANU NEWS can be configured
to automatically access a NNTP server over DECnet or TCP, implementing a
distributed news database.
The client configurations supported include a "diskless" client, where
there is no local NEWS database, or in a caching mode, where a local
database is used to refer to item texts stored on a remote system.
2.An Overview of NEWS
2.1 Invoking NEWS
To invoke an interactive session of NEWS, use the command $ NEWS.
Restoring the Previous NEWS Session
When starting NEWS the context will normally be restored to the state of
the previous exit from NEWS, re-establishing the previous final active
newsgroup and selected item if applicable.
Checking for Unseen News Items
To check if there are new unseen messages in the news area additional
qualifiers can be used with the NEWS command. $ NEWS/SCAN will check the
status of the local news database and will output a 1 line message if there
are unseen items in the news database. The check of newsgroups only
includes those newsgroups for which you want the NEWS software to check -
the section in the following chapter on keeping track of newsitems
indicates how this is done. If there are no unseen items, NEWS will exit
without generating any output.
This command, $ NEWS/SCAN, may be placed in your LOGIN.COM to indicate that
there is unseen news in a format consistent with VMS's new mail message.
A more verbose form of this scan for unseen items can be achieved with the
command $ NEWS/ALLSCAN. The differences with the /ALLSCAN qualifier are
that this directs NEWS to list those newsgroups which contain unseen items,
and the number of such items in each newsgroup. Also if there are no unseen
items then a status message is output indicating this. Again this command
may be placed in your LOGIN.COM file1.
You can also invoke NEWS on a conditional basis: if there are unseen items
then NEWS will start an interactive NEWS session, and if there are no
unseen items NEWS will immediately exit. The command format for this action
is $ NEWS/UNSEEN2.
NEWS Display Modes
NEWS can operate in either line or screen mode. Line mode is intended for
use on printing terminals or within batch command procedures, and the user
interface is more restrictive than screen mode. The command $ NEWS invokes
a screen mode display if supported by the terminal device, and line mode
otherwise. The command $ÊNEWS/NOSCREEN starts NEWS in line mode. As long as
the terminal device supports screen mode display the display mode may be
altered during a NEWS session [using the SCREEN and NOSCREEN commands].
NEWS uses the VAX/VMS SMG$ routines as the screen display manager3. If a
terminal device is not defined within the SMG$ tables, then NEWS will
automatically enter line mode, and the SCREEN command is disabled.
2.2 The Structure of NEWS
NEWS items are stored within NEWSGROUPS (this is analogous to VMS MAIL,
where mail items are stored within FOLDERS). All news items with a similar
subject matter are normally contained in a single newsgroup.
Each news item within a newsgroup has a title and a sequence number. A
directory of items within a newsgroup displays these titles and sequence
numbers - the sequence number is used to select a particular item from
within a newsgroup. News items contain other control information - these
additional fields will be covered in the section on Posting news items.
When in NEWS you maintain an implicit 'context' within the NEWS database.
This context is made up of three components:
¥ The 'current' newsgroup is the newsgroup indicated by the cursor (when
at the newsgroup directory level). This is the newsgroup which is 'opened'
if you are at the newsitem directory or text display levels.
¥ The 'current' newsitem - which is relevant only if the screen display
is either the newsitem directory (in which case the 'current' newsitem is
indicated by the cursor) or newsitem text display.
¥ The screen level - either a newsgroup directory, a directory of items
within a newsgroup, or the text of a newsitem.
2.3 NEWS Screen Formats
There are three different screen display formats used in NEWS. They
correspond to the context level of the user when running NEWS (Newsgroup
directory, Newsitem directory and Newsitem text).
The top three lines on each display describe the current context level, and
any other necessary information for that screen type.
At the base of all three screen formats is a three line window. The first
line shows a command prompt -- commands are entered on this line. The
second line is used to enter any additional parameters required for the
command. The third line is used to display any status or error messages.
NEWSGROUP Directory Screen
This screen display corresponds to the outer context level of NEWS. The
screen displays the names of the newsgroups held on the system, the number
of news items held in each newsgroup and the number of items that you have
not read.
The top line displays the selection criteria of newsgroups: this may be all
newsgroups, newsgroups in which you are registered, newsgroups with new
items posted into them since a certain date, and so on. The line also
displays the number of newsgroups which have been selected under these
selection criteria.
The major section of the screen displays the newsgroup names, their
sequence number, and additional control information.
The figure below explains the various fields shown on each entry in the
directory screen.
In the leftmost field a selection cursor is displayed (-), indicating the
current or selected newsgroup. The UP and DOWN commands, and the cursor
vertical movement keys are used to move this selection cursor through the
display. The remaining fields of each entry of the display are not
alterable by the user.
NEWSGROUP Directory Entry Display
NEWS ITEM Directory Screen
The second context level is entered from the NEWSGROUP screen by pressing
the select key (or using the 'SELECT' command). This screen corresponds to
the second context level, when a newsgroup is 'opened' to display the news
items currently stored within the newsgroup. An example screen is shown
below:
NEWS ITEM Directory Entry Display
This display is similar to the newsgroup display, using 1 line to describe
each newsitem. The screen shows the sequence number, news item title, date
the news item was created on the local system, and the size of the news
item. News items which you have not viewed are shown in bolded video. As
with the newsgroup directory, a cursor is positioned in the leftmost
columns of the screen, and the cursor can be moved within the screen by the
up and down arrow keys. The cursor corresponds to the current or selected
news item.
NEWS ITEM Text Display
The third context level is entered by the 'READ' command. This screen
corresponds to the third context level, displaying the contents of the
current news item.
The text is displayed in screen sized 'chunks', advancing through the text
one page at a time. The base of the screen shows the current position
within the text as a percentage of the total text size. The up and down
arrow keys are also mapped in this mode, and move the display in single
line movements in the relevant direction. The Prev-Screen and Next-Screen
are also mapped to move the screen in page sized chunks either up or down.
Lastly the commands UP and DOWN with a numeric parameter (e.g. DOWN 150)
will move the specified number of lines. The underlying display buffer is
2000 lines in size, and once text rolls off the ``top'' of this display it
cannot be presented back on the screen.
NEWS ITEM Text Display
Optionally you may use an editor (TPU by default, but you may choose
another editor) in read-only mode to display the news item text. This will
allow you to scroll up and down, search for strings, and use other editor
search and display operations on the text. At any stage the text display
can be aborted, and you may reset the screen display to either the news
item or newsgroup display screen.
3. Overview of NEWS Commands
This is the first of three sections describing the user-level NEWS
commands. This section describes those commands which are commonly used,
and form the basic set of commands to use NEWS. The next section describes
those commands which are used to change the NEWS environment, and the third
section is a reference section for the user command set, describing in
detail all user commands and their qualifiers.
As with VMS DCL commands, all NEWS commands and their qualifiers may be
abbreviated to the minimum unique abbreviation.
3.1 Default Keypad Definitions
By default, the VT keypad is configured as follows:
The LK201 edit block is also defined in NEWS, with the key definitions as
follows:
These default key mappings may be altered by the user - this is documented
in the next section.
3.2 NEWS Display Commands
This set of commands enable you to move around the NEWS database.
DIRECTORY The default action of NEWS is to display the newsgroup
directory screen. This screen has a cursor in the left field, which may be
moved using the arrow keys. The directory of newsitems within the 'pointed'
or 'current' newsgroup may be obtained by the 'DIR/ITEMS' command.
When the item screen display is displayed, the newsgroup directory may
be displayed using the 'DIR/NEWSGROUPS' command.
The set of newsgroups displayed in the newsgroup directory may be
modified using qualifiers to the DIRECTORY command: DIR/ALL displays all
newsgroups, DIR/REGISTER displays only those newsgroups in which you have
registered a particular interest, and DIR/SINCE=date (e.g.:
DIR/SINCE=TODAY) displays only those newsgroups which have received new
postings since the data specified.
Cursor Vertical Movement Keys,
UP, DOWN The newsgroup and newsitem directory screens use a pointer in the
left field of the display to indicate the 'current' newsgroup and newsitem.
This pointer may be moved up or down using the UP or DOWN commands. These
commands are bound to the arrow keys, so the more usual way of moving
through the screen is via the arrow keys.
Both commands may take a numeric parameter (e.g.: UP 18) to move a
number of lines. On VT220-type terminals the PREV SCREEN and NEXT SCREEN
are bound to the commands 'UP 18' and 'DOWN 18' respectively.
SELECT is similar to 'DIR/ITEMS' such that the command displays a newsitem
directory of a newsgroup. However, SELECT has a number of qualifiers which
make the selection of newsgroups more powerful.
In particular, 'SELECT/NEW' selects the next newsgroup in which you
have registered a particular interest which has received new newsitems.
3.3 Displaying NEWS text
READ The most common method of displaying the contents of a newsitem is
using the 'READ' command. This displays the news text on a page-by-page
basis (in a similar fashion to the DCL 'TYPE/PAGE' command).
By default, the 'current' newsitem is opened for display, but
qualifiers may be used to combine movement of the 'current' newsitem and
display: READ/NEXT combines the actions of the 'DOWN' and 'READ' commands.
READ/NEW combines the actions of 'SELECT/NEW' (select the next unread
newsitem as the current item) and 'READ'. READ/PARENT selects the parent
newsitem (the item to which the current newsitem refers) for display.
READ/FOLLOWUP selects the next followup newsitem (a posting which refers to
the same subject as the current item) for display.
3.4 Posting Items to NEWS
There are two commands which allow the user to create a NEWS posting: POST
and FOLLOWUP. POST implies that the item refers to a new subject which has
not been discussed before: FOLLOWUP implies that the user is posting a
followup item to the current item.
The default actions of POST and FOLLOWUP are to forward the item text as
far as possible throughout the NEWS network. Background NEWS server
processes are responsible for sending the item to all adjacent network
neighbours. Normally the distribution of the item is restricted by the set
of network nodes which wish to receive the newsgroups in which the newsitem
is posted. Qualifiers may be used with these commands to restrict this
distribution to a subset of the network (these qualifiers are described in
the reference section).
POST invokes a text editor to create a new newsitem (the text editor may
be one of your choosing - see the chapter on customization). The NEWS
system also prompts for the newsgroup or newsgroup list to which the item
will be posted, and will also prompt for the title of the posting.
FOLLOWUP is similar to POST, with the difference that the edit buffer is
pre-loaded with the text of the current newsitem (the item to which you are
posting the followup). This allows you to formulate your reply using
fragments of the original posting to help other readers establish what you
are replying to.
3.5 Deleting Newsitems
Deletion of newsitems is not normally a straightforward process - as the
text of the original item may have already been forwarded to the wider news
network, then deletion of a newsitem requires that a special deletion
control message must be sent through the network to delete all copies of
your posting.
CANCEL This command deletes the 'current' newsitem. A check is performed
to ensure that the item you are attempting to delete was actually posted by
yourself before the deletion is performed. This command also generates a
cancel control message which is forwarded throughout the net, which directs
all remote nodes to delete this newsitems on your behalf.
3.6 NEWS Interface to MAIL
NEWS supports two commands which interface to VMS MAIL. This allows users
to forward NEWS items to other users via MAIL and also to send direct
person-to-person mail to the original poster of the newsitem.
FORWARD, MAIL These two commands are synonyms: the 'current' newsitem is
extracted and posted to the addresses you supply. By default the item text
is loaded into an edit buffer for editing before sending the mail - this
edit pass may be omitted by using the '/NOEDIT' qualifier with the command.
REPLY This command extracts the From: address (or the Reply-To: address,
if specified) from the current newsitem and invokes the editor to create a
reply which will be directed to the sender of the newsitem.
This command differs from the FOLLOWUP command in so far as your
response to the original posting is a private response between you and the
poster, whereas the FOLLOWUP command posts a public response through the
NEWS network.
3.7 Extraction of Newsitems
Newsitems may be extracted from the NEWS database and kept as a local file,
or printed.
EXTRACT This command extracts the 'current' newsitem and makes a local
copy into a file - you are prompted for a filename to write to.
PRINT This prints the 'current' newsitem to a print queue.
3.8 Keeping Track of Newsitems
There are two ways in which NEWS can be used to help you read particular
newsitems - the first is by the concept of 'read' and 'unread' newsitems
and the second by the use of 'marks' to enable you to re-read newsitems at
a later date.
NEWS maintains for each user a list of all newsitems which have been
considered as 'read' - this is an aid when searching through the NEWS
database for new items which have been posted. NEWS also maintains for each
user a list of newsitems which have been 'marked' by that user, enabling
the user to 'mark' a newsitem with any tag text, and later retrieve that
newsitem by specifying that tag text.
This context information is contained in a user file, SYS$LOGIN:NEWSRC.;
The file is updated every time NEWS is executed.
REGISTER, DEREGISTER NEWS enables the user to mark particular newsgroups
as being of particular interest. This marking, or 'registering', is used by
the READ/NEW, SELECT/NEW, DIR/NEW and DIR/REGISTER commands to allow fast
access to any new postings in the subset of 'registered' newsgroups.
The 'current' newsgroup is added to this registered set by the
REGISTER command, and can be removed from the set by the DEREGISTER
command.
SKIP is used to mark a set of newsitems as having been 'read' without
having to display the item text. The default action is to mark the current
item as 'read' and move the pointer to refer to the next item.
If the display is the newsgroup directory, then SKIP will mark ALL
newsitems in the 'current' newsgroup as read.
SKIP may also mark a range of newsitems as 'read' by using qualifiers
with the SKIP command - these are documented in the reference chapter.
MARK, UNMARK are used to associate tags with a newsitem. The common form
of marking is the MARK the 'current' newsitem, and then retrieve that item
at a later date by either the SELECT/MARK or READ/MARK commands. If a
newsitem has been marked, then a line of the form ``Mark: ...'' is included
in the header lines of the text display for that newsitem.
A mark may be removed from a newsitem by the UNMARK command.
Variants of this command allow the mark to have a text value, allowing
the READ/MARK and SELECT/MARK commands to retrieve particular marked items
according to a match on the supplied tag values.
3.9 HELP
HELP is used to enter the on-line HELP documentation - this documentation
is similar to the reference chapter in this document
3.10 EXITing NEWS
EXIT performs a normal exit from NEWS - the register file is updated to
reflect all items read during this session, and any pending print requests
are sent to a nominated print queue.
QUIT exits from NEWS without the associated update function of EXIT. This
is a more graceful alternative to the Ctrl-Y exit.
4. Customising NEWS
It is possible to customise NEWS in a number of ways. This includes
changing the definitions of keys on the terminal, and changing the editor
invoked by NEWS to one of your choice. This chapter describes those
commands and logical names which perform this customisation. Customization
can be done using three mechanisms: setting your keypad, as described
below, using the SET PROFILE command, and defining logical names. As there
is some overlap in what these three methods can define the order of
precedence is firstly any setting performed interactively overrides profile
settings, which in turn override logical name settings.
4.1 Key Definition
The default set of key mappings is given in the previous section. These
defaults may be altered in two ways: using the DEFINE/KEY command to bind a
news command to a key, or defining the logical name NEWS_INI to a file
containing a sequence of DEFINE/KEY lines (which will be executed on
startup of NEWS).
The DEFINE/KEY command is equivalent to it's VMS DCL counterpart - the
command performs a mapping of the nominated key to a command string.
NOTE: that there are six keys which should not be DEFINED from the standard
NEWS values: the four arrow keys and the PREV and NEXT SCREEN keys (This
restriction is a reflection of an underlying problem with the VMS software
used by NEWS).
4.2 NEWS Logical Names
There are a number of logical names which users may define to alter the
behaviour of NEWS. All these logical names are intended to be defined on a
pre process basis as process logical names. This would normally be
configured within the LOGIN.COM file:
NEWS_INI This can be defined as a file name which contains a set of
DEFINE/KEY commands to change the default key binding of news. e.g.:
$ DEFINE NEWS_INI SYS$LOGIN:NEWSKPD.DEFS
NEWS_EDIT This logical name can be used to link an editor to NEWS. The
editor is used to generate new postings, and to edit forwarded mail, and
(optionally) in readonly mode, to scan the item contents (READ/EDITOR).
By default NEWS links the TPU editor to NEWS, using the value of the
logical name TPUSECINI as the section to use. With V5 of VMS the NEWS
software will also examine whether the logical name TPU$SECTION is defined
and use that translation in a similar fashion to TPUSECINI.
This logical name is used to either:
¥ Use the TPU editor with a section other than the default:
$ DEFINE NEWS_EDIT "TPU/SEC=mysection"
¥ Use EDT as the configured editor:
$ DEFINE NEWS_EDIT CALLABLE_EDT
¥ Call any other editor using a command procedure in a
subprocess:
$ DEFINE NEWS_EDIT "@dev:[dir]my_editor.com"
and NEWS will then SPAWN the command:
$ @dev:[dir]my_editor.com filename
The next section shows an example my_editor.com command procedure.
NEWS_VIEW This logical name is only required if you are using a local
editor command procedure as NEWS_EDIT. In this case a second procedure is
required which invokes the same editor in read_only mode:
$ DEFINE NEWS_VIEW "@dev:[dir]my_reader.com"
and NEWS will then spawn the command:
$ @dev:[dir]my_reader.com filename
When TPU or EDT is configured as the editor, then NEWS will
automatically add the /READONLY to create a readonly version of the editor.
NEWS_SCANSIZE NEWS will normally display the text of a newsitem on a page-
by-page basis. When scanning through items it is often useful to only
display the first few lines of an item, to decide whether to view the
complete text.
If the logical name NEWS_SCANSIZE is defined as a number (n), then the
first n lines of each new item will be displayed, and you will be prompted
if you wish to see more of this item. Commonly, a value between 8 and 12 is
most useful.
MAIL_SIGNATURE This logical name may be defined as the name of your mail
signature file. If this logical name is defined, then the contents of this
fill will be automatically appended to all postings and mailings made from
within NEWS.
NEWS_DEFAULT_DIRECTORY NEWS will normally remember the last newsgroup
directory setting across invocations of the program (i.e. If you had
executed DIR/NEW before exiting NEWS, then when you next run NEWS, the
initial newsgroup directory state will be restored to DIR/NEW). It is
possible to specify a constant initial directory state by defining this
logical name as one of the strings:
ALL
NEW
REGISTER
SINCE
SINCE=vms_date
NEWS_POST_CC This logical name directs NEWS to generate MAIL carbon-copies
of NEWS postings. The logical name value is interpreted by NEWS as the name
of a CC control file. This file consists of lines of the form:
newsgroup address
The newsgroup name starts in column 1, and may be the name of a single
newsgroup, or may specify a set of newsgroups by including the wildcard
match character ('*'). The address is the address to receive a carbon copy
of the posting. It is separated from the newsgroup name by at least 1 space
character. The address may be a decnet or internet-format address.
The interpretation of the file is such that any postings you make into
any of the specified newsgroups will also generate mail to the matching
addresses.
NEWS_PERSONAL_NAME Sets the personal name string. This name is appended
to your network address in all NEWS postings.
If this logical name is not defined your VMS MAIL profile is examined
to copy your MAIL personal name as your NEWS personal name.
4.3 NEWS_EDIT Command Procedures
An example command procedure to invoke an editor from NEWS is as follows:
$ !
$ ! Example command procedure to invoke an editor for NEWS
$ !
$ ! Inputs:
$ !
$ ! P1 = file name.
$ !
$ ! Note that this procedure is run in the context of a subprocess.
$ ! LOGIN.COM is not executed. However, all process logical names
$ ! and DCL global symbols are copied.
$ !
$ ! The default directory is the same as the parent process
$ !
$ ! Note that this will only be invoked if the user has placed in
$ ! LOGIN.COM (or similar)
$ ! $ DEFINE NEWS_EDIT "@dev:[dir]NEWSEDIT_EXAMPLE.COM"
$ !
$ DEFINE /USER SYS$INPUT 'F$TRNLNM("SYS$OUTPUT")'
$ IF P1 .EQS. "" THEN EXIT
$ EDIT/EDT 'P1'
$ EXIT
In connection with the definition of a personal profile the following
message from Reg Quinton, <reggers@uwovax.BITNET> is relevant:
"Many new users of ANU/NEWS (especially those new to Vax/VMS) have
great difficulty posting their first article. The problem is that News
assumes you know a bit about Vax/VMS already -- in particular that you
know about the default editor. This is often a faulty assumption and
naive users are rightly distressed when they find themselves put into a
strange editing environment. Composing text can, and should be, simpler
than that!
"We have therefore defined a procedure for entered text which easier to
use (but without all the power of a Vax/VMS editor). We would encourage
all beginning users to set their profile as follows:
News> set profile/editor=@news_manager:noedit
"There are several other profile setting discussed in both the help
system and the manual. If you have set your profile as above then the
"Post" command will use this procedure for composing your message -- the
procedure will say
Enter text, end with ^Z (Control-Z)
-----
"You may then enter your message a line at a time with the usual
line editing features of VMS. You end your text with a Control-Z
character which is constructed by typing a `Z' while holding down the
`Control' key.
"Once you have learned an editor on the Vax/VMS environment you can then
set your profile accordingly, for example
News> set profile/editor=emacs
In addition the following command procedure has been submitted:
news_manager:noedit.com
$ ! The most primitive editor for news -- read from your console
$ !
$ ! Reg Quinton <reggers@uwovax.BITNET>; 1-Aug-89
$ !
$ if p1 .eqs. ""
$ then
$ write sys$output "Oops .... missing parameter"
$ exit
$ else
$ write sys$output "Enter text, end with ^Z (Control-Z)"
$ write sys$output "-----"
$ copy sys$command 'p1'
$ endif
5. NEWS Commands
User Reference
$ NEWS
The $ NEWS command is the VMS DCL command to invoke NEWS.
Format:
$ NEWS [news command]
Command Parameters
news command
If as command is given with NEWS, then this command is executed. Normally
if this parameter is used then only that command is executed, and control
is passed back to the calling environment. A Compile-time switch can alter
this behaviour, such that interactive execution of NEWS will continue
following a initial command parameter.
For example, the VMS DCL command:
$ NEWS POST/NEWSGROUP=local.messages/SUBJECT="Weekly Msgs" weekly.msg
posts the file weekly.msg into NEWS, into newsgroup local.messages, with
the title "Weekly Msgs", then returns to DCL.
Command Qualifiers
/ALLSCAN
/ALLSCAN is a more verbose form of the /SCAN action. The difference is that
this qualifier directs NEWS to list the names of those newsgroups which
contain unseen items, and the number of such items in each newsgroup. Also
if there are no unseen items then a status message is output indicating
this. Again this command may be placed in your LOGIN.COM file, but it
should be noted that /SCAN is more efficient in execution than /ALLSCAN.
/CLASS=classname
Within NEWS collections of newsgroups may be grouped together under a
common label, or class. Newsgroups may belong to a number of classes, and
classes are defined by both the user, the local news manager, and by NEWS
itself. An initial active class of newsgroups at startup time may be
specified by this qualifier.
/NETPROTOCOL=protocol
This qualifier is used in conjunction with the /NETSERVER protocol to
specify the network protocol to use to contact the remote NEWS server. The
valid protocol values are:
DECNET to use the DECnet protocol
TCP to use the locally configured default TCP/IP
implementation.
-or-
CMUTCP to use the CMU implementation of TCP/IP for VMS
WINTCP to use the WIN TCP implementation of TCP/IP for VMS
MULTINETTCP to use the Multinet implementation of TCP/IP for VMS
UCX to use the Ultrix Connection implementation of TCP/IP
for VMS
IPCUCX to use the Ultrix Connection implementation of TCP/IP
for VMS (Socket I/O)
EXCELAN to use the EXCELAN implementation of TCP/IP for VMS
/NETSERVER [=nodename ]
/netserver=nodename
/netserver
/nonetserver
NEWS can be invoked using either a local database of news items, or can use
the network to contact a remote NEWS server. A session using a remote
server can be initiated by specifying the network name of the remote server
node. The name is either a DECnet node name, a TCP/IP name, or a TCP/IP
network address.
/READONLY
/READONLY invokes a read only;y session of NEWS. In this mode the POST,
FOLLOWUP and CANCEL commands (and their synonyms) are disabled and NEWS
items may only be viewed in the NEWS session.
/SCAN
NEWS can be invoked to check if there are unseen items in the NEWS area,
then exit to DCL. The /SCAN qualifier directs NEWS to check the status of
the news database and will output a 1 line message if there are unseen
items in the news database. The check of newsgroups only includes those
newsgroups for which you want the NEWS software to check - registered
newsgroups. If there are no unseen items, NEWS will exit without printing a
message. This command may be placed in your LOGIN.COM to write out a
message that there is unseen news, in a format consistent with VMS's new
mail message.
/SCREEN
/SCREEN Default
/NOSCREEN
This qualifier is used to determine whether the initial state of NEWS is
configured to drive a terminal screen or a hardcopy device. The /NOSCREEN
qualifier is used for hardcopy interactive sessions or Batch or Detached
execution of the NEWS program. Normally NEWS will automatically configure
itself by interrogating the SMG terminal capabilities file and setting
screen mode if possible. /NOSCREEN forces line mode irrespective of the
terminal capabilities.
See Also the SCREEN and NOSCREEN commands
/UNSEEN
NEWS can also be invoked on a conditional basis: if there are unseen items
then NEWS will start an interactive NEWS session, otherwise NEWS will
immediately exit.
ADD ENTRY
ADD ENTRY is used to add newsgroups into classes.
Format:
ADD ENTRY [newsgroup]
ADD ENTRY is used to add a newsgroup into a set of related newsgroups
(referred to as a class). This set of newsgroups is defined and maintained
by the user (and held in the user's NEWS profile area). Classes are a user
tool to allow the user to group a number of related newsgroups together in
a single set. This grouping is on a user-by-user basis in general, although
there are facilities to allow system defined classes, and news does also
support a number of pre-defined classes which newsgroups are assigned to
automatically. Classes are specified as single words, as defined by the
user.
Normally the specified newsgroup is added to the current class (if a class
is currently selected). The /CLASSES qualifier may be used to specify the
set of classes in which the newsgroup is to be entered. Note that if the
newsgroup is currently a member of a class (or classes), the classes
specified in this command are interpreted as additions to the current class
set.
See Also: SHOW ENTRY, MODIFY ENTRY, DELETE ENTRY, SET CLASS, SHOW CLASS,
DIRECTORY/CLASS
Command Qualifiers:
/CLASSES [=(class-name [,...]) ]
This qualifier determines the classes to which the specified newsgroup is
to be added. If this qualifier is not used, then the current class is used
as the default value. If a class of the specified name does not exist, it
is created by this command.
The qualifier value may be a list of class names, in which case the
newsgroup is added to all such named classes.
The class names specified as qualifier values may also contain wildcard
characters (%,?,*), in which case the newsgroup will be added to all
classes with matching names.
ADD FILE
ADD FILE is a NEWS MANAGEMENT command. ADD FILE is NOT supported under a
diskless client execution.
Format:
ADD FILE filename
ADD FILE is used to load articles into the local NEWS database. This
command is normally used to load network news batches onto the local node
(whereas locally generated news is POSTed into NEWS by the user who is
executing the POST command). If the node is defined as a NEWS network
routing node, this command also generates the batch files to send to the
adjacent NEWS nodes.
ADD FILE scans an input file and breaks the file into one or more articles.
Each article is composed of a number of header lines and an article body.
The software takes into account that the file may have been delivered by
the remote NEWs feed node using mail as the delivery mechanism: in such a
case NEWS will attempt to recognise the difference between the additional
mail headers added to the file by the mailing process, and discard these
mail headers, and process the remaining NEWS header and body.
ANU NEWS will also generate local headers for any headers not included in
the input file, which can be used to advantage to add VMS Mail mail items
and/or folders into NEWS - for example:
MAIL> set folder tcpip
MAIL> extract/all tcpip.news
MAIL> exit
$ NEWS add file tcpip.news/news=local.mail_list.tcpip
Additionally NEWS will recognise the NEWS mail-encapsulation in common use
where the NEWS item is distinguished from MAIL-added text by the use of
the character 'N' in column 1 of the NEWS part of the mail message, and
perform automatic stripping as necessary.
ADD BATCH is a synonym for the ADD FILE command.
Command Parameters
filename
is the name of a file to scan. The name may contain standard VMS
wildcard characters to specify a group of files, or may also be a comma
separated list of file names.
Command Qualifiers:
/ACCEPT
/ACCEPT
/NOACCEPT Default
By default all items posted to Moderated Newsgroups required an
"Approved:" header line before local NEWS systems can accept the item.
Without this header line the item is either junked (stored in newsgroup
"junk") or rejected.
/ACCEPT instructs the ADD FILE command to accept (on the local system only)
unapproved postings to moderated newsgroups.
/CREGRP
/CREGRP
/NOCREGRP Default
The default action of the ADD command is to only accept items into
newsgroups which already exist on the system, rejecting all other
newsgroups. This qualifier directs NEWS to automatically create any new
newsgroups which are specified in the item headers which do not already
exist on the local system.
The reason for the default action of /NOCREGRP is that "checkgroups"
control messages normally flow through the net, controlling which
newsgroups are valid for a participating NEWS site. These control messages
will auto-configure your node if you are receiving a network news feed.
Note also that each newsgroup is configured as a connected subnet of nodes
which accept the newsgroup. If you attempt to join a newsgroup without a
direct connection to the related subnet, than all local postings to the
newsgroup in question will be rejected by adjacent nodes, and not reach the
remainder of the newsgroup's readership. For this reason /CREGRP is not
recommended.
/DELETE
/DELETE
/NODELETE Default
This qualifier directs NEWS to delete the input file after the contents
have been added to NEWS.
/DEFNEWSGROUP=newsgroup
The default newsgroup qualifier directs the NEWS parser to supply a default
newsgroup to scanned items other than the default newsgroup of junk. This
newsgroup default is only used when the scanned item does not contain a
header line "Newsgroups: ...". This qualifier may be used when attempting
to push received personal mail items into newsgroups. The most common use
is in the site distribution of mailing-lists. A "dummy" mail address is
used to receive the mailing list, and the ADD command is used to push the
extracted mail items into a local newsgroup for local site distribution.
(Note that this is slightly different than the /NEWSGROUP qualifier, which
is used to override any scanned "Newsgroups: ..." line. The /NEWSGROUPS
qualifier is the recommended method of pushing mail into NEWS.
/EXECUTE
/NOEXECUTE Default
/EXECUTE=<execute-switch>
The standard for USENET news messages defines a number of 'control'
messages, designed to assist all sites in running a common set of
newsgroups across the USENET. Various control messages are designed to
delete all occurrences of a particular newsgroup on all systems, create new
newsgroups, or compare the 'standard' list of newsgroups against the local
set of newsgroups.
The default action of NEWS is to not to create or delete newsgroups - if a
control message indicates that a newsgroup should be created or deleted, a
DCL command file to perform the action is sent to the local mail address of
'USENET'. (This action is acceptable within the relevant standard). This
corresponds to the default qualifier value of /NOEXECUTE.
If /EXECUTE is specified without any execute switch value specified, then
newsgroup creation messages are executed immediately, without the
requirement for approval by the local news manager. In the case of
newsgroup deletion ("rmgroup" or a "checkgroups" message) the default
action of /EXECUTE is to set the newsgroups which are to be removed to a 1
week retention period. The action can be manually selected by the qualifier
setting of /EXECUTE=RETAIN.
This default action of /EXECUTE may be modified by specifying
/EXECUTE=LOCAL, in which case any such newsgroups which are marked for
deletion by incoming control deletion messages are set to /LOCAL status.
The last possible switch setting, /EXECUTE=DELETE, immediately deletes all
newsgroups which as marked for deletion by incoming control messages.
In all cases a log of the actions performed will be posted to the local
mail address USENET.
/JUNK
/JUNK Default
/NOJUNK
/JUNK instructs the ADD FILE command to place any part of the input file
which cannot be correctly parsed, or any news item which is filtered by the
NEWS.SYS file, or where there are no local newsgroups to hold the item,
into the local newsgroup ``junk''. This newsgroup is intended as a short-
term storage area where the items can be scanned, and the database altered
if necessary to accept such items.
/NOJUNK instructs the ADD FILE command to reject all items which cannot be
added to the local NEWS database.
/MODERATOR
This qualifier allows a newsgroup Moderator to insert items into the
moderated newsgroup (Using this qualifier it is not necessary to have local
news management privileges, but the user MUST be the moderator of the
newsgroup to which the items will be added. This differs from the POST
command in so far as the original submitter's address is preserved. This
qualifier is documented in more detail in the section on moderated
newsgroups.
/NETFEED
/NETFEED Default
/NONETFEED
The ADD command is commonly used to process a network feed of NEWS - this
implies that the ADD FILE command should also generate the necessary batch
files for subsequent transmission to any downstream sites. /NETFEED
instructs the ADD FILE command to use the information in the NEWS.SYS and
NEWS.DISTRIBUTION files to generate the batch feed files as required.
/NONETFEED bypasses the generation of a network feed in the ADD command.
/NEWSGROUP=newsgroup
This directs the NEWS parser to place all items into the nominated
newsgroup (regardless of whether the item contains a "Newsgroups:" header
line). This qualifier is useful when converting messages from a mailing
list into a newsgroup:
MAIL> set folder CMU_TCPIP
MAIL> extract/all tcp.mail
MAIL> delete/all
MAIL> exit
$ NEWS/NOSCREEN
NEWS> add file tcp.mail/news=anu.tcpip
/NOCONTROL
This qualifier directs the NEWS parser to ignore any directive that may be
contained in "Control: .." headers.
/RETRY
When a network feed news item is rejected by the local node an attempt is
made to place the item into the "junk" newsgroup. This rejection may take
place for a number of reasons, but the primary one is that the local
filters (newsgroup and distribution filters), as specified in the NEWS.SYS
file, have rejected this item.
You may wish to make changes to the NEWS.SYS file and retry adding the
item. Normally such an attempt would be rejected, as the Path: name now
contains the local node name, and this is regarded as a loop in the news.
/RETRY directs the ADD command to ignore the Path: line when checking the
news item for addition into the local node.
ADD MARKER
ADD MARKER places a mark on the current news item.
Format:
ADD MARKER [marker-name [item-number ] ]
ADD MARKER places a mark against the current newsitem. This item can be
selected at a later stage by the READ/MARK or SELECT/MARK commands, or
printed by the PRINT/MARK command.
If no marker-name value is specified then the default mark value, "mark" is
used. A marker name is a string (more usually a single user-defined word).
If no item number is specified, the mark is placed against the current
item. Families of related items may be "marked" with the same mark name.
See Also: MARK, UNMARK, CLEAR MARK, DELETE MARKER
Command Parameters:
marker-name
is a text string of the mark value. Any string may be specified as a mark
value.
item-number
is specified to mark an item other than the current item. The news item
number is used.
ADD MEMBER
ADD MEMBER is a NEWS MANAGEMENT command. ADD MEMBER is not supported within
the diskless client execution environment.
Format:
ADD MEMBER username
ADD MEMBER adds a new user to the membership list of a restricted access
newsgroup. Membership of the newsgroup grants the username read access to
the newsgroup, and by default also grants write access.
The username may include wildcard characters (?,%,*) to include a set of
related usernames, or may be an identifier name. If either of these
specifications are used it is advised not to include the /MAIL or /NODES
parameters to the command.
The newsgroup must have been set as a restricted access newsgroup for this
command to be executed, and the user must be either the local News Manager,
or the moderator or local supervisor of this newsgroup.
Command Parameters
username
is normally the name of an individual username, but an identifier may be
specified instead, granting all users who own that identifier the access
rights associated with that identifier.
Command Qualifiers:
/MAIL=mail-address
Specifies a mail address for this member. The address format may be either
a VMS MAIL or an internet format address.
/PRIVILEGES=priv-list
Format:
ADD MEMBER username /PRIVILEGES=(SUPERVISE [, WRITE | NOWRITE] )
Associates privileges with this username.
SUPERVISE allows the user to delete any newsitem, add and delete members of
the restricted newsgroup and unconditionally write to the newsgroup.
WRITE implies explicit WRITE access to the NEWSGROUP. This is the default
for all newsgroup members.
NOWRITE implies read-only access to this newsgroup.
ANSWER
ANSWER is used to post a reply to a news item back into NEWS.
Format:
ANSWER [item-number ]
The followup item posted by the ANSWER command will reference the news item
you are following up as the parent of the new posting.
The command FOLLOWUP is equivalent to ANSWER.
The editor is invoked to form the new posting, with the edit buffer
preloaded with the text of the original item. The default editor is the TPU
editor, but this is user definable - see the section on customisation to
specify a different editor to use.
NEWS will fill in all defaulting news headers, and will prompt for all
header items which are non-defaulting (the subject line and the newsgroups
to post the item into).
If the newsgroups for the posting are moderated newsgroups, the posting is
automatically re-directed as mail to the moderator address, and NOT posted
back to NEWS.
See Also FOLLOWUP, REPLY, POST
Command Parameters
item-number
is the number of the item to which the response is directed. It no item-
number is given as a command parameter, the current item is used as the
basis of the followup posting.
Command Qualifiers:
/EXTRACT
/EXTRACT DEFAULT
/NOEXTRACT
This qualifier causes NEWS to pre-load the edit buffer with the contents of
the posting to which the followup is addressed. The original posting is
enclosed in quotation characters
/HEADERS
Answer will normally prompt for the subject of the posting, and a list of
newsgroups to post the item into. All other header lines of the news item
text will be filled with null values.
The /HEADERS qualifier will force prompting for optional components of the
item header. These fields are:
Summary: A one line summary of the contents of the posting.
Reply-To: The (internet) mail address for REPLYing to the item - used if
replies are to be sent to a mail address OTHER than yourself (as the
originator of the item.
Distribution: A (comma separated) list of keywords designed to limit the
distribution of a news item to a subset of the network. These keywords are
site specific, but commonly include the keyword "local" (do not forward to
the net!).
Followup-To: The list of newsgroups where followup postings are to be
sent. This is used to move a discussion to another newsgroup.
Keywords: A few relevant, pithy keywords which should indicate to other
readers if the item is of interest.
Expires: A date to indicate the end of the useful life of the information
in the message. NEWS will reject expirations greater than 12 months as
being too outlandish.
/SELF
This directs NEWS to send a self copy through VMS MAIL.
/ROT13
This qualifier directs NEWS to use the rot13 encryption algorithm on the
body of the text before posting.
ATTACH
ATTACH to another VMS process
Format:
ATTACH [process-name ]
Attaches your terminal to the parent process, or a specified sub-process.
See Also SPAWN
Command Parameters
process name
This command takes one optional parameter, a process-name. If no process-
name is specified, the terminal is attached to the parent process of the
current process.
Command Qualifiers
/PARENT
Attach to the parent process which spawned the NEWS task.
BACK
BACK reads the previous item in a newsgroup.
This command is equivalent to the command READ/BACK. The command may be
modified by specifying one of the parameters listed below.
Command Qualifiers
/HEADER
Directs NEWS to display all header lines of the newsitem. By default
only the subject line, sender address and date of the item are shown in the
display.
/EDITOR
Use a callable editor in read-only mode to display the newsitem. By
default this is the TPU editor, but this may be altered by the NEWS_VIEW
logical name. See the chapter on customizing NEWS for details. For
compatibility with previous versions of NEWS, /TPU is equivalent to
/EDITOR.
/ROT13
Some newsitem are posted using rot13 encryption. This qualifier
decrypts the newsitem for display.
BACK REPLY
BACK REPLY locates and displays the parent item of the current response.
The command is equivalent to READ/PARENT, displaying the previous entry in
the same conversation stream as the current item.
Command Qualifiers
/HEADER
Directs NEWS to display all header lines of the newsitem. By default
only the subject line, sender address and date of the item are shown in the
display.
/EDITOR
Use a callable editor in read-only mode to display the newsitem. By
default this is the TPU editor, but this may be altered by the NEWS_VIEW
logical name. See the chapter on customizing NEWS for details. For
compatibility with previous versions of NEWS, /TPU is equivalent to
/EDITOR.
/ROT13
Some newsitem are posted using rot13 encryption. This qualifier
decrypts the newsitem for display.
BACK NOTE
BACK NOTE is a synonym for the BACK and READ/BACK commands.
BACK/TOPIC is a synonym for BACK/NOTE
Command Qualifiers
/HEADER
Directs NEWS to display all header lines of the newsitem. By default
only the subject line, sender address and date of the item are shown in the
display.
/EDITOR
Use a callable editor in read-only mode to display the newsitem. By
default this is the TPU editor, but this may be altered by the NEWS_VIEW
logical name. See the chapter on customizing NEWS for details. For
compatibility with previous versions of NEWS, /TPU is equivalent to
/EDITOR.
/ROT13
Some newsitem are posted using rot13 encryption. This qualifier
decrypts the newsitem for display.
BOTTOM
BOTTOM sets the didplay (and the current pointer) to the base of the
display.
This command shifts the current display to the base of the dicectory or
text. In the case of newsgroup or newsitem directory screens the current
pointer is set to the last item in the directory.
This command is bound by default to the key GOLD DOWN-ARROW (the key
sequence PF1, DOWN-ARROW).
CANCEL
CANCEL deletes the current newsitem from NEWS.
This command inspects the address of the sender of the newsitem, and will
only perform the deletion if the sender's address matches that of the user
(i.e. if you were the original poster of the item).
In the case that you are a local newsgroup supervisor or the newsgroup's
moderator, or the local news manager, then you can CANCEL any posting
originating from the current node within the newsgroup.
As well as deleting the local copy of the newsitem, a 'cancel' control news
message is sent through the news network to ensure that all copies of the
item, held on all connected NEWS nodes, are also deleted.
CLEAR KILL
CLEAR KILL removes active kill filters.
Format:
CLEAR KILL [tag ]
CLEAR KILL removes the kill filters with the matching tag from the kill
filter set. If no tag value is specified then ALL kill filters are cleared.
The optional tag command parameter is the name of the associated tag value
of the kill filter.
See Also KILL, SHOW KILL, MODIFY KILL
CLEAR MARK
CLEAR MARK removes news item marks.
Format:
CLEAR MARK [tag ]
CLEAR MARK removes all marks of the specified tag from the mark list. If no
tag value is specified then ALL marks are cleared. Otherwise only the
specified tag value (a user supplied string value) is cleared. The wildcard
character ('*') can be used in the tag field to clear a set of related
tags.
See Also ADD MARKER, MARK, UNMARK
CLEAR MESSAGES
CLEAR MESSAGES clears the VMS message buffer.
CLEAR MESSAGES clears the VMS message buffer. All terminal broadcast
messages are stored in this buffer if broadcast trapping is enabled.
Additionally all NEWS informational and error messages are also placed in
this buffer.
See Also SHOW MESSAGES
CLOSE
CLOSE closes the current newsgroup, and the display is reset to the
directory list of newsgroups.
COPY
COPY is only supported if the current item is a personal mail item (See
OPEN/MAIL).
Copy places a copy of the current mail item into the nominated mail folder.
Format:
COPY folder
Command Parameters
folder
is the name of the destination mail folder for the copy operation.
CLOSE MAIL
CLOSE MAIL closes the open mail file, and removes the "private" newsgroups
which are associated with each folder of the user's mail file.
CLOSE/MAIL is an alternate format of the same command.
COMPRESS
COMPRESS compresses your personal mail file. You must have opened your
mail file within NEWS by the OPEN/MAIL command prior to using this command.
CREATE NEWSGROUPS
CREATE NEWSGROUPS is a NEWS MANAGEMENT command. This command is not
supported when running NEWS as a diskless client.
There are two equivalent commands to this command: CREATE CONFERENCE and
CREATE GROUPS.
Format:
CREATE NEWSGROUPS newsgroup
CREATE NEWSGROUPS is used to create new newsgroups on the local node.
The Newsgroup parameter is the name of the newsgroup to create. If the
newsgroup does not exist on the local node, then the user is prompted to
confirm that the newsgroup should be created.
This parameter can also specify a comma separated list of newsgroup names
to create. In the case of a list of names the qualifiers used (if any)
refer to ALL newsgroups in the list (positional qualifiers are NOT
supported in this release).
Command Qualifiers
/APPROVAL
/APPROVAL Default
/NOAPPROVAL
Moderated newsgroups require an Approved: header in all postings in order
to be accepted by each local NEWS site. This approval requirement can be
removed by specifying the /NOAPPROVAL qualifier with the newsgroup.
/CONFIRM
/CONFIRM Default
/NOCONFIRM
Normally NEWS will require confirmation in order to create new newsgroups.
The /NOCONFIRM qualifier overrides this requirement.
/HOLD=n
This qualifier specifies the retention period (in days) of the Newsgroup.
This retention period is defined as the period over which no new items were
posted to the newsgroup, after which the newsgroup is automatically
deleted. If not specified, the system default value (normally 60 days) is
used.
If the value /HOLD=* is used, the newsgroup will NOT be automatically
deleted.
/IGNOREEXPIRES
/IGNOREEXPIRES
/NOIGNOREEXPIRES Default
NEWS items may contain an optional Expires: header specifying the date that
the item should be retained until. By default NEWS will accept the Expires:
headers, with a maximum retention period of 1 year and a minimum of 3 days.
The system default retention periods can override any Expires: header on a
newsgroup-by-newsgroup basis using the /IGNOREEXPIRES qualifier.
/ITEMHOLD=n
This qualifier specifies the default retention period (in days) of the
items within this newsgroup. All news items will remain on the system for
the specified period, after which they will be automatically deleted. If
not specified the system default value (normally 14 days) is used. Note
that the SET ITEM command can be used to alter the retention period for an
individual news item.
If the value /ITEMHOLD=* is used, NO items within the newsgroup will be
automatically deleted.
/LOCAL
Newsgroups are defined by default to be Network newsgroups - A network
newsgroup is created in response to a network-wide "newgroup" control
message, and is deleted in response to a network-wide "rmgroup" or
"checkgroups" message.
Newsgroups which are local to a this site, or local to a domain within the
wider network are created with the /LOCAL qualifier. This ensures that the
newsgroup will not be deleted by the network control messages.
/MAILLIST
/MAILLIST=address
This qualifier sets the newsgroup as a mailing list newsgroup.This is very
similar to setting a moderated newsgroup with a number of alterations in
the support of the newsgroup to act as an interface between the local news
system and a mailing list.
The changes from the moderator model in order to support the mapping of
mailing lists into NEWS require the dropping of the Approval: item header
requirement for incoming items, and a forwarding of all local postings to
the mapped newsgroup to the mailing list address without the normal NEWS
headers.
The address used with this qualifier is the address of the mailing list.
/MODERATOR=address
/MODERATOR=address
/MODERATOR
/NOMODERATOR
This qualifier creates a moderated newsgroup. No user may post news items
directly into a moderated newsgroup (unless the user is the actual
moderator of the newsgroup). Any items posted into such newsgroups are
redirected into the mail systems, and are mailed directly to the moderator
for approval.
The moderator address should be specified in the internet format
(user@node.site.domain) - not DECnet format (the translation from internet
addresses to the equivalent DECnet addresses is handled internally by
NEWS).
/RESTRICT
This qualifier creates a restricted newsgroup. A restricted newsgroup is
one where read and write access to the newsgroup is restricted to a
specific list of members. The membership of the newsgroup is determined by
the ADD MEMBER, DELETE MEMBER and MODIFY MEMBER commands.
/TITLE="title-string"
Newsgroups may be created with a title string. This title is displayed in
the head of a newsgroup directory, and is intended as a (short) description
of the newsgroup. The string length is restricted to 124 characters.
/WRITE
/WRITE Default
/NOWRITE
By default all newsgroups are writeable by all users (there is a
qualification to this assertion - a set of newsgroups can be setup as read-
only by use of the NEWS_NETPOST/NEWS_NONETPOST identifiers - the newsgroup
set refers to the /NOLOCAL newsgroups).
A newsgroup can be setup as a read-only newsgroup by the command:
CREATE NEWSGROUP name/NOWRITE
Once a newsgroup has been set as /NOWRITE only those users with write
permission can post to this newsgroup (see ADD MEMBER to grant write
permission to a username).
/SERVER=node
Newsgroups may be linked to a remote NEWSSERVER via the NNTP network
protocol. The presence of a remote server for a newsgroup implies that the
local site need not keep the text files of all items within a newsgroup on
local storage -- when a user on the local system reads an item, the remote
server passes a copy of the text on demand.
This configuration can be used to reduce the overall storage demands for
NEWS if a number of NNTP-connected systems are all running NEWS. One system
may be nominated as the server for a number of client nodes, or a number of
systems can be used to serve subsets of the total newsgroup set to the
clients (i.e. a node may be configured as a client for some newsgroups, and
a server for other newsgroups).
This qualifier requires a node name as a value -- this name is the node
name of the remote server.
/CACHE (/SERVER=node required also)
/CACHE DEFAULT
/CACHE=n
/NOCACHE
The /CACHE qualifier is used in conjunction with the /SERVER qualifier.
/CACHE is the default value.
If a newsgroup is served from a remote system, then it is not necessary to
keep local copies of the text of news items for the retention period of the
news item record - as the server node will retain all items for the full
period. If a newsitem is served from a remote system, and a local user
requests to view the contents of that item, the server system copies the
text of the item into the local user's scratch area. By default, a copy of
this text is also placed in the local NEWS database, so that further
requests to read the item do not need to access the remote server.
By default, the local text is deleted after 2 days, and any subsequent
requests to view the text of the item will result in a remote server
request for the item text. This text retention period can be set to n days
using the /CACHE=n qualifier value.
This retention of the local copy can be inhibited by using the /NOCACHE
qualifier -- in such a case all requests to view the item will generate
remote server requests.
/INQUIRE (/SERVER=node required also)
This command is used in the context of a client NEWS system adding
newsgroups into the client database to match those held by the client's
server system. The command allows the client system to import all, or a
subset, of the newsgroups held on a news server node. The command requires
the /SERVER and /PROTOCOL qualifiers as well (and if they are not
specified, then the user will be prompted to supply the values).
The action of the command is to request the full list of newsgroups on the
target server node. All newsgroups which do not already exist on the local
node are then created, subject to confirmation by the user for each new
newsgroup. The attributes of the created newsgroups are set to the server
and protocol values as given in the command.
The newsgroup list specified in the command line is the pattern to match
when looking for new newsgroups. The following examples illustrate the use
of pattern specification.
To import all newsgroups defined on the node "unixnode", using the TCP
transport, the command would be:
NEWS> CREATE NEWSGROUP */SERVE=unixnode/PROTO=TCP/INQUIRE
To import all newsgroups within the tree "anu.*" from the node "vmsnode",
using DECnet:
NEWS> CREATE NEWSGROUP anu.*/SERVE=vmsnode/PROTO=DECNET/INQUIRE
/INQUIRE also supports an additional qualifier, "/SINCE=date", which
restricts the search on the remote system to those newsgroups created since
the specified date.
/PROTOCOL=protocol (/SERVER=node required also)
Specifies a protocol to be used to access the NNTP SERVER node. The values
for this qualifier are DECNET, CMUTCP, WINTCP' or MULTINETTCP'. They
indicate the transport protocol used to carry the NNTP traffic between this
client and the server node.
/SINCE=date-time (/SERVER=node/INQUIRE required also)
This command is used in conjunction with the /INQUIRE qualifier to restrict
the search for new newsgroups on the server to those created since the
specified time.
/UPDATE (/SERVER=node required also)
/UPDATE Default
/NOUPDATE
This qualifier is used in conjunction with the /SERVER qualifier, and
directs NEWS to load the created newsgroup with the contents of the NNTP
server database immediately.
CROSSPOST
CROSSPOST allows the user to copy an item from one newsgroup to another.
CROSSPOST copies the current item into another newsgroup (or newsgroups).
This is equivalent to the command sequence of EXTRACT followed by
POST/NOEDIT. The original headers of the item are re-edited by this command
to record the user performing the crosspost.
The command will prompt for the target newsgroup to crosspost the current
item to.
The command can also be used to transfer mail items into NEWS by selecting
the mail item (after performing an OPEN/MAIL), then CROSSPOSTing this item
to newsgroups. The reverse is NOT possible - news items cannot be
CROSSPOSTed into private MAIL folder newsgroups.
DEFINE/KEY
DEFINE/KEY is used to make key / command bindings.
Format:
DEFINE/KEY key-name equivalence-string
This command associates an equivalence string and a set of attributes with
a key on the terminal keyboard.
Command Parameters
key-name
The key-name parameter specifies the name of the key that you are
defining. The following table gives the set of key names in column
one. The remaining three columns indicate the key designations on the
keyboards for the three different types of terminals that allow key
definitions.
NOTE: that the arrow keys and the PREV SCREEN and NEXT SCREEN keys should
not be re-defined from their default defined values.
Key-name LK201 VT100-type VT52
PF1 PF1 PF1 [blue]
PF2 PF2 PF2 [red]
PF3 PF3 PF3 [gray]
PF4 PF4 PF4 -
KP0,KP1...KP9 0,1...9 0,1...9 0,1...9
PERIOD . . .
COMMA , , n/a
MINUS - - n/a
ENTER Enter ENTER ENTER
E1 Find - -
E2 Insert Here - -
E3 Remove - -
E4 Select - -
HELP Help - -
DO Do - -
F17...F20 F17...F20 - -
The equivalence-string specifies the string which is to be processed when
you press the key. If the string contains any spaces, enclose the
equivalence string in quotation marks.
Command Qualifiers
/ECHO
Determines whether or not the equivalence string is displayed on your
screen after the key has been pressed. The default is /ECHO. You cannot
use /NOECHO with the /NOTERMINATE qualifier.
/PROTECT
Determines whether or not the key definition can be changed or deleted once
the definition is performed. /NOPROTECT is the default.
/IF_STATE=(state-name,...)
Specifies a list of one or more states, one of which must be in effect for
the key definition to be in effect. If you omit the /IF_STATE qualifier or
use /NOIF_STATE, the current state is used. The state name is an
alphanumeric string. States are established with the /SET_STATE qualifier
or the SET KEY command. If you specify only one state name, you can omit
the parentheses. By including several state names, you can define a key to
have the same function in all the specified states.
/LOCK_STATE
Specifies that the state set by the /SET_STATE qualifier remain in effect
until explicitly changed. If you use the /NOLOCK_STATE qualifier, the state
set by /SET_STATE is in effect only for the next definable key that you
press or for the next read terminating character that you type.
The default is /NOLOCK_STATE. The /LOCK_STATE qualifier can only be
specified with the /SET_STATE qualifier.
/SET_STATE=state-name
Causes the specified state-name to be set when the key is pressed. The
state name can be any alphanumeric string.
If you omit the SET_STATE qualifier or use /NOSET_STATE, the current state
that was locked remains in effect. If you have not included this qualifier
with a key definition, you can use the SET KEY command to change the
current state.
/TERMINATE
Specifies whether or not the current equivalence string is to be terminated
(that is, processed) when the key is pressed. The default is /NOTERMINATE,
which allows you to press other keys before the equivalence string is
processed. Pressing RETURN has the same effect as using /TERMINATE.
The /NOTERMINATE qualifier allows you to create key definitions that insert
text into command lines, after prompts, or into other text that you are
typing.
DELETE
DELETE is a NEWS MANAGER command. This command is not supported when
running NEWS as a diskless client.
DELETE is used to delete newsgroups and/or newsitems from the local
database. If the screen is currently displaying the newsgroup directory,
the DELETE command deletes the current newsgroup (DELETE NEWSGROUP). If the
newsitem directory is displayed on the screen, DELETE removes the current
newsitem (DELETE NEWSITEM).
DELETE ENTRY
DELETE ENTRY removes a newsgroup from a user-defined class.
Format:
DELETE ENTRY newsgroup
DELETE ENTRY is a user command, used to change the membership of a user
class. The newsgroup parameter is the name of the newsgroup to remove. This
newsgroup is removed from the current class (or the class specified by the
/CLASS qualifier.
To delete an entire class, use the value "*" for the newsgroup parameter.
Command Qualifiers
/CLASS=class-name
Specifies the class from which the newsgroup is to be removed.
To remove a newsgroup from all classes use the value "*'' as the class-name
value.
DELETE NEWSGROUP
DELETE NEWSGROUP is a NEWS MANAGEMENT command. DELETE NEWSGROUPS is not
supported when NEWS is configured as a diskless NNTP client.
Format:
DELETE NEWSGROUP newsgroup-list
This command deletes newsgroups from the local NEWS database. The command
may only be used by the local NEWS manager. Any newsitems held within the
specified newsgroups are also deleted.
DELETE GROUPS may also be used to delete newsgroups.
If no newsgroup names are specified, then the current newsgroup is deleted.
Otherwise the newsgroups are specified as a list of names, separated by
commas. The '*' wildcard character may also be used to specify a set of
newsgroups.
Command Qualifiers
DELETE NEWSGROUP/CONFIRM
This qualifier directs NEWS to prompt for confirmation for each newsgroup
to delete. This value is on by default, and is removed by the "/NOCONFIRM"
qualifier.
DELETE NEWSITEM
DELETE NEWSITEM is a NEWS MANAGEMENT command. This command is not supported
when running NEWS as a diskless client.
Format:
DELETE NEWSITEM newsitem-list
DELETE NEWSITEM/IDENTIFIER="message-identifier"
This command deletes newsitems from the current newsgroup from the local
NEWS database. The command may be used by the local NEWS manager, or by the
local supervisor of a newsgroup.
DELETE ITEMS and DELETE NOTE may also be used to delete newsitems.
By default the current newsitem is deleted. A list of note numbers may be
specified as a command parameter. The format of this list is a list of
numbers, and/or ranges (start # - end#), the keywords "first", "last",
"all", "." (current item) and "*" (all items).
For example, to delete items 3 through to 10, 20 and 22 to 25 the command
is:
DELETE NEWSITEM 3-10,20,22-25
To delete all items in a newsgroup the command is:
DELETE NEWSITEM *
Command Qualifiers
/CONFIRM
This qualifier directs NEWS to prompt for confirmation for each newsgroup
to delete. This value is on by default, and is removed by the "/NOCONFIRM"
qualifier.
/IDENTIFIER="message-id"
The /IDENTIFIER qualifier is used to select a news item with a specified
message identifier string. The format is /IDENTIFIER="message-id". Note
that the identifier value includes the '<' and '>' characters. If
/IDENTIFIER is used, this excludes the use of a set of news item numbers in
the command.
DELETE MARKER
DELETE MARKER removes a user marking tag.
Format:
DELETE MARKER [tag ]
DELETE MARKER removes all marks of the specified tag from the mark list. If
no tag value is specified then ALL marks are cleared. Otherwise only the
specified tag value is cleared. The wildcard character ('*') can be used in
the tag field to clear a set of related tags.
See Also CLEAR MARK, MARK, UNMARK
DELETE MEMBER
DELETE MEMBER is a NEWS MANAGEMENT command. This command is not supported
when running NEWS as a diskless client.
Format:
DELETE MEMBER username
This command deletes the specified username entry from the access list of
the current newsgroup.
DEREGISTER
DEREGISTER removes the current newsgroup from the user's registered set.
Format:
DEREGISTER [newsgroup ]
This command removes your registration from a newsgroup. The newsgroup may
either be specified as a parameter to the command, or, if not specified,
the current newsgroup is deregistered.
The parameter to the command is the name of the newsgroup to deregister. If
no newsgroup name is specified, the current newsgroup is deregistered.
See Also REGISTER, DIR/REGISTER, DIR/NEW, SELECT/NEW
Command Qualifiers
/ALL
The /ALL qualifier removes registration tags from all newsgroups.
DIRECTORY
DIRECTORY displays a list of the local newsgroups, or a list of all news
items within the selected newsgroup.
In screen mode this command is used to move between newsgroup and newsitem
displays, and also to select some subset of the full newsgroup set to
display on the screen.
In line mode, this command, by default lists all the news items in the
currently selected newsgroup, on a page by page basis, displaying the item
number, creation date and item title.
Command Qualifiers
/ALL
This command resets the newsgroup directory to display all newsgroups held
on the local system.
/CLASS=class-name
Sets the current class to that specified by this qualifier. All other
directory qualifiers listed here are prefixed by the condition that the
newsgroups must be members of the current class. To remove a class
selection condition use the class name "*".
/ITEMS
This opens the 'current' newsgroup and displays the newsitem for that
newsgroup. This command is equivalent to the basic 'SELECT' command.
/NEW
This command sets the newsgroup directory screen to only display those
newsgroups in which you are registered, and there are unread newsitems
within those newsgroups.
/NEWSGROUPS
This command moves the context of NEWS to the newsgroup directory screen.
This command is equivalent to the 'NEWSGROUP' command.
/REGISTER
This command sets the newsgroup directory screen to only display those
newsgroups in which you are registered.
/RESET
This clears the internal memory copy of the NEWS database, and reads a new
copy of the database from the master index files into memory.
This command is not normally used -- it is relevant only in those
situations where a background process is adding or deleting news items to
the database, and the user encounters 'file not found' errors when
attempting to access item files.
/SINCE=date
This command sets the newsgroup directory screen to only display those
newsgroups in which new items have been entered since the date specified.
The date is given in VMS time format: e.g. DIR/SINCE=22-FEB.
/UNREGISTERED
This command sets the newsgroup directory screen to only display those
newsgroups in which you are not registered.
DISPLAY
DISPLAY invokes the NEWS display routines to display the contents of a VMS
file.
Format:
DISPLAY filename
Invokes the NEWS screen displayt routines to display a VMS file. On exit
from the display routines, NEWS is resumed. Any file may be specified to
the command.
DOWN
DOWN moves the selection cursor down the screen.
Format
DOWN [number ]
In screen mode this moves the current pointer down one line. The command
has an optional numeric parameter, the number of lines to move down.
If no number is specified, 1 is the default value. This command is bound to
the down arrow key on the terminal. The command 'DOWN 18' is bound to the
'next screen' key in the terminal.
See Also UP
EDIT
EDIT invokes the editor to edit a VMS file.
Format:
EDIT filename
Invokes the Editor to edit a VMS file. On exit from the editor, NEWS is
resumed. Any file may be specified to the command.
EXIT
EXIT from NEWS.
Ctrl-Z is also interpreted as EXIT.
On exit from NEWS a new register file is written out to SYS$LOGIN. This
file, "newsrc", contains the list of registered newsgroups, read/unread
newsitems, the marked item list and the kill filter lines.
The context file is used to determine which news items are unread, and is
also used to re-establish context on the next invocation of NEWS. The next
invocation of NEWS will restore the screen displays to the state at which
the 'EXIT' command was entered. On exit any pending print requests are
released into the print queues.
See Also QUIT
EXTRACT
EXTRACT writes a NEWS item to a VMS text file.
Format:
EXTRACT [output-file [item-range ] ]
SAVE is a synonym for EXTRACT.
The /DIRECTORY qualifier is used to select directory mode, where NEWS
directory listings may be listed to a file.
Command Parameters
output-file
specifies the name of the file to save to. The default value is
SYS$LOGIN:NEWS.LIS.
item-range
specifies the range of item numbers to save. The default is to save the
current item.
Command Qualifiers
/DIRECTORY=option
This qualifier modifies the EXTRACT command to extract into a file a
directory listing of all newsgroups, or of all newsitems within a newsgroup
instead of printing a newsitem.
The options available with this qualifier are:
EXTRACT/DIRECTORY=NEWSGROUPS prints a directory listing of all newsgroups.
GROUPS is an alternative option value for this action.
EXTRACT/DIRECTORY=NEWSITEMS prints a directory listing of the current
newsgroup. ITEMS and NOTES are alternative option values for this action.
/NEWSGROUPS=(group-list )
Specifies the newsgroups for which the directory mode is to apply. By
default the current newsgroup is used.
/ALL
Specifies that all items in the current newsgroup are to be extracted to
the specified file.
/APPEND
Appends the items to the specified file. If the file does not exist, it is
created.
/AUTHOR=mailaddress
Specifies that only those items (from the specified item-range) posted from
the specified mail address are to be saved. This qualifier is a synonym for
/FROM.
/BEFORE=date-time
Specifies that only those items (selected from the specified item-range)
postmarked before the specified date are to be saved.
/FROM=mailaddress
Specifies that only those items (from the specified item-range) posted from
the specified mail address are to be saved. This qualifier is a synonym for
/AUTHOR.
/HEADER
/HEADER Default
/NOHEADER
Specifies whether or not to include the full item headers in the saved
text.
/MARKER [=(tag-list ) ]
Specifies that only those items marked with one of the specified tag
values are to be saved.
/ROT13
Applys ROT13 encryption to the extracted item body.
/SEEN
Marks the extracted item as seen.
/SINCE=date-time
Specifies that only those items (selected from the specified item-
range) postmarked after the specified date are to be extracted.
/SUBJECT="string "
Extract only those items (selected from the specified item-range)
which contain the specified string within the item subject line. This
qualifier is a synonym for /TITLE.
/TITLE="string "
Extract only those items (selected from the specified item-range)
which contain the specified string within the item subject line. This
qualifier is a synonym for /SUBJECT.
/UNREAD
Extract only those items (selected from the specified item-range)
which have not been read. This qualifier is a synonym for /UNSEEN.
/UNSEEN
Extract only those items (selected from the specified item-range)
which have not been read. This qualifier is a synonym for /UNSEEN.
FILE
FILE is only supported if the current item is a personal mail item (See
OPEN/MAIL). MOVE is a synomyn for FILE.
FILE shifts the current mail item into the nominated mail folder.
Format:
FILE folder
Command Parameters
folder
is the name of the destination mail folder for the copy operation.
FOLLOWUP
FOLLOWUP is used to post a reply to a news item back into NEWS.
Format:
FOLLOWUP [item-number ]
The followup item posted by the FOLLOWUP command will reference the news
item you are following up as the parent of the new posting.
The command ANSWER is equivalent to FOLLOWUP.
The editor is invoked to form the new posting, with the edit buffer
preloaded with the text of the original item. The default editor is the TPU
editor, but this is user definable - see the section on customisation to
specify a different editor to use.
NEWS will fill in all defaulting news headers, and will prompt for all
header items which are non-defaulting (the subject line and the newsgroups
to post the item into).
If the newsgroups for the posting are moderated newsgroups, the posting is
automatically re-directed as mail to the moderator address, and NOT posted
back to NEWS.
See Also ANSWER, REPLY, POST
Command Parameters
item-number
is the number of the item to which the response is directed. It no item-
number is given as a command parameter, the current item is used as the
basis of the followup posting.
Command Qualifiers:
/EXTRACT
/EXTRACT DEFAULT
/NOEXTRACT
This qualifier causes NEWS to pre-load the edit buffer with the contents of
the posting to which the followup is addressed. The original posting is
enclosed in quotation characters
/HEADERS
Answer will normally prompt for the subject of the posting, and a list of
newsgroups to post the item into. All other header lines of the news item
text will be filled with null values.
The /HEADERS qualifier will force prompting for optional components of the
item header. These fields are:
Summary: A one line summary of the contents of the posting.
Reply-To: The (internet) mail address for REPLYing to the item - used if
replies are to be sent to a mail address OTHER than yourself (as the
originator of the item.
Distribution: A (comma separated) list of keywords designed to limit the
distribution of a news item to a subset of the network. These keywords are
site specific, but commonly include the keyword "local" (do not forward to
the net!).
Followup-To: The list of newsgroups where followup postings are to be
sent. This is used to move a discussion to another newsgroup.
Keywords: A few relevant, pithy keywords which should indicate to other
readers if the item is of interest.
Expires: A date to indicate the end of the useful life of the information
in the message. NEWS will reject expirations greater than 12 months as
being too outlandish.
/SELF
This directs NEWS to send a self copy through VMS MAIL.
/ROT13
This qualifier directs NEWS to use the rot13 encryption algorithm on the
body of the text before posting.
FORWARD
FORWARD invokes VMS MAIL, to send a copy of the current news item via mail
to another user.
FORWARD and MAIL are equivalent.
See Also MAIL
Command Qualifiers
/HEADERS
By default the news item header lines are stripped off the item text before
it is mailed. This qualifier loads the item header lines into the mail
buffer as well as the body of the text.
/MEMBERS
If the newsgroup is restricted to a set of members, then specifying
FORWARD/MEMBERS, personal mail is sent to all members of the restricted
newsgroup.
/NOEDIT
By default, FORWARD invokes the editor to allow the item text to be edited
before mailing the item. This qualifier sends the news text to the mailer
without modification. The default editor is the TPU EDT emulator, but this
is user definable - see the chapter on customisation of NEWS.
/SELF
Sends a copy of the message back to yourself, as well as those on the /TO
list.
/SUBJECT="subject "
Specifies the subject of the message for the heading. If the qualifier
is not specified, the user is prompted for the /SUBJECT value.
/TO=user
Specifies the address of the users to receive the mail. The address format
may be either local VMS Mail format:
user ::node or protocol_handler%"protocol_specific_address_string "
or Internet format::
user@fully_domain_qualified_node_name
The user address may be a single address, or a list of users. Note that if
you specify a reference to a distribution list, the distribution list
should only include VMS Mail format addresses. If this qualifier is not
specified, the user is prompted for the /TO value.
HELP
HELP invokes the interactive help display.
This command invokes the VMS help processor, with the NEWS help library
loaded. The command can be used with additional command parameters to
specify the NEWS command on which you want the help displayed.
KILL
KILL allows the user to filter out all messages of a particular type from
being displayed.
KILL filters are used in conjunction with processing of the READ/NEW
command, allowing user-specified types of items to be automatically marked
as seen without displaying the item text, and causing the READ/NEW process
to search for the next unseen item. This enables the user to skip messages
whose subject, or sender, are of no particular interest.
The KILL filter works on four possible attributes of an item for a match
with the filters:
the newsgroup name,
the subject line,
the sender's address, and
any other single item header line.
Of these attributes, only the newsgroup name and a minimum of one of the
remaining three filters need be specified. If more than one item attribute
is specified then the logical AND of the filters is the result of the
filter). Thus it is possible to filter all postings by a particular sender
in all newsgroups, or filter a conversation stream from a particular
newsgroup, or filter all postings from a particular sender within a
specified conversation stream.
The KILL command adds entries to the kill filter list. Removing kill
filters is performed by the CLEAR KILL command, and existing kill filters
can be edited using the MODIFY KILL command.
The KILL command has three qualifiers: /SUBJECT, /FROM and /HEADER. The
/SUBJECT qualifier directs NEWS to add the current item's subject line to
the kill filter set, and the /FROM directs NEWS to add the current item's
"From:" line to the kill filter set. The /HEADER qualifier takes a text
pattern as a value, and matches the pattern against a header line. This
header line value is taken as the filter value.
The command will then prompt for the set of newsgroups to which this filter
will be applied. The default value is the current newsgroup, however more
newsgroups may be specified using wildcard notation ('*') or a list of
newsgroups.
See Also SHOW KILL, MODIFY KILL, CLEAR KILL
Command Qualifiers
/FROM
Add the current item's From: address to the kill filter set.
/SUBJECT
Add the current item's Subject line to the kill filter set.
/HEADER="text "
The /HEADER qualifier takes a text pattern as a value, and matches the
pattern against a header line. This header line value is taken as the
filter value. For example, to kill all items with the same set of keywords
as the current item the command would be:
KILL/HEADER="keywords:"
This command will read the current item, extract the keywords header line,
and use this line as a kill filter.
LAST
LAST displays the last item in the current newsgroup.
If the screen is currently at the newsgroup level, LAST will select (and
open) the last newsgroup in the displayed set. This is equivalent to the
command seuqence "BOTTOM" followed by "OPEN".
If the screen is currently as the newsitem level, LAST will display the
last message in the current newsgroup. In this case the command is
equivalent to "READ *", displaying the next item in the currently open
newsgroup.
Command Qualifiers
/HEADER
Directs NEWS to display all header lines of the newsitem. By default
only the subject line, sender address and date of the item are shown in the
display.
/EDITOR
Use a callable editor in read-only mode to display the newsitem. By
default this is the TPU editor, but this may be altered by the NEWS_VIEW
logical name. See the chapter on customizing NEWS for details. For
compatibility with previous versions of NEWS, /TPU is equivalent to
/EDITOR.
/ROT13
Some newsitem are posted using rot13 encryption. This qualifier
decrypts the newsitem for display.
MAIL
MAIL invokes VMS MAIL, to send a copy of the current news item via mail to
another user.
FORWARD and MAIL are equivalent commands
See Also REPLY
Command Qualifiers
/TO=user
Specifies the address of the users to receive the mail. The address format
may be either local VMS Mail format:
user ::node or protocol_handler%"protocol_specific_address_string "
or Internet format::
user@fully_domain_qualified_node_name
The user address may be a single address, or a list of users. Note that if
you specify a reference to a distribution list, the distribution list
should only include VMS Mail format addresses. If this qualifier is not
specified, the user is prompted for the /TO value.
/SUBJECT="subject "
Specifies the subject of the message for the heading. If the qualifier
is not specified, the user is prompted for the /SUBJECT value.
/NOEDIT
By default, NEWS invokes the editor to allow the item text to be edited
before mailing the item. This qualifier sends the news text to the mailer
without modification. The default editor is the TPU EDT emulator, but this
is user definable - see the chapter on customisation of NEWS.
/SELF
Sends a copy of the message back to yourself, as well as those on the /TO
list.
/HEADERS
By default the news item header lines are stripped off the item text before
it is mailed. This qualifier loads the item header lines into the mail
buffer as well as the body of the text.
MARK
MARK records a user marker against the current item.
Format:
MARK [tag ] [item-number ]
MARK places a mark against the current newsitem. This item can be selected
at a later stage by the READ/MARK or SELECT/MARK commands.
If no tag value is specified then the default tag, "mark" is used. Any tag
value may be specified - tag values are words (no space characters) of less
than 80 characters in length.
If an item number is specified then the specified item is marked, rather
than the default of the current item.
See Also UNMARK, CLEAR MARK
MODIFY ENTRY
MODIFY ENTRY alters the user-defined classes to which the current newsgroup
is assigned.
Format:
MODIFY ENTRY newsgroup/CLASS=(class-list )
Command Qualifiers
/CLASSES=(class-list)
Specifies a new list of classes to which the specified newsgroup is
assigned.
MODIFY KILL
MODIFY KILL allows editing of currently active kill filters
Format:
MODIFY KILL tag
MODIFY kill allows existing kill filters to be edited. The kill filter with
the nominated tag is displayed, then each of the four filter attributes
(sender, subject, newsgroup and header line pattern) can be edited (using
the command line editor functions).
If all four attributes are cleared then the filter is deleted.
See Also KILL, SHOW KILL, CLEAR KILL
MODIFY MEMBER
MODIFY MEMBER is a NEWS MANAGEMENT command. This command is not supported
when running NEWS as a diskless client.
Format:
MODIFY MEMBER username
This command allows a newsgroup moderator, or the local NEWS manager to
modify an entry in the membership list of a restricted newsgroup.
Command Qualifiers
/MAIL="mail-address "
Sets or changes the e-mail address of the user.
/NAME=new-username
Modifies the username of the entry.
/PRIVILEGES=(new-priv-list )
Sets the user's newsgroup-privileges to the specified values. The values
are: SUPERVISE (grant local supervision privilege), WRITE (allow write
access to a write-protected newsgroup) and NOWRITE (disallow write access).
MOVE
MOVE is only supported if the current item is a personal mail item (See
OPEN/MAIL). FILE is a synomyn for MOVE.
MOVE shifts the current mail item into the nominated mail folder.
Format:
MOVE folder
Command Parameters
folder
is the name of the destination mail folder for the copy operation.
NEWSGROUPS
NEWSGROUPS displays the newsgroup directory.
In screen mode this pops the display stack back to the newsgroup directory
screen from the newsitem or news text display screens. This command is a
synonym of the 'DIR/NEWSGROUPS' command.
NEXT
NEXT displays the next item in the current newsgroup.
The command is equivalent to READ/NEXT, displaying the next item in the
currently open newsgroup.
The commands NEXT NOTE and NEXT TOPIC are synonyms for the command NEXT
Command Qualifiers
/HEADER
Directs NEWS to display all header lines of the newsitem. By default
only the subject line, sender address and date of the item are shown in the
display.
/EDITOR
Use a callable editor in read-only mode to display the newsitem. By
default this is the TPU editor, but this may be altered by the NEWS_VIEW
logical name. See the chapter on customizing NEWS for details. For
compatibility with previous versions of NEWS, /TPU is equivalent to
/EDITOR.
/ROT13
Some newsitem are posted using rot13 encryption. This qualifier
decrypts the newsitem for display.
NEXT REPLY
NEXT REPLY displays the next item in the current newsgroup within the same
conversation stream as the current item.
The command is equivalent to READ/FOLLOWUP, displaying the next item in the
currently open conversation stream.
Command Qualifiers
/HEADER
Directs NEWS to display all header lines of the newsitem. By default
only the subject line, sender address and date of the item are shown in the
display.
/EDITOR
Use a callable editor in read-only mode to display the newsitem. By
default this is the TPU editor, but this may be altered by the NEWS_VIEW
logical name. See the chapter on customizing NEWS for details. For
compatibility with previous versions of NEWS, /TPU is equivalent to
/EDITOR.
/ROT13
Some newsitem are posted using rot13 encryption. This qualifier
decrypts the newsitem for display.
NEXT UNSEEN
NEXT UNSEEN displays the next unseen item in the current newsgroup.
The command is equivalent to READ/NEW.
Command Qualifiers
/HEADER
Directs NEWS to display all header lines of the newsitem. By default
only the subject line, sender address and date of the item are shown in the
display.
/EDITOR
Use a callable editor in read-only mode to display the newsitem. By
default this is the TPU editor, but this may be altered by the NEWS_VIEW
logical name. See the chapter on customizing NEWS for details. For
compatibility with previous versions of NEWS, /TPU is equivalent to
/EDITOR.
/ROT13
Some newsitem are posted using rot13 encryption. This qualifier
decrypts the newsitem for display.
NOSCREEN
NOSCREEN turns off screen mode and enters line command mode.
See Also SCREEN
OPEN
OPEN selects the current newsgroup and displays a directory of items held
in the newsgroup.
Format:
OPEN [newsgroup ]
OPEN changes newsgroup context to the nominated newsgroup. If no newsgroup
is given, the command selects the 'current' newsgroup. Otherwise the
specified newsgroup is opened. For example, "OPEN test" opens newsgroup
'test'.
Command Qualifiers
/NEW
This qualifier is used to select the next registered newsgroup which
contains unseen news items. If the current newsgroup contains unread items,
then no action is performed.
/MAIL
This qualifier directs NEWS to read your personal mail file and create a
set of private newsgroups which correspond to each of the folders in your
mail file, of the form "username.mail.foldername". This allow you to use
the NEWS interface to read, reply and maintain your personal mail. As well
as the NEWS commands there are a number of additional commands specifically
referring to mail folders: CLOSE/MAIL, MOVE and FILE, COPY and PURGE.
The command OPEN MAIL is equivalent to OPEN/MAIL.
/MARK=tag
This command moves the current item pointer to the NEXT newsitem marked
with the specified tag value. If no tag value is specified than the next
item marked with any tag is used.
POST
POST allows the user to post a new item into NEWS.
Format:
POST [filename ]
POST is used to post a new news item into NEWS. By default, the editor is
invoked to form the new posting. The default editor is TPU, but this is
user definable - see the chapter on customisation to specify a different
editor to use.
NEWS will fill in all defaulting news headers, and will prompt for all
header items which are non-defaulting (the subject line and the newsgroups
to post the item into).
If the newsgroups for the posting are moderated newsgroups, the posting is
automatically re-directed as mail to the moderator address, and NOT posted
directly to NEWS.
If a filename is specified, the editor is loaded with the text of the
specified file, otherwise the editor is invoked to create a new file.
See Also FOLLOWUP, REPLY, FORWARD
Command Qualifiers
/EDIT
The default action is to call the editor to create the posting. If you
specify a file as a parameter to the POST command, and also specify the
qualifier /NOEDIT , no call is made to the editor.
/CONTROL="string"
/CONTROL is a NEWS Manager privileged qualifier. The string specified as
the value of this qualifier is inserted into the posting as a "Control:"
header line argument.
/HEADERS
Post will normally prompt for the subject of the posting, and a list of
newsgroups to post the item into. All other header lines of the news item
text will be filled with default values.
The /HEADERS qualifier will force prompting for optional components of the
item header. These fields are:
Summary: A one line summary of the contents of the posting.
Reply-To: The (internet) mail address for REPLYing to the item - used if
replies are to be sent to a mail address OTHER than yourself (as the
originator of the item.
Distribution: A (comma separated) list of keywords designed to limit the
distribution of a news item to a subset of the network. These keywords are
site specific, but commonly include the keyword "local" (do not forward to
the net!).
Followup-To: The list of newsgroups where followup postings are to be
sent. This is used to move a discussion to another newsgroup.
Keywords: A few relevant, pithy keywords which should indicate to other
readers if the item is of interest.
Expires: A date to indicate the end of the useful life of the information
in the message. NEWS will reject expirations greater than 12 months as
being too outlandish.
/NEWSGROUPS =newsgroup-list
This qualifier specifies the list of newsgroups to receive the posting. If
this qualifier value is not specified, the user is prompted for the
newsgroups. The list is a comma separated list of newsgroup names.
/ROT13
Specifies that the body of the posting will be encrypted using ROT13
on posting to NEWS.
/SELF
A copy of your posting is mailed to yourself via VMS MAIL.
/SUBJECT="subject-string "
Specifies the subject of the message for the heading. If not specified,
the user is prompted for the /SUBJECT value.
PRINT
PRINT submits selected newsitems to a VMS print queue.
Format:
PRINT [item-range ]
By default the print job is only submitted at the end of the NEWS session,
but this can be altered, by specifying the /NOWAIT qualifier, to an
immediate print job submission.
If no item-range is specified the current newsitem is submitted for
printing.
There are three qualifier sets: qualifiers which affect the print mode,
qualifiers which select the items and their print formats, and the standard
VMS print job qualifiers.
Print mode is by default to print newsitem contents (item mode). The
/DIRECTORY qualifier is used to select directory mode, where NEWS directory
listings may be printed.
If the item mode is used then the default is to print the current newsitem.
This behaviour may be altered by selecting a range of items, with selection
criteria also applied by qualifiers.
Command Parameters
item-range
Specifies one or more items to be printed. The item-spec is the item number
in the current newsgroup. If you specify two or more items, separate
the item numbers with either commas or plus signs. The PRINT command
concatenates the items into a single print job and by default, gives the
job the name of the first file specified.
A range of items can be specified by separating the start and end numbers
by a minus. All items within the current newsgroup can be specified by a
'*'.
For example, to print items 3 through to 10, 20 and 22 to 25 the command
is:
PRINT 3-10,20,22-25
Command Qualifiers
/WAIT
/WAIT Default
/NOWAIT
Specifies whether the job is to be submitted at the end of the current NEWS
session (/WAIT) or printed immediately (/NOWAIT).
/DIRECTORY=option [mode qualifier]
This qualifier modifies the PRINT command to print a directory listing of
all newsgroups, or of all newsitems within a newsgroup instead of printing
a newsitem.
The options available with this qualifier are:
PRINT/DIRECTORY=NEWSGROUPS prints a directory listing of all newsgroups.
GROUPS is an alternative option value for this action.
PRINT/DIRECTORY=NEWSITEMS prints a directory listing of the current
newsgroup. ITEMS and NOTES are alternative option values for this action.
/NEWSGROUPS=(group-list ) [directory mode qualifier]
Specifies the newsgroups for which the directory mode is to apply. By
default the current newsgroup is used.
/ALL [item mode qualifier]
Selects all news items in the current newsgroup for printing.
/AUTHOR=mailaddress [item mode qualifier]
Specifies that only those items (from the specified item-range) posted from
the specified mail address are to be printed. This qualifier is a synonym
for /FROM.
/BEFORE=date-time [item mode qualifier]
Specifies that only those items (selected from the specified item-range)
postmarked before the specified date are to be printed.
/CONFIRM [item mode qualifier]
/CONFIRM
/NOCONFIRM Default
As with the normal VMS /CONFIRM qualifier semantics, this qualifier
controls whether a user confirmation request is issued before each
individual item print operation to confirm that the operation should be
performed on that item.
When the system issues the prompt, you can issue any of the
following responses:
YES NO QUIT
TRUE FALSE <CTRL/Z>
1 0
<RET>
ALL
You can use any combination of upper- and lowercase letters for word
responses. Word responses can be abbreviated to one or more letters (for
example, T, TR, or TRU for TRUE). Affirmative answers are YES, TRUE, and
1. Negative answers are NO, FALSE, 0, and <RET>. QUIT or CTRL/Z indicates
that you want to stop processing the command at that point. When
you respond with ALL, the command continues to process, but no further
prompts are given. If you type a response other than one of those in the
list, the prompt will be reissued.
/FROM=mailaddress [item mode qualifier]
Specifies that only those items (from the specified item-range) posted from
the specified mail address are to be printed. This qualifier is a synonym
for /AUTHOR.
/HEADER [item mode qualifier]
/HEADER Default
/NOHEADER
Specifies whether or not to include the full item headers in the printed
text.
/MARKER [ =(tag-list ) ] [item mode qualifier]
Specifies that only those items marked with one of the specified tag values
are to be printed.
/SEEN [item mode qualifier]
Marks the printed item as seen.
/SINCE=date-time [item mode qualifier]
Specifies that only those items (selected from the specified item-range)
postmarked after the specified date are to be printed. You can specify
either an absolute time or a combination of absolute and delta times. You
can also use the keywords TODAY, TOMORROW, and YESTERDAY.
/SUBJECT="string " [item mode qualifier]
Print only those items (selected from the specified item-range) which
contain the specified string within the item subject line. This qualifier
is a synonym for /TITLE.
/TITLE="string " [item mode qualifier]
Print only those items (selected from the specified item-range) which
contain the specified string within the item subject line. This qualifier
is a synonym for /SUBJECT.
/UNREAD [item mode qualifier]
Print only those items (selected from the specified item-range) which have
not been read. This qualifier is a synonym for /UNSEEN.
/UNSEEN [item mode qualifier]
Print only those items (selected from the specified item-range) which have
not been read. This qualifier is a synonym for /UNREAD.
/AFTER=date-time [VMS print qualifier]
/AFTER=time
/NOAFTER
Requests that the job will be held in the print queue until after the
specified time. You can specify either an absolute time or a combination of
absolute and delta times. If the specified time has already passed, the
job is queued for printing immediately.
/BURST= {ALL | ONE } [VMS print qualifier]
/BURST=ALL
/BURST=ONE
/NOBURST
Controls whether a burst page is printed preceding a file. A burst page
precedes a flag page and contains the same information. However, it
is printed over the perforation between the burst page and the flag page.
The printing on the perforation makes it easy to see where individual print
jobs or individual files within a single print job begin.
When you specify /BURST, you need not specify /FLAG; a flag page
automatically follows a burst page.
If the /BURST qualifier can take either of two keywords: ALL or ONE. The
ALL keyword indicates that each file in the job will be preceded by a
burst page and flag page. The ONE keyword indicates that a burst page will
apply only to the first copy of the first file in the job.
Use the /[NO]BURST qualifier to override the installation-defined
defaults that have been set for the printer queue you are using.
/CHARACTERISTICS=(charactistic-values [,...] ) [VMS print qualifier]
Specifies one or more characteristics desired for printing the files. If
you specify only one characteristic, you can omit the
parentheses. Characteristics can refer to such things as colour of ink.
Codes for characteristics can be either names or values from 0 to 127
and are installation-defined. Use the SHOW
QUEUE/CHARACTERISTICS command to see which characteristics have been
defined for your system. Use the SHOW QUEUE/FULL command to see which
characteristics are available on a particular queue.
A print job can execute on a printer queue only if each
characteristic specified with the PRINT command is also specified for
that particular printer queue. If you specify a characteristic that has
not been specified for that particular printer queue, the job remains in a
pending status. (In order for your job to print, the system manager
should stop the queue, physically change the characteristics of the
printer, and restart the queue, specifying the new values listed in the
/CHARACTERISTICS qualifier.)
Specification of a characteristic for a printer queue does not
prevent jobs that do not specify that characteristic from being
executed.
/COPIES=n [VMS print qualifier]
Specifies the number of copies of each item to be printed (from 1 to
255).
/FEED [VMS print qualifier]
/FEED (default)
/NOFEED
Controls whether the PRINT command automatically inserts form feeds when
it nears the end of a page. Use of the /FEED qualifier causes the PRINT
command to insert a form feed when the printer reaches the bottom margin
of the form. The number of lines per form can be reset by the /FORM
qualifier. You can suppress this automatic form feed (without affecting
any of the other carriage control functions that are in place) by using the
/NOFEED qualifier.
The /[NO]FEED qualifier may be used to override the
installation-defined defaults that have been set for the printer queue
you are using.
/FLAG= { ALL | ONE } [VMS print qualifier]
/FLAG=ALL
/FLAG=ONE
/NOFLAG
Controls whether a flag page is printed preceding a file. The flag page
contains the name of the user submitting the job, the job entry number, and
other information about the file being printed.
The /FLAG qualifier can take either of two keywords: ALL or ONE. The ALL
keyword indicates that each file in the job will be preceded by a flag
page. The ONE keyword indicates that a flag page will apply only to the
first copy of the first file in the job.
Use the /[NO]FLAG qualifier to override the installation-defined
defaults that have been set for the printer queue you are using.
/FORM=form [VMS print qualifier]
Specifies the name or number of the form that you want for the print job.
Specify the form type using a numeric value or alphanumeric name. Form
types can refer to the print image width and length or the type of paper.
Codes for form types are installation-defined. You can use the SHOW
QUEUE/FORM command to find out the form types available for your system.
Use the SHOW QUEUE/FULL command to find out the name of the mounted form
and the default form for a particular queue.
If you specify a form whose stock is different from the stock of the form
mounted on the queue, your job is placed in a pending state until the
stock of the mounted form of the queue is set equal to the stock of
the form associated with the job. (In order to have your job print, the
system manager should stop the queue, physically change the paper stock on
the output device, and restart the queue specifying the new form type as
the mounted form.)
/HOLD [VMS print qualifier]
HOLD the request in the print queue until manually released with a
/RELEASE or /NOHOLD qualifier specified with the SET QUEUE/ENTRY command.
/JOBCOUNT=n [VMS print qualifier]
Specifies the number of repeat prints of the job. The maximum value is
255 and the default value for this parameter is 1.
/LOWERCASE [VMS print qualifier]
Specifies that the job is to be printed on a dual case printer. By
default the print job may be queued to an uppercase only printer and
printed in uppercase. /LOWERCASE forces the job to be printed on a
lowercase printer..
/NAME=job-name [VMS print qualifier]
Specifies a job name for the submitted print job. The qualifier defines a
name string to identify the job. The name string can have from 1 to 39
characters. The job name is used in the SHOW QUEUE command display and is
printed on the flag page for the job. If you do not specify /NAME, the name
string defaults to the file name of the first, or only, file in the job.
/NOTE="job-note " [VMS print qualifier]
Attaches a note to the submitted print job. This allows you to specify a
message to appear on the flag page for the job. The string can contain up
to 255 characters.
/NOTIFY [VMS print qualifier]
Requests VMS to broadcast a message to all terminals at which you are
loggerd in notifying you when the print job has been completed.
/OPERATOR="operator request " [VMS print qualifier]
Tags the print job with an operator request. This allows you to
specify a message to be sent to the operator. The string can contain up
to 255 characters. When the job begins execution, the printer queue
pauses and the message is transmitted to the operator.
/PARAMETERS=(param-list ) [VMS print qualifier]
Specifies job print parameters. There are from one to eight optional
parameters to be passed to the job. Each parameter can include up to 255
characters. If you specify only one parameter, you can omit the
parentheses. The commas delimit individual parameters. To specify a
parameter that contains any special characters or delimiters, enclose
the parameter in quotation marks.
/PASSALL [VMS print qualifier]
Specifies whether the job is to be printed in "raw" mode. In PASSALL
mode the symbiont bypasses all formatting and sends the output IO call to
the print driver with format suppressed. All qualifiers affecting
formatting, as well as the /HEADER, /PAGES, and /PAGE_SETUP
qualifiers, will be ignored.
/PRIORITY=priority [VMS print qualifier]
Specifies the print job priority. The priority value must be in the
range of 0 through 255, where 0 is the lowest priority and 255 is the
highest. You need VMS privileges OPER or ALTPRI to specify a value higher
than the SYSGEN parameter MAXQUEPRI (which may or may not be greater than
the default print priority as specified by the SYSGEN parameter DEFQUEPRI).
/QUEUE=queue-name [VMS print qualifier]
Specifies a print queue other than the default queue, SYS$PRINT, for
printing.
/RESTART [VMS print qualifier]
/RESTART (default)
/NORESTART
Specifies whether the job can restart after a crash or a STOP/QUEUE/REQUEUE
command.
/SETUP=setup-modules [VMS print qualifier]
Specifies setup modules for the print job. This qualifier calls for the
specified modules to be extracted from the device control library and
copied to the printer before a file is printed. By default, no device
control modules are copied.
Note that the module names are not checked for validity until the time
that the file is actually printed. Therefore, PRINT/SETUP is susceptible
to typing errors and other mistakes, and is recommended only for
experimental setups.
/SPACE [VMS print qualifier]
/SPACE
/NOSPACE Default
Controls whether output is to be double-spaced. The default is
/NOSPACE, which results in single-spaced output.
/TRAILER= { ALL |ONE } [VMS print qualifier]
/TRAILER=ALL
/TRAILER=ONE
/NOTRAILER
Controls whether a trailer page is printed at the end of a file. The
trailer page displays the job entry number as well as information
about the user submitting the job and the files being printed.
The /TRAILER qualifier can take either of two keywords: ALL or ONE. The
ALL keyword indicates that each file in the job will be preceded by a
trailer page. The ONE keyword indicates that a trailer page will apply
only to the last copy of the last file in the job.
Use the /[NO]TRAILER qualifier to override the installation-defined
defaults that have been set for the printer queue you are using.
pecifies whether a trailer page is to be printed for the job.
PURGE
PURGE empties your mail wastbasket, if you have opened your mailfile within
NEWS. (see OPEN/MAIL).
Command Qualifiers
/RECLAIM
Force mail to reclaim buckets in the mail index file.
/STATISTICS (used with /RECLAIM)
Display statistics of reclaimed buckets in the indexed file.
QUIT
QUIT exits from news without updating the user's news register file. Thus,
no changes are made to the set of unread items, nor are any changes made to
the set of marked news items (this is a more graceful means of Ctrl-Y).
See Also EXIT
READ
READ displays the contents of news items.
Format:
READ newsitem_number
By default this command reads the next item from the current selected
newsgroup, and displays the item on the screen page-by-page.
The actions of READ can be modified by giving a Newsitem number, which
will display that item.
Command Parameters
newsitem_number
This parameter may be either the number of a news item, a '.' (to re-read
the most recently displayed item from the start), or '*' (to read the
last item in the group).
Command Qualifiers
/BACK
This qualifier is equivalent to the /LAST qualifier. When reading a news
item this command causes the remainder of the text display to be skipped,
and the previous item to be displayed.
/EDITOR
This qualifier will use an editor in read-only mode to view the newsitem.
This is useful when it is required to scroll up and down through the item
text, or extract a part of the text into a file. The default editor is the
TPU editor, but this is user definable - see the chapter on customisation
of NEWS.
/FOLLOWUP
This command scans the current newsgroup for the next newsitem with a
subject field which matches that of the current newsitem subject (within
the current newsgroup). In this way the responses (if any) to the current
newsitem can be viewed.
/HEADER
Normally NEWS will suppress the display of all network routing
headers. This qualifier produces a full display of the item contents
including mail header lines.
/IDENTIFIER="id "
All NEWS items are identified by a unique message identification string.
(This identifier can be displayed using the READ/HEADER command, and noting
the Message-Id: ... line).
An item to be displayed can be selected by providing the identifier of the
item. e.g.:
READ/IDENTIFIER="<243@csc.anu.oz>"
/LAST
When reading a news item this command causes the remainder of the text
display to be skipped, and the previous item to be displayed.
/MARKER=tag
This command displays the text of the NEXT newsitem marked with the
specified tag value. If no tag value is specified than the next item marked
with any tag value is used.
/NEW
This command will display the next unread NEWS item from the set of
registered newsgroups. This may cause an implicit SELECT of a different
newsgroup to obtain the next unread item.
/NEXT
When reading a news item this command causes the remainder of the text
display to be skipped, and the next item in sequence in the newsgroup to be
displayed.
/PARENT
NEWS items may reference a previous item that has been posted. In such a
case the text of the item commonly begins with the line:
In article <message-id>, <user address> writes:
When a news item references previous items, the header includes the
identifier of the parent item. READ/PARENT will display the parent item
referenced by the current item.
/PREV
NEWS maintains a history of the last 10 items read. READ/PREV pops the most
recent item index off this history stack and displays the item. Repeated
calls to READ/PREV will continue to pop the stack until the history stack
is emptied.
/ROT13
Some news items are posted using a basic encryption method (rot13). This
qualifier uses the decryption algorithm to display the message contents.
/SUBJECT=string
READ will display the item which contains the specified string as a
substring. /TITLE is a a synonym for /SUBJECT.
/TOPIC
READ will display the oldest posted newsitem in the same conversation
stream as the current item. The oldest item will be original posting in the
conversation stream if the original item is still retained on the system.
/TPU
This qualifier is equivalent to the /EDITOR qualifier. This qualifier will
use an editor in read-only mode to view the newsitem. This is useful when
it is required to scroll up and down through the item text, or extract a
part of the text into a file. The default editor is the TPU editor, but
this is user definable - see the chapter on customisation of NEWS.
REFRESH
RERESH repaints the screen. This command is (by default) bound to the Ctrl-
W key.
REGISTER
REGISTER add newsgroups into the user register file.
Format:
REGISTER [newsgroup-name ]
Adds newsgroups into the user's register file. Registering into a newsgroup
implies that NEWS will automatically keep track of which items in the
newsgroup have been read, and the user can view only the unread news items
with repeated READ/NEW commands.
See Also DEREGISTER
Command Parameters
newsgroup-name
The newsgroup-name parameter specifies the name of the newsgroup to
register. If the parameter is not specified, the current newsgroup is added
to the register file.
Command Qualifiers
/ALL
This qualifier will register the user for ALL newsgroups on the
system. On a system with a high quantity of network news this must be
considered a brave act!
/BEFORE=date-time
Registers all newsgroups which were created before the specified time.
/CONFIRM
/CONFIRM
/NOCONFIRM Default
Prompt for confirmation before registering each newsgroup.
/LOCAL
Registers all newsgroups which are defined as LOCAL newsgroups.
/NETGROUPS
Registers all newsgroups which are defined as NETWORK newsgroups (i.e. the
complement of /LOCAL).
/NEW
This qualifier will register the user for all newsgroups created on the
system since the last time a REGISTER/ALL or REGISTER/NEW command was
given. Thus, the user is automatically registered into all recent
newsgroups, and can then elect to deregister from some of those newsgroups.
/PRIORITY=n
This qualifier assigns a read priority to the newsgroup. This is
particularly useful if you are registered in a number of newsgroups, and
would like to view new items (using READ/NEW) in a particular order of
newsgroups. The value is a number (between 1 and 255), increasing with
priority.
For example, if you have new items in net.a and net.b and the priority of
net.b is greater then net.a, unread items in net.b will be displayed first
(when using READ/NEW.
/RECORD
Record the current time as the most recent register time. This will alter
the behaviour of the next REG/NEW command such that the /NEW qualifier will
only select newsgroups which have been created after this command was
executed.
/RECORD is the default with the /NEW qualifier - /NORECORD is the default
with all other qualifiers.
/SINCE=date-time
Registers all newsgroups which were created since the specified time.
REPLY
REPLY posts a MAIL reply directly to the sender of a news item. This is
used to respond directly to the poster of an item without the item
appearing on the net.
News will pre-load the edit buffer with the text of the item to which the
reply is being sent, then invoke the editor. The default editor is the TPU
EDT emulator, but this is user definable - see the section on customisation
of NEWS.
Optionally the command takes a single parameter, the number of a news item
to respond to (to select other than the current item).
On a normal exit from the editor the item is posted via VMS Mail to the
sender (The sender's address is mapped into the equivalent VMS Mail address
by site specific address transformation rules).
See Also FORWARD, FOLLOWUP
Command Qualifiers
/HEADERS
By default the news item headers are stripped off the item text before it
is mailed. This qualifier loads the item header lines into the mail buffer
as well as the body of the text.
/SUBJECT="mail-subject "
This specifies the subject header of the mail reply. If not specified, NEWS
will prompt for a "Subject:" field for the mail.
/SELF
This is a mail qualifier which will forward a copy of the outgoing mail
item back to the sender.
REPOST
REPOST allows the user to recall a previous posting made by the user, edit
the item text, and post the altered text back to NEWS.
This command is equivalent to the command sequence of EXTRACT, CANCEL, EDIT
and POST.
The command refers to the current news item, and a check is performed to
ensure that the user was the poster of the item before proceeding.
See Also POST, FOLLOWUP, WRITE
SAVE
SAVE extracts a news item into a text file - it is a synonym for EXTRACT.
The parameters and qualifiers for the SAVE command are identical to
EXTRACT, and are documented with the EXTRACT command.
SCREEN
SCREEN sets the screen-mode display.
This enters NEWS screen display mode (the default mode). This command
is normally given sometime after a NOSCREEN command.
See Also NOSCREEN
SEARCH
SEARCH displays items containing a target search string.
Format:
SEARCH [target string ]
This command directs NEWS to locate a newsitem which contains a
specified text string. The next item which contains the text string is
displayed on the screen. Repeated calls to SEARCH (without specifying a
text string) will locate successive occurrences in other news items that
are in the specified newsgroups.
The search is usually case-insensitive, but this may be reversed (made
case sensitive) by specifying a mixed-case string (i.e. upper case only
and lower case only target strings are case-insensitive). To specify a
mixed-case string you must enclose the string in " characters (e.g.
SEARCH "String").
By default the search is conducted as a literal search. There are two
variations on this search. Firstly a target string can be specified which
includes the wildcard characters "*" and "%" to match any string and any
single character string respectively. Secondly a target string can be
specified which includes both wildcard characters and closures. The default
search type (if not literal) is specified as a PROFILE setting, and
individual searches can be specified using qualifiers.
A number of strings can be specified simultaneously, which returns success
only if all of the strings are located in the item. The strings are
delimited by the "&" character.
As this involves examining the contents of all specified item files, this
command may take a reasonably long time. The search may be interrupted by
pressing the RETURN key. This will call up a NEWS input prompt, and the
search may either be resumed (with another RETURN) or a new command may be
given.
When the item is displayed, the target string will be displayed in reverse
video at each occurrance within the displayed text.
Command Parameter
target string
The string to search for. The string may be enclosed in " " characters to
specify an arbitrary string. If no target string is specified, the search
is resumed using the previous target string, and the previous item
selection set.
Command Qualifiers
/ALL
This qualifier specifies that all items in the current newsgroup are to be
searched. (rather than commencing at the current item.
/AUTHOR=mailaddress
Specifies that only those items (from the specified item-range) posted from
the specified mail address are to be SEARCHed. This qualifier is a synonym
for /FROM.
/BEFORE=date-time
Specifies that only those items (selected from the specified item-range)
postmarked before the specified date are to be SEARCHed.
/EDIT
This qualifier will use an editor in read-only mode to view the newsitem.
This is useful when it is required to scroll up and down through the item
text, or extract a part of the text into a file. The default editor is TPU,
but this is user definable - see the section on customisation.
/FROM=mailaddress
Specifies that only those items (from the specified item-range) posted from
the specified mail address are to be SEARCHed. This qualifier is a synonym
for /AUTHOR.
/HEADER
Normally NEWS will suppress the display of all news control header
lines. This qualifier produces a full display of the item contents
including such header lines.
/LITERAL
The target string as specified is interpreted literally, and a simple text
search is conducted.
/MARKER [=tag-list ]
As an alternative item specifier to /NOTERANGE, this qualifier selects all
strings with the specified mark value to be searched for the target string.
The tag list may be either a single tage value of a list of values.
wildcards may be used to specify a set of tags to use. The default action
is to search all marked items.
/NEWSGROUPS=newsgroups
By default the search is limited to the current newsgroup. This can be
modified by specifying the newsgroups which should be searched.
The wildcard character ('*') may be used to include a set of newsgroups. A
number of newsgroups may be specified with the usual list notation (comma
separated list).
For example:
SEARCH/NEWSGROUPS=(aus.*,anu.*) "Wombats"
/NODISPLAY
If this qualifier is used, the screen directory will be positioned on the
item which contains the target string, but item text will not be displayed.
The default action is to display the item text automatically.
/NOTERANGE
By default all items starting at the current item are scanned for the
target string. A list of item numbers, or a list of item ranges to search
may be specified by using this qualifier. e.g.
SEARCH string/NOTERANGE=5,10-40
/PATTERN
The target string as specified is interpreted as a search pattern with
wildcards and closures.
A pattern is the concatenation of the following elements:
c literal character c
? any single character except end-of-line
% start of line
$ end of line
[...] character class (any of the included characters)
[^...] negated class (all but the included characters)
* closure (zero or more occurrences of the previous pattern)
@c escaped character (e.g., @%, @[ )
Character classes consist of zero or more of the following elements:
c literal character c
c1-c2 range of characters
^ if at beginning then negated character class
@c escaped character
/SINCE=date-time
Specifies that only those items (selected from the specified item-
range) postmarked after the specified date are to be SEARCHed.
/SUBJECT="string "
SEARCH only those items (selected from the specified item-range) which
contain the specified string within the item subject line. This qualifier
is a synonym for /TITLE.
/TITLE="string "
SEARCH only those items (selected from the specified item-range) which
contain the specified string within the item subject line. This qualifier
is a synonym for /SUBJECT.
/UNREAD
SEARCH only those items (selected from the specified item-range) which
have not been read. This qualifier is a synonym for /UNSEEN.
/UNSEEN
SEARCH only those items (selected from the specified item-range) which
have not been read. This qualifier is a synonym for /UNREAD.
/WILDCARD
The target string as interpreted with "*" characters denoting any string
and "%" denoting any single character.
SELECT
SELECT selects a new current newsgroup.
Format:
SELECT [newsgroup ]
SELECT changes newsgroup context to the nominated newsgroup. If no
newsgroup is given, the command selects the 'current' newsgroup. Otherwise
the specified newsgroup is opened.
For example, "SELECT test" opens newsgroup "test".
Command Qualifiers
/NEW
This qualifier is used to select the next registered newsgroup which
contains unseen news items. If the current newsgroup contains unread items,
then no action is performed.
No newsgroup parameter is required with this qualifier.
/MARK [=tag ]
This command moves the current item pointer to the NEXT newsitem marked
with the specified tag value. If no tag value is specified than the next
item marked with any tag is used.
SEND
SEND creates and sends a mail message from within NEWS.
Format:
SEND [file-name ]
SEND will, by default, prompt for the To: address and Subject line, and
invoke the editor to create the MAIL message.
You can send a mail message to the author of the current news item you're
reading by using the /AUTHOR qualifier, and you can send a mail item to all
members of a restricted newsgroup by using the /MEMBERS qualifier.
You can also pre-load the edit buffer with the text of the message you're
reading by using the /EXTRACT qualifier.
Command Qualifiers
/AUTHOR
Directs SEND to address the mail to the address of the user who posted the
message you are currently reading.
/EDIT
/EDIT default
/NOEDIT
/EDIT is the default value of this qualifier, which directs SEND to call
the editor to assemble the mail message. /NOEDIT bypasses this call to the
editor.
/EXTRACT
Directs SEND to load the edit buffer with the text of the item you are
currently reading.
/HEADERS
Used with /EXTRACT, this qualifier directs NEWS to load all message headers
into the message buffer. Otherwise a subset of the message headers are
included into the edit buffer.
/QUOTE="quote string "
/QUOTE=">" Default
/QUOTE="string "
/NOQUOTE
Used with /EXTRACT, this qualifier is used to alter the quote character
used to delimit the original item in the edit buffer. By default the
original item is loaded using the "> " string at the start of each line 1
to indicate included text. Using /QUOTE="string", an arbitrary string may
be used as the quotation string. Using /NOQUOTE includes the item text
verbatim.
/MEMBERS
If the current newsgroup is configured with a membership list then the mail
message will be addressed to all members of this list.
/SELF
By default a copy of the mail message will NOT be sent to yourself. The
/SELF qualifier overrides this default.
/SUBJECT="subject text "
SEND will normally prompt for the subject line of the mail message. The
/SUBJECT qualifier is used to supply a subject string to the procedure.
/TO="user-address [,...] "
SEND will normally prompt for the address(es) to send the mail. These
addresses may be specified using a command line parameter.
SET ACCESS
SET ACCESS is a NEWS MANAGEMENT command. This command is not supported when
running NEWS as a diskless client.
Format:
SET ACCESS newsgroup
SET ACCESS allows the local news manager to define a VMS access control
list to control read and write access to a newsgroup via the VMS ACL
mechanisms.
SET ACCESS invokes the VMS ACL Editor to allow the local news manager to
define or modify the access control list associated with the newsgroup. The
access control list is placed on the matching directory in the NEWS data
area.
SET BROADCAST_TRAPPING
SET BROADCAST_TRAPPING controls the setting of terminal broadcast message
trapping.
Format:
SET BROADCAST_TRAPPING
SET BROADCAST_TRAPPING ON
SET NOBROADCAST_TRAPPING
SET BROADCAST_TRAPPING OFF
NEWS by default has broadcast trapping enabled. All broadcast messages to
the terminal are trapped by NEWS, and displayed at the base of the screen,
in order to avoid overwriting of parts of the screen.
This trapping may be disabled by specifying BROADCAST_TRAPPING OFF or
NOBROADCAST_TRAPPING
SET CLASS
SET CLASS sets the current newsgroup selection class.
Format:
SET CLASS class-name
This command modifies the current directory selection criteria to display
those newsgroups which have been entered into the specified class.
To turn off class selection criteria, use the class name "*" as the
specified class.
See Also DIRECTORY/CLASS
SET DISPLAY
SET DISPLAY is used to set display functions of NEWS.
With this release of NEWS only one display setting is modifiable: SCANSIZE.
Command Qualifiers
/SCANSIZE=n
SCANSIZE determines the number of lines to display of the first page of an
item text. When using a low speed terminal, it is often helpful to only
display the first few lines of the item to determine whether to view the
remainder of the item text.
This parameter can also be specified as a logical name "NEWS_SCANSIZE".
SET HISTORY
SET HISTORY is a NEWS MANAGEMENT command. This command is not supported
when running NEWS as a diskless client.
Format:
SET HISTORY
SET HISTORY ON
SET NOHISTORY
SET HISTORY OFF
NEWS normally maintains a history file of recent message identifiers which
have been held on the local system. This file is referred to whenever a new
item is added into NEWS to ensure that the item has not already been held
on this system, so as to avoid looping news items in the NEWS network.
This history function can be disabled by the SET NOHISTORY or SET HISTORY
OFF commands. It will remain disabled until explicitly re-enabled by the
NEWS manager.
SET ITEM
SET ITEM is a NEWS MANAGEMENT command. This command is not supported when
running NEWS as a diskless client.
SET ITEM modifies the newsgroup retention attributes of news items.
Format:
SET ITEM item-num/HOLD=n
This requires the number of a newitem (or defaults to the current
newsitem). Only one qualifier is associated with this command, /HOLD.
Command Qualifiers
/HOLD=days
This command qualifier defines the retention period for news items The
value of the qualifier is specified in days.
If a 0 value is given, this indicates that a higher level (newsgroup
based) default value should be used.
If a value of '*' is given, this indicates that the retention is permament
- the item will never be automatic ally deleted by the SKIM command.
SET LINE_EDITING
SET LINE EDITING sets the cursor movement keys to line edit mode.
Format:
SET LINE_EDITING
SET LINE_EDITING ON
SET NOLINE_EDITING
SET LINE_EDITING OFF
By default VMS NEWS disables the cursor keys line editing functions. The up
and down arrow cursor keys are bound to the UP and DOWN commands.
VMS line editing may be enabled with the SET LINE_EDITING. In this case the
keypad key 5 is bound to the UP function, and keypad 2 is bound to the DOWN
function, and the arrow cursor keys perform the normal line editing
functions.
SET MAIL
SET MAIL sets your VMS MAIL personal profile settings.
Format:
SET MAIL profile-parameter [profile-value ]
This command allows you to alter any of the VMS MAIL profile parameters, by
specifying a profile parameter and optionally a profile value.
Command Parameters
profile-parameter
The parameters which can be set in this way are:
auto-purge auto purge of the wastebasket on close of mail
noauto-purge auto purge of the wastebasket on close of mail disabled
cc_prompt prompt for CC: postings on forward, reply or send
nocc_prompt no prompt for CC: postings on forward, reply or send
copy_self copy_param Automatic posting of mail to self on forward, reply
or send
where copy_param is one of:
send copy to send on send
nosend no copy to self on send
reply copy to self on reply
noreply no copy to self on reply
forward copy to self on forward
noforward no copy to self on forward
form form_name set default print form to nominated value
noform use system default print form
forward forward-address set mail forwarding address to given address
noforward disable mail forwarding address
personal_name "personal_name " set personal name to be used in postings
to given value
nopersonal_name disable personal name
queue queue_name set default print queue to nominated queue
noqueue reset default print queue to SYS$PRINT
SET MANAGER
SET MANAGER is a NEWS MANAGEMENT command. This command is not supported
when running NEWS as a diskless client.
Format:
SET MANAGER
SET MANAGER ON
SET NOMANAGER
SET MANAGER OFF
A user who holds the NEWS management identifier (the translation of the
system logical name NEWS_MGR_ID) is identified to NEWS as a local news
manager, and can execute all the local management commands.
These manager privileges can be disabled by the SET NOMANAGER command, and
enabled at a later stage by the SET MANAGER command. Note that on startup
manager privileges are enabled by default if you have been granted the
relevant identifier.
SET NEWSGROUP
SET NEWSGROUP is a NEWS MANAGEMENT command. This command is not supported
when running NEWS as a diskless client.
SET NEWSGROUP modifies the control attributes of a newsgroup. control
attributes include the lifetime of items on the local system, newsgroup
moderator addresses, and whether the newsgroup is served from a remote NNTP
server.
Newsgroups are automatically deleted from the NEWS system if the last new
item in the newsgroup was posted to the group more than n days previously.
There are three levels of default for this value: A global compile-time
constant (defined in the file NEWSSITE.H, normally 60 days), which may be
overridden by a dynamic global value (SET NEWSGROUP default/HOLD=n days),
which may be overridden for individual newsgroups by a dynamic newsgroup
specific value (SET NEWSGROUP name/HOLD=n days). The value is specified in
units of days, but there is an additional value, '*' which specifies that
the newsgroup is not to be automatically deleted.
Newsitems records are automatically deleted once they have remained on the
system for a set number of days. This retention period has fours levels of
default: A global compile-time constant (defined in the file NEWSSITE.H,
normally 30 days), which may be overridden by a dynamic global value (SET
NEWSGROUP */ITEMHOLD=n days), which may be overridden for specific
newsgroups by a dynamic newsgroup default value (SET NEWSGROUP
name/ITEMHOLD=n days), which may be overridden for individual news items
(SET ITEM number/HOLD=n days). The value is specified in units of days, but
there is an additional value, '*' which specifies that the newsgroup is not
to be automatically deleted.
Format:
SET NEWSGROUP /qualifiers
SET NEWSGROUP newsgroup-name /qualifiers
SET NEWSGROUP DEFAULT /qualifiers
If no newsgroup name is given with the command the command assumes the name
of the 'current' newsgroup. If the newsgroup is specified as 'default' then
the attributes referred to by this command are the system defaults.
The qualifiers accepted for the global default ('default') are /ITEMHOLD,
/HOLD, /KEEPREQUEST and /FILEHOLD and in the case where a particular
newsgroup is named, /MODERATOR and /SERVER.
Command Qualifiers
/APPROVAL
/APPROVAL Default
/NOAPPROVAL
Moderated newsgroups require an Approved: header in all postings in order
to be accepted by each local NEWS site. This approval requirement can be
removed by specifying the /NOAPPROVAL qualifier with the newsgroup.
/HOLD=days
This command qualifier defines the retention period for newsgroups. The
value of the qualifier is specified in days.
If a 0 value is given, this indicates that a higher level default
value should be used. If a value of '*' is given, this indicates that the
retention is permanent - the newsgroup will never be automatically deleted
by the SKIM command.
/IGNOREEXPIRES
/IGNOREEXPIRES
/NOIGNOREEXPIRES Default
NEWS items may contain an optional Expires: header specifying the date that
the item should be retained until. By default NEWS will accept the Expires:
headers, with a maximum retention period of 1 year and a minimum of 3 days.
The system default retention periods can override any Expires: header on a
newsgroup-by-newsgroup basis using the /IGNOREEXPIRES qualifier.
/ITEMHOLD=days
This command qualifier defines the default retention period for news
items within a newsgroup. The value of the qualifier is specified in days.
If a 0 value is given, this indicates that a higher level default value
should be used. If a value of '*' is given as the value for days, this
indicates that the default newsitem retention is permanent.
/LOCAL
/LOCAL
/NOLOCAL
Newsgroups are defined by default to be Network newsgroups - A network
newsgroup is created in response to a network-wide "newgroup" control
message, and is deleted in response to a network-wide 'rmgroup" or
"checkgroups" message.
Newsgroups which are local to a this site, or local to a domain within the
wider network are created with the /LOCAL qualifier. This ensures that the
newsgroup will not be deleted by such network control messages.
/MAILLIST
/MAILLIST=address
/NOMAILLIST
This qualifier sets the newsgroup as a mailing list newsgroup.This is very
similar to setting a moderated newsgroup with a number of alterations in
the support of the newsgroup to act as an interface between the local news
system and a mailing list.
The changes from the moderator model in order to support the mapping of
mailing lists into NEWS require the dropping of the Approval: item header
requirement for incoming items, and a forwarding of all local postings to
the mapped newsgroup to the mailing list address without the normal NEWS
headers.
The address used with this qualifier is the address of the mailing list.
/MODERATOR
/MODERATOR=address
/MODERATOR
/NOMODERATOR
This command sets the newsgroup as a moderated newsgroup, or clears the
moderator condition.
Only the moderator of a moderated newsgroup may post items into that
newsgroup - all other users who attempt to post to a moderated newsgroup
will have the news posting intercepted and re-directed as e-mail to the
moderator address.
The value of the /MODERATOR is an internet-style address of the moderator.
In the case where no address is given, backbone addressing is assumed (i.e.
the default address as specified in the MAILPATHS file).
The /NOMODERATOR qualifier is used to clear the moderator condition.
/NOTICE="string "
/NOTICE="notice string "
/NONOTICE
Newsgroups may be tagged with a notice string. This notice message is
displayed as part of the newsgroup directory heading, and is intended to
hold current status messages about the newsgroup. The notice string is
limited to a maximum size of 124 characters.
/RESTRICT
Sets the newsgroup as a restricted access newsgroup. Making the newsgroup
restricted limits the access to the newsgroup to those users who are
entered as "members" of the newsgroup (see ADD MEMBER). Users who are not
listed as members of the newsgroup cannot read or write into this
newsgroup.
/TITLE="string "
Newsgroups may optionally have a title string. This title is displayed in
the head of a newsgroup directory, and is intended as a (short) description
of the newsgroup. The string length is restricted to 124 characters.
/WRITE
/WRITE
/NOWRITE
By default all newsgroups are writeable by all users4. A newsgroup can be
setup as a read-only newsgroup by the command: SET NEWSGROUP name/NOWRITE
Once a newsgroup has been set as /NOWRITE only those users with write
permission can post to this newsgroup (see ADD MEMBER to grant write
permission to a username).
/SERVER=node
/SERVER=node
/NOSERVER
Newsgroups may be linked to a remote NEWSSERVER via DECNET. The presence of
a remote server for a newsgroup implies that the local site need not keep
the text files of all items within a newsgroup on local storage -- when a
user on the local system reads an item, the remote server passes a copy of
the text on demand.
This configuration can be used to reduce the overall storage demands for
NEWS if a number of decnet-connected systems are all running NEWS. One
system may be nominated as the server for a number of client nodes, or a
number of systems can be used to serve subsets of the total newsgroup set
to the clients (i.e. a node may be configured as a client for some
newsgroups, and a server for other newsgroups).
This qualifier requires a node name as a value -- this name is the node
name of the remote server.
/CACHE
/CACHE=3 Default
/CACHE=n
/NOCACHE
The /CACHE qualifier is used in conjunction with the /SERVER qualifier.
If a newsitem is served from a remote system, and a local user requests to
view the contents of that item, the server system copies the text of the
item into the local user's scratch area. By default, a copy of this text is
also placed in the local NEWS database, so that further requests to read
the item do not need to access the remote server.
This retention of the local copy can be inhibited by using the /NOCACHE
with the SET command -- in such a case all requests to view the item will
generate remote server requests.
/PROTOCOL=protocol
The /PROTOCOL qualifier is used in conjunction with the /SERVER qualifier.
Valid values for this qualifier are "DECNET" or "TCP". The default value is
"DECNET".
If a newsgroup is served from a remote system, then either DECNET or TCP
may be used to access the remote system. This qualifier sets the protocol
to use when performing the remote access.
/UPDATE
/UPDATE Default
/NOUPDATE
This qualifier is used in conjunction with the /SERVER qualifier, and
directs NEWS to load the created newsgroup with the contents of the NNTP
server database immediately.
SET PROFILE
SET PROFILE modifies the user profile settings associated with NEWS.
Format:
SET PROFILE /qualifiers
SET PROFILE is used to define a usage profile for NEWS. The profile may
contain the specification of the editor to use with NEWS, the default
action of the OPEN command, the class to be selected on NEWS startup, the
personal name to use with all postings, a set of qualifiers to use with all
PRINT commands, and a startup DIRECTORY setting.
Many of these settings can also be defined using logical names (see the
chapter on customization of NEWS). The PROFILE settings take precedence
over any such logical name settings.
Command Qualifiers
/AUTOMATIC [={DIRECTORY | UNSEEN}]
This controls the default action of the OPEN and SELECT commands. By
default the OPEN (and SELECT) command displays the directory of the opened
newsgroup. By specifying UNSEEN, the first unseen item will be displayed
when the OPEN or SELECT command is executed.
/BROADCAST_TRAPPING
/BROADCAST_TRAPPING
/NOBROADCAST_TRAPPING
This qualifier directs NEWS to start with terminal broadcast trapping
enabled or disabled. When enabled all broadcast messages are displayed via
a trap routine in the message area at the base of the screen.
/CLASS=classname
/CLASS=classname
/NOCLASS Default
By default NEWS will startup with the same selection conditions as were
used when NEWS last exited. You can specify a class to select on startup by
using the /CLASS qualifier.
The values of the classname are either a valid class name, or the string
"MAIN". MAIN indicates that no class selection should be used, and all
newsgroups should be included in the directory selection conditions.
The default behaviour can be restored by using the /NOCLASS parameter.
/DIRECTORY=directory-type
/DIRECTORY=directory type
/NODIRECTORY Default
NEWS will normally retain the directory context across invocations of the
program (i.e. If you had executed DIR/NEW before exiting NEWS, then when
you next run NEWS, the initial newsgroup directory state will be restored
to DIR/NEW).
It is possible to specify a constant initial directory state by defining a
value for this qualifier as one of the strings:
ALL NEW REGISTER SINCE=date
If a profile value is specified then this value will override that of the
logical name NEWS_DEFAULT_DIRECTORY.
/DISPLAY=(display-list)
The display attributes which can be set in this list are:
[NO] LINES For NNTP diskless clients this directs NEWS to
request the line counts of each item.
(If the NNTP remote server is running ANU NEWS, LINES is
automatically selected)
[NO] POSTMARKS For NNTP diskless clients this directs NEWS to
request and display the post date of each item.
(If the NNTP remote server is running ANU NEWS,
POSTMARKS is automatically selected)
[NO] UNSEENSTACK This directs NEWS to only display item entries for
UNSEEN items.
/EDITOR=editor
/EDITOR=editor
/NOEDITOR
This qualifier is used to link an editor to NEWS. The editor is used to
generate new postings, and to edit forwarded mail, and (optionally) in
readonly mode, to scan the item contents (READ/EDITOR).
By default NEWS links the TPU editor to NEWS, using the value of the
logical name TPUSECINI (or TPU$SECTION, depending on the version of VMS
used) as the section to use.
The value of this qualifier may be one of:
¥ EVE (or TPU) to use the TPU emulator with either the EVE section, or
the section as defined by the appropriate TPU logical name.
¥ EDT to use the callable EDT interface
¥ CALLABLE_xxx to invoke a callable editor directly (mapping the editor
into your execution space)
¥ A file specification (including the '@' start character) which
specifies a spawned command procedure to use as the editor for NEWS.
/KEYDEFS=filename
/KEYDEFS=filename
/NOKEYDEFS
This command instructs NEWS to read in a custom set of key definitions for
NEWS to be read in from the nominated file. The format of the file is a set
of DEFINE/KEY commands.
/LINE_EDITING
/LINE_EDITING
/NOLINE_EDITING
This qualifier directs NEWS to define the cursor keys as line editing keys
(up/down arrows scroll through the command line recall stack, and
left/right arrorws move within the command line) at startup. In this case
the keypad keys '5' and '2' map into the NEWS cursor up and down commands.
The mode is reset by the /NOLINE_EDITING qualifier
/LOCSIGNATURE=filename
/LOCSIGNATURE=filename
/NOLOCSIGNATURE
This command requests NEWS to automatically append the contents of the
nominated file to all postings that you make to local (non-network)
newsgroups. This file is intended to contain signature information giving
your network address, etc., and allows you to tailor two signature files:
one for network-wide postings, and another for local postings.
/NEWREGISTER [=newsgroup-pattern-list ]
/NEWREGISTER
/NEWREGISTER=newsgroup-pattern-list
/NONEWREGISTER Default
By default you will NOT be automatically registered for any new newsgroups
which are created on the local system from time to time
By specifying /NEWREGISTER you will be registered for each new newsgroup
immediately after it is created on the local system.
You can also specify a pattern, or a list of patterns to match against for
automatic registration. For example, to only register new newsgroups
created in the hierarchies comp.* and aus.* the command is:
SET PROFILE/NEWREGISTER="comp.*,aus.*"
The automatic registration action can be turned off by the qualifier
/NONEWREGISTER
/ORGANIZATION="organisation string "
/ORGANIZATION="organization string"
/NOORGANIZATION
This customizes your postings with an Organization: header set to the value
specified in the string. If this profile setting is turned off, then the
system default (if any) will be used instead.
/PERSONAL_NAME="personal name string "
/PERSONAL_NAME="personal-name-string "
/NOPERSONAL_NAME
Sets the personal name string. This name is appended to your network
address in all NEWS postings.
If not specified as a PROFILE entry, the logical name NEWS_PERSONAL_NAME is
used (if defined), and if there is no logical name your VMS MAIL profile is
examined to extract your MAIL personal name.
/PRINT="print-qualifiers-string "
/PRINT="print-qualifiers-string "
/NOPRINT
Sets the default print qualifiers for all NEWS PRINT commands. The
qualifiers used may be any valid NEWS print qualifier string (See the
section describing the PRINT command).
/RCFILTER
/RCFILTER
/NORCFILTER
By default all accessible newsgroups are displayed in a full newsgroup
directory display. The number of newsgroups can be restricted by the
command SET PROFILE/RCFILTER. This instructs NEWS to only use those
newsgroups as entered in the NEWSRC file.
To reduce the number of newsgroups displayed in the directory listing: run
NEWS and enter the command "SET PROFILE/RCFILTER", then exit NEWS and then
edit the NEWSRC file, deleting those lines referring to newsgroups you wish
to remove from the display.
/RCORDER
/RCORDER
/NORCORDER Default
By default all newsgroups are displayed within the newsgroup directory
screen in alphabetical order. By specifying SET PROFILE/RCORDER, newsgroups
are ordered as shown in the NEWSRC. file. To change the directory display
order: run NEWS and enter the command "SET PROFILE/RCORDER", then exit
NEWS and then edit the NEWSRC file, altering the order of entries as
required
/SCANSIZE=n
When browsing through news items it is often too time consuming to see the
full first page off every news item, and it is often faster to see only the
first few lines and then deciding whether to view more of the item.
This command configures NEWS to show only the first n lines of the item and
then return to the prompt to see if you wish to display more of the texct,
or pass on to the next item.
/SEARCH
/SEARCH=LITERAL Default
/SEARCH=WILDCARD
/SEARCH=PATTERN
By default the SEARCH command will search for literal text, and if you
wish to use wildcards or patterns in the search text the search has to be
explicitly qualified. The default search type can be altered with this
command.
/SIGNATURE=filename
/SIGNATURE=filename
/NOSIGNATURE
This command requests NEWS to automatically append the contents of the
nominated file to all postings that you make. This file is intended to
contain signature information giving your network address, etc.
/TEMPORARY
If specified, the PROFILE changes given are only effective for the current
NEWS session.
SET SEEN
SET SEEN marks items within the currently selected newsgroup as "seen".
This can be altered by specifying one of the following qualifiers.
Command Qualifiers
/POINTER
This command marks all newsitems up to (and including) the 'current' item
as having been viewed by the user.
/BEFORE=vmsdate
This command marks all items in the current newsgroup which were postmarked
by the local system before the date specified as having been viewed by the
user.
The date format is the standard VMS date-time format; e.g. SET
SEEN/BEFORE=22-FEB. TODAY and YESTERDAY are accepted as valid date strings.
/FOLLOWUP
All newsitems in the current newsgroup with a subject field the same as the
current newsitem will be marked as read.
This command is used to skip entire conversation streams: all newsitems
with related subject fields will be marked as having been read.
SET SUPERVISOR
SET SUPERVISOR is a NEWS MANAGEMENT command. This command is not supported
when running NEWS as a diskless client.
SET MODERATOR is a synonum for SET SUPERVISOR.
Format:
SET SUPERVISOR
SET SUPERVISOR ON
SET NOSUPERVISOR
SET SUPERVISOR OFF
NEWS allows two types of supervision/moderation of a newsgroup:
¥ The USENET model of moderation is one where all postings into a
moderated newsgroup are intercepted and mailed directly to the e-mail
address of the moderator of the newsgroup. The moderator's responsibility
is to approve the posting and place it into the newsgroup with an approval
stamp. A USENET moderator is identified by a match of the user's e-mail
address with the list of moderator addresses. Such a moderator is more
accurately called a posting approval Moderator.
VMS NEWS also has a second level of supervision of a newsgroup, which
effectively allows a subset of the NEWS Manager's privileges to be given to
a nominated user (or users), with the privileges effective only for in
relation to a particular newsgroup. Such a Local Supervisor can control the
membership list for a restricted newsgroup by adding, altering and removing
member records, and cancelling messages that were posted from the local
system into the controlled newsgroup.
Users who have such local supervisor privileges do not have such privileges
enabled at the start of the session: the privileges are enabled by the SET
SUPERVISOR command for all locally moderated newsgroups. A user who is
nominated as a posting approval Moderator is automatically configured as a
VMS NEWS local supervisor if the posting approval Moderator's mail address
is located on the local node.
SHOW CLASSES
SHOW CLASSES command lists all user defined class names, and also lists
the newsgroup names which have been assigned to each class. The currently
selected class is marked with an asterisk.
SHOW CONFERENCE
SHOW CONFERENCE newsgroup-name displays the status and configuration
information for the specified newsgroup. This information includes the
current item count, the default retention time settings, the markers placed
within the newsgroup and the classes into which the newsgroup has been
added, as well as the relevant NNTP server information if the newsgroup is
configured as NNTP-served.
The newsgroup name be be abbreviated to a unique substring, and wildcards
('*', '%') may be used to list the attributes of a number of newsgroups.
This command is equivalent to SHOW ENTRY.
SHOW ENTRY
SHOW ENTRY displays newsgroup settings.
Format:
SHOW ENTRY newsgroup-name
Displays the status and configuration information for the specified
newsgroup. This information includes the current item count, the default
retention time settings, the markers placed within the newsgroup and the
classes into which the newsgroup has been added, as well as the relevant
NNTP server information if the newsgroup is configured as NNTP-served.
The newsgroup name be be abbreviated to a unique substring, and wildcards
('*', '%') may be used to list the attributes of a number of newsgroups.
SHOW HISTORY
SHOW HISTORY displays the history setting. This is a NEWS management
command. This command is not supported when running NEWS in a diskless
client configuration.
Displays the status of the history file setting (whether on or off), and if
off, then the time and user who last turned off the histroy file.
SHOW ITEM
SHOW ITEM displays the control settings of a news item.
Format:
SHOW ITEM [item-num]
SHOW ITEM displays the retention settings for the current or specified
newsitem.
SHOW KILL
SHOW KILL displays the user's current kill filter set.
Kill filters are used in the processing of the READ commands when selecting
unseen items for display. In the process of selection, unseen items are
passed to the kill filter, and if a match with a kill filter is found, the
item will be marked as seen, and the search for the next unseen item will
resume.
The commands which invoke the kill filters are READ/NEW and
READ/NEW/FOLLOWUP
SHOW LINECOUNTS
SHOW LINECOUNTS is a NEWS diskless client command.
With the client version of NEWS it must be noted that every piece of
onformation displayed on the directory screens does take additional time to
extract from the NEWS server. For this reason both the linecount and
postmark date of news items aret not displayed by default within the news
item directory screens.
To display the line counts of all newsitems within the current newsgroup
then the command SHOW LINECOUNTS will request this information from the
server for the current newsgroup. This function can be enabled
automatically by the command SET PROFILE/DISPLAY=LINECOUNTS.
SHOW MAIL
SHOW MAIL displays the user's VMS MAIL profile settings.
Format:
SHOW MAIL [profile-entry ]
SHOW MAIL displays your personal VMS Mail profile settings. Without a
profile-entry parameter, all profile settings are displayed in a display
screen. Otherwise the individual profile entry is displayed in the dialog
window at the base of the display.
Command Parameters
profile-entry
This parameter may either be "all" (the default), or one of:
auto-purge auto purge of the wastebasket on close
cc_prompt prompt for CC: postings on forward, reply or send
copy_self Automatic posting of mail to self on forward, reply or send
form default print form
forward mail forwarding address
new_mail_count count of unread new mail
personal_name personal name to be used in postings
queue default print queue
SHOW MARKER
SHOW MARKER displays the user's set of markers of items.
Format:
SHOW MARKER [tag-value ]
SHOW MARKER displays a listing of the set of marked newsitems. If no tag
value is specified, then all mark tag values are displayed. If a tag is
used then only those tag values which match the tag (using wildcard
matching) are displayed.
See Also MARK, UNMARK, CLEAR MARK
SHOW MEMBER
SHOW MEMBER lists the attributes of a member of the currently selected
(restricted access) newsgroup. This command is not supported when running
NEWS as a diskless client.
Format:
SHOW MEMBER [username ]
This command lists the attributes of a member of the currently selected
newsgroup. If the newsgroup is a public access newsgroup then there is no
associated membership list, and a status message is displayed.
The listing displays the username of the member, the user's privileges with
respect to this newsgroup and their mail addresses (if not that of their
local username).
If /ALL is not specified, and no username is given, NEWS will prompt for a
username.
Command Qualifiers
/ALL
List the attributes of all members of a newsgroup.
/MODERATOR
List the attributes of all members who have moderator privilege with
respect to this newsgroup.
SHOW MESSAGES
SHOW MESSAGES displays all broadcast messages and NEWS diagnostic messages
in a message display buffer.
All NEWS diagnostic messages, and all terminal broadcast messages (if
Broadcast trapping is enabled) are placed in a message buffer. This command
displays the contents of this buffer on the screen.
See Also CLEAR MESSAGES
SHOW MODERATOR
SHOW MODERATOR displays the mail address of the moderator of a moderated
newsgroup. The newsgroup referred to by this command is the currently
selected newsgroup.
SHOW NEWSGROUP
SHOW NEWSGROUP displays the control settings for a newsgroup.
Format:
SHOW NEWSGROUP [newsgroup-name ]
SHOW NEWSGROUP *
SHOW NEWSGROUP displays the control attributes of the current or specified
newsgroup. The control attributes include the retention settings, server
settings and moderator address.
The command SHOW NEWSGROUP DEFAULT displays the global default settings.
SHOW NOTE
SHOW NOTE displays the control information of a news item.
Format:
SHOW NOTE [item-number ]
This command displays the header lines of the current (or nominated note if
an item number is specified with the command. As well as the supplied
header lines, the display also shows the local postmark time, and the local
expiration date of the item.
SHOW POSTMARKS
SHOW POSTMARKS is a NEWS NNTP diskless client command.
With the client version of NEWS it must be noted that every piece of
onformation displayed on the directory screens does take additional time to
extract from the NEWS server. For this reason both the linecount and
postmark date of news items aret not displayed by default within the news
item directory screens.
To display the postmark dates of all newsitems within the current newsgroup
then the command SHOW POSTMARKS will request this information from the
server for the current newsgroup. This function can be enabled
automatically by the command SET PROFILE/DISPLAY=POSTMARKS.
SHOW PROFILE
SHOW PROFILE displays the current profile settings
The display includes the default editor, the default class on startup, the
NEWS personal name, default qualifiers for the PRINT command, OPEN default
action and the startup directory setting. Note that PROFILE entries are at
a higher precedence than the logical names which also define your NEWS
profile.
See Also SET PROFILE
SHOW SUPERVISOR
SHOW SUPERVISOR displays the usernames of all local supervisors of the
current newsgroup, and also displays the mail address of the approval
moderator of the newsgroup (if the newsgroup is a moderated newsgroup). The
newsgroup referred to by this command is the currently selected newsgroup.
SHOW VERSION
SHOW VERSION displays the software version and creation date of the local
NEWS software.
The command has no parameters or qualifiers.
The command VERSION is a synonym for SHOW VERSION
See Also: V ERSION
SKIM
SKIM is a NEWS MANAGEMENT command. This command is not supported when
running NEWS as a diskless client.
Format:
SKIM [newsgroup list ]
SKIM checks aspects of the news database for internal consistency, and
also enforces news item and newsgroup expiry time limits.
By default the command will assume the qualifiers:
/ITEMS (check all news items),
/NEWSGROUPS (check all newsgroups),
/SERVED (check all remote servers for consistency with the local
database),
/DIRECTORIES (check all directories in the database area),
/HISTORY (skim the history file) and
/FILES (check all item text files).
Any of these phases can be bypassed by using the /NOphase qualifier with
the SKIM command.
SKIM will take considerable resources to execute. To reduce the time taken
for SKIM, the following qualifier settings are recommended on a daily
basis:
SKIM/NOVERBOSE/ITEMS/NEWSGROUPS/NODIRECTORIES/NOFILES/NOFILECHECK
and on a weekly basis:
SKIM/NOVERBOSE/ITEMS/NEWSGROUPS/DIRECTORIES/FILES/NOFILECHECK
Command Parameters:
newsgroup list
Skim optionally accepts a newsgroup list parameter. If this parameter is
omitted, then all newsgroups are checked by SKIM, otherwise only those
newsgroups listed in the parameter list are checked. The parameter is
formatted as a comma separated list of newsgroup names. Wildcard characters
(*, ?) may be used in the list - e.g. NEWS> SKIM aus.*,anu.*
Command Qualifiers:
/DIRECTORIES
NEWS stores news items in a directory tree, where each directory matches a
newsgroup: for example all items in the newsgroup aus.fred are stored in
the directory NEWS_DEVICE:[AUS.FRED]. When a newsgroup is deleted, the
associated directory is not deleted immediately.
The SKIM/DIRECTORIES phase scans all directories in the NEWS area, and
deletes all directories which do not match currently defined newsgroups.
/FILECHECK
This qualifier is used in conjunction with the /ITEMS skim phase.
The default action of the SKIM is to attempt to open each item file, and
make the necessary corrections to the database if the file cannot be
accessed. If the NEWS database extends to many thousands of items this open
operation will take up a large amount of CPU time.
The check can be omitted by specifying the /NOFILECHECK qualifier, which
will speed up the SKIM run by a considerable factor.
/FILES
By default the action of the SKIM command includes SKIM/FILES. In this
phase of the skim, SKIM examines every nnn.ITM file (newsitem text file) in
the news database, purging all back versions of any file, and deleting
any .ITM files which have no corresponding entry in the item database.
This action can be bypassed using the /NOFILES qualifier on the SKIM
command.
/HISTORY [=n]
NEWS maintains a history file of the previous n days, storing all newsitem
message identifiers in this file. This file is used to correctly implement
the "cancel" and "supersedes" news header control lines, and to detect long
period loops in the NEWS distribution.
This phase of SKIM removes all entries from the history file which are
older than 45 days. If a value is given with this qualifier, then this
value is used as the retention period of the history file.
/ITEMS
By default the action of the SKIM command includes SKIM/ITEMS. In this
phase of SKIM, the procedure checks all current newsitems held in the
local database. If the item has been held for longer than the locally set
retention period, then the item is deleted, or if the text file cannot be
opened the item is deleted.
The items to be deleted can optionally be archived using the /ARCHIVE
qualifier.
This action can be bypassed using the /NOITEMS qualifier with the SKIM
command.
/NEWSGROUPS
By default, the action of the SKIM command includes SKIM/NEWSGROUPS. In
this phase of SKIM, each newsgroup is checked, updating the newsitem count
for the newsgroup, and deleting any newsgroup which has had no new items
posted within the newsgroup retention period (see SET NEWSGROUP/HOLD=n for
more information on newsgroup retention).
This action can be bypassed using the /NONEWSGROUPS qualifier on the SKIM
command.
/SERVED
By default, the action of the SKIM command includes SKIM/SERVED.
In this phase of skim, SKIM collects the item identifiers of all newsitems
whose text is held on remote NEWS NNTP-Server nodes. SKIM connects to the
remote server and collects all item update information from the remote item
database. Following this remote interrogation, the local item database is
updated to match the data stored on the remote node.
This action can be bypassed using the /NOSERVED qualifier on the SKIM
command.
/VERBOSE
Skim will normally output messages indicating the skim action during each
phase. These messages can be suppressed with the /NOVERBOSE qualifier.
/ARCHIVE=filename
By default the value of this qualifier is /NOARCHIVE.
This qualifier can be used in conjunction with the /ITEMS qualifier to
archive a copy of every item that is to be deleted from the News database.
The items are stored using batch format (items are delimited by a line of
the form "#!rnews <size>. The items are appended to the archive file until
the archive file reaches 250k bytes in size, when a new version of the
archive file is opened.
This is not a terribly useful archive format, and some kind of compressed
library format which could be directly access by NEWS would be more useful.
Such a change to the archive format may be implemented in a future version
of NEWS.
SKIP
SKIP is used to mark individual newsitems or all newsitems within a
newsgroup as having been read by the user without viewing the item texts.
If the screen is displaying the newsitem directory, then SKIP marks the
'current' newsitem as read, and advances the newsitem pointer to the next
newsitem.
If the screen is displaying the newsgroup directory screen, or the
/NEWSGROUP qualifier is specified, then ALL newsitems within the 'current'
newsgroup are marked as having been read.
See Also: UNREAD, UNSKIP, SET SEEN
Command Qualifiers:
/ALL
This qualifier will mark ALL news items in ALL newsgroups as having been
read by the user.
/POINTER
This command marks all newsitems up to (and including) the 'current' item
as having been viewed by the user. This qualifier may only refer to the
current newsgroup. (/UPTO is a synonym for /POINTER).
/BEFORE=date
This command marks all items in the current newsgroup which were created on
the local system before the date specified as having been viewed by the
user.
This qualifier may also be used with the /ALL qualifier to mark all items
in all newsgroups, created before the specified date, as having been
viewed.
The date format is the standard VMS date-time format; e.g. SKIP/BEFORE=22-
FEB. TODAY and YESTERDAY are accepted as valid date strings.
/FOLLOWUP
All newsitems in the current newsgroup with a subject field the same as the
current newsitem will be marked as read.
This command is used to skip entire conversation streams: all newsitems
with related subject fields will be marked as having been read.
/NEWSGROUP
This qualifier will mark ALL items in the current newsgroup as read. If the
screen is displaying the newsgroup directory then /NEWSGROUP is the default
action - if the screen is displaying the newsitem directory then
/NONEWSGROUP is the default action, and only the current item will be
marked
SPAWN
SPAWN spawns a VMS subprocess
Format:
SPAWN [command-string]
Spawn a DCL level subprocess from NEWS (using LIB$SPAWN). $ LOGOUT from the
subprocess returns to NEWS.
See Also: ATTACH
Command Parameters
command-string
If command string is specified, then this command is executed and then
control is passed back to NEWS.
Command Qualifiers
/INPUT=file-specification
Specifies an input file containing one or more DCL command strings to be
executed by the spawned subprocess. If you specify a command string along
with an input file, the command string is processed before the commands in
the input file. Once processing is complete, the subprocess is terminated.
/LOGICAL_NAMES
/LOGICAL_NAMES Default
/NOLOGICAL_NAMES
Specifies that the logical names of the parent process be copied to the
subprocess. When you do not want the subprocess to use the logical names
of the parent process, enter the /NOLOGICAL_NAMES qualifier. The default is
/LOGICAL_NAMES.
/OUTPUT=file-spec
Identifies the output file to which the results of the SPAWN operation are
written. You should specify an output other than SYS$OUTPUT whenever you
specify the /NOWAIT qualifier to prevent output from being displayed while
you are specifying new commands. If you omit the /OUTPUT qualifier, output
is written to the current SYS$OUTPUT device.
/PROCESS=subprocess-name
Specifies the name of the subprocess to be created. The default name of the
subprocess is USERNAME_n.
/SYMBOLS
/SYMBOLS Default
/NOSYMBOLS
Determines whether the system passes DCL global and local symbols to the
subprocess. The default is /SYMBOLS.
/WAIT
Controls whether the system waits until the subprocess is completed before
allowing more commands to be specified. The /NOWAIT qualifier allows you to
specify new commands while the specified subprocess is running. If you
specify /NOWAIT, you should also use /OUTPUT to direct the output to a file
rather than displaying it on the screen to prevent your terminal from being
used by more than one process simultaneously.
TOP
TOP sets the didplay (and the current pointer) to the top of the display.
This command shifts the current display to the start of the directory or
text. In the case of newsgroup or newsitem directory screens the current
pointer is set to the first item in the directory.
This command is bound by default to the key GOLD UP-ARROW (the key sequence
PF1, UP-ARROW).
TOPIC
TOPIC displays the original topic of the current item.
This command refers to conversation streams, where each posting in a
conversation contain explicit references to the preceding articles in the
same conversation.
TOPIC attempts to follow this chain of reverse references back to the
original posting at the head of these backward references, or if this
posting is no longer available, locates the oldest item in the conversation
and display it.
TOPIC is a synonym for READ/TOPIC
See Also: READ
Command Qualifiers:
/HEADER
Directs NEWS to display all header lines of the newsitem. By default only
the subject line, sender address and date of the item are shown in the
display.
/EDITOR
Use a callable editor in read-only mode to display the newsitem. By default
this is the TPU editor, but this may be altered by the NEWS_VIEW logical
name. See the chapter on customizing NEWS for details. For compatibility
with previous versions of NEWS, /TPU is equivalent to /EDITOR.
/ROT13
Some newsitem are posted using rot13 encryption. This qualifier decrypts
the newsitem for display.
UNMARK
UNMARK is used to clear MARK Tags.
Format:
UNMARK [tag]
UNMARK clears the mark from the current news item. If a tag is specified
with the command, then only those tag values will be cleared. If no tag is
specified, then all tags will be removed from the item. The tag may be
specified using wildcard characters.
See Also: MARK, CLEAR MARK, SHOW MARK
UNREAD
UNREAD marks the current item as unseen.
The current item will be marked with the unread flag, and will be displayed
at a later stage by the READ/NEW command (if the item is in a registered
newsgroup). This command is useful to mark items for re-reading at a later
stage.
Command Qualifiers:
/ALL
This qualifier causes all items in the current newsgroup to be marked
as unseen.
UNSKIP
UNSKIP undoes the result of the most recent SKIP or SET SEEN command.
NEWS will store the identification label of all items marked as seen by the
most recent SKIP or SET COMMAND. UNSKIP will reset all such items back to
unseen status.
UP
UP is a cursor movement command, normally bound to the cursor movement
keys.
Format:
UP [number]
In screen mode this moves the cursor up one line. The command has an
optional number parameter of the number of lines to move up.
This command is bound to the up arrow key on the terminal (unless line-edit
mode is set), and the command UP 18 is bound to the PREVÊSCREEN key. UP is
also bound to Keypad 5.
UPDATE
UPDATE is used to update the NEWS directories with the details of any
recent postings.
Format:
UPDATE [newsgroup]
When NEWS is invoked it takes a snapshot of the local NEWS database, and
presents this snapshot in a directory format to the user. If another user
posts to NEWS, or the NEWS transport system reads in a news batch during
your session your local copy of the database summary is not updated.
UPDATE clears the image section which maps the database and reads in a new
copy of the database snapshot, including any changes made since your
session was started.
Command Parameters:
newsgroup
If newsgroup is specified then the update function is performed on that
newsgroup only.
VERSION
VERSION displays the software version and creation date of the local NEWS
software.
The command has no parameters or qualifiers.
The command VERSION is a synonym for SHOW VERSION
See Also: SHOW VERSION
WRITE
WRITE is synonymous to the POST command.
Format:
WRITE [filename]
WRITE is used to post a new news item into NEWS. By default, the editor is
invoked to form the new posting. The default editor is TPU, but this is
user definable - see the chapter on customisation to specify a different
editor to use.
NEWS will fill in all defaulting news headers, and will prompt for all
header items which are non-defaulting (the subject line and the newsgroups
to post the item into).
If the newsgroups for the posting are moderated newsgroups, the posting is
automatically re-directed as mail to the moderator address, and NOT posted
directly to NEWS.
See Also: ANSWER, FOLLOWUP, FORWARD, POST, REPLY
Command Parameters:
filename
If filename is specified in the command, the editor is loaded with the text
of the specified file, otherwise the editor is invoked to create a new
file.
Command Qualifiers:
/EDIT
The default action is to call the editor to create the posting. If you
specify a file as a parameter to the WRITE command, and also specify the
qualifier /NOEDIT , no call is made to the editor.
/CONTROL="string"
/CONTROL is a NEWS Manager privileged qualifier. The string specified as
the value of this qualifier is inserted into the posting as a "Control:"
header line argument.
/HEADERS
Write will normally prompt for the subject of the posting, and a list of
newsgroups to post the item into. All other header lines of the news item
text will be filled with default values.
The /HEADERS qualifier will force prompting for optional components of the
item header. These fields are:
Summary: A one line summary of the contents of the posting.
Reply-To: The (internet) mail address for REPLYing to the item - used if
replies are to be sent to a mail address OTHER than yourself (as the
originator of the item.
Distribution: A (comma separated) list of keywords designed to limit the
distribution of a news item to a subset of the network. These keywords are
site specific, but commonly include the keyword "local" (do not forward to
the net!).
Followup-To: The list of newsgroups where followup postings are to be
sent. This is used to move a discussion to another newsgroup.
Keywords: A few relevant, pithy keywords which should indicate to other
readers if the item is of interest.
Expires: A date to indicate the end of the useful life of the information
in the message. NEWS will reject expirations greater than 12 months as
being too outlandish.
/NEWSGROUPS=newsgrouplist
This qualifier specifies the list of newsgroups to receive the posting. If
this qualifier value is not specified, the user is prompted for the
newsgroups. The list is a comma separated list of newsgroup names.
/ROT13
Specifies that the body of the posting will be encrypted using ROT13
on posting to NEWS.
/SELF
If specified a copy of your posting is mailed to yourself via VMS
MAIL.
/SUBJECT="subject string"
Specifies the subject of the message for the heading. If not
specified, the user is prompted for the subject string.
6. Moderated Newsgroups
This section describes how moderated newsgroups are configured and
maintained.
A moderated newsgroup is one where posting to the newsgroup is barred to
all users other than the nominated moderator. Only the moderator may post
new items into the newsgroup, and only the original sender, the moderator
and the local system manager may post a cancel referring to an item in a
moderated newsgroup.
Where users attempt to post to a moderated newsgroup, the posting is
automatically re-directed to the newsgroup moderator address as mail
addressed to the moderator's address.
Management of Moderated Newsgroups
The local news manager is responsible for defining moderated newsgroups,
and also specifying the address of the moderator. The management commands
are the SET NEWSGROUP and the CREATE commands, specifying the qualifier
/MODERATOR, with the moderator's address as the value of this qualifier.
Some network-wide newsgroups are also moderated newsgroups. This is managed
by the "checkgroups" control message, which specifies which newsgroups are
moderated (but note that this message will not specify the actual moderator
address).
The local specification of moderated newsgroups is held in two areas of the
NEWS database: each newsgroup descriptor contains a flag indicating whether
the newsgroup is moderated or not, and a second file (the MAILPATHS file)
contains the addresses of all newsgroup moderators.
The format of the "mailpaths" file, containing the moderated newsgroup
names, and the internet address of the moderator. However this file does
not contain a comprehensive list of newsgroup moderators for the network-
defined newsgroups: when examining the support structures for the USENET
news network, one of the relevant aspects of the network is the presence on
the net of a number of "backbone" sites. These backbone sites contain an
up-to-date list of the moderators of all network newsgroups, and are also
configured to forward all moderated newsgroup postings on to the correct
moderator. The scheme used in addressing the moderator via a backbone site
is one where a posting to the moderated newsgroup "comp.animals" (say) is
directed to the address "comp-animals@<backbone_node>". The reserved
newsgroup name "backbone" matches all newsgroups, and the address may
contain the string "%s", which requires the actual newsgroup name to be
substituted, with '_' replacing all '.' characters in the newsgroup name.
The scan of the file is first match found.
Once the "mailpaths" file is initialized with the backbone entry, all
further modifications to the file can be performed within NEWS, using the
SET NEWSGROUP command.
POST
The POST command will normally re-direct all postings to a moderated
newsgroup to the moderator (as mail).
However if the user's internet address (built by using the logical name
translation of NEWS_ADDRESS in the format "<username>@<news_address>")
matches the moderator address, the posting is allowed, and the posted item
is marked as "Approved" so that the item will be distributed correctly
through the network.
ADD FILE/MODERATOR
This is a variant of the ADD FILE command, and is the method whereby a
newsgroup moderator may add new items into the newsgroup. This differs from
the POST command in so far as the "From:" address is preserved as the
original submitter when using the ADD command, whereas POST assumes the
posting was originated by the moderator.
If the original submitter posted to a number of moderated newsgroups, then
the procedure will request confirmation to forward the item to the next
moderator in turn, or if the item is already approved by all other
moderators the posting will then be placed in all the moderated newsgroups
specified by the original submitter.
Other optional qualifiers to the ADD command are documented in the command
reference section of this manual, and are available with the /MODERATOR
qualifier.
CANCEL
The CANCEL command is also altered by a moderated newsgroup, in so far as
the moderator of the newsgroup may issue the CANCEL command (as well as the
original submitter).
7. Utilities: NNTP_XMIT
NNTP_XMIT is a utility used to send news items from the local system to a
remote system using the NNTP transfer protocols. The actual protocol used
is the local system sending "ihave" messages to the remote system notifying
that system of locally held message identifier strings, to which the remote
system will either respond with a "please send me" string to receive the
actual text of the relevant item, or a rejection indicating that it already
has the item. This utility essentially makes the local system is the active
partner in the transfer.
The list of message identifier strings is set up by NEWS itself when
performing both ADDing of NEWS batch files or local POSTing of news items.
In either case the NEWS.SYS file is consulted, and if the system flag is
'n' or 'nx', then the message identifier string is appended into the
message file for each relevant remote system.
The message identifier files are, by default, organised as sequential text
files with one identifier string per line. In most cases this should be
adequate, but where the NEWS traffic level is high, or the remote system is
connected with a low bandwidth line, there may be contention on this file
between the NEWS writer and the NNTP_XMIT reader. In such cases the 'nx'
flag should used in the NEWS.SYS file, and a shared access RMS indexed file
is used to store the message identifier strings.
Installation
NEWS_FILES:[NEWS_DIST]NNTP_XMIT.EXE is created by the NEWSBUILD procedure.
The installation procedure is to copy this file to the news_manager area,
and ensure that the protection (or ACLs) on the .EXE file are such that
only the NEWS_MANAGER account may execute the program. The NEW_MANAGER
account login.com should also contain the entry:
$ NNTP_XMIT :== $ NEWS_MANAGER:NNTP_XMIT
Execution
The execution of NNTP_XMIT should be using a procedure such as:
$ ! Obtain SYSPRV to allow reading of all NEWS item files
$ SET PROC/PRIV=SYSPRV
$ NNTP_XMIT command parameters
Command Parameters
$ NNTP_XMIT [-s] [-x] [-t decnet-task] node protocol id-file [log-file]
[debug-file]
-s optional parameter
-s is used in conjunction with the DECnet protocol to specify that
stream input routines should be used instead of record-based input calls.
This is only relevant when connecting to a remote NNTP server running on an
Ultrix platform over DECnet. For remote VMS systems, this option is not
required.
-x optional parameter
-x is used to specify that the id-file is an RMS indexed file
(corresponding to the 'nx' flag in the NEWS.SYS file entry.. If not
specified sequential text read functions will be used to read the file.
-t decnet-task optional parameter
-t is used to specify the remote DECnet object string. By default
NNTP_XMIT will attempt to connect to the defined task for the remote node.
For remote Ultrix DECnet NNTP servers the parameter -t NNTP= should be
used. The parameter is not consulted if the TCP protocol is selected.
node required parameter
node is used to specify the name of the remote system. In the case of
DECnet this is normally the DECnet nodename, and in the case of TCP, the
TCP node name. An IP address may be used instead of a node name.
protocol required parameter
protocol is used to specify the transport protocol to use. This
keyword may be either DECNET or TCP. In the case of TCP, normally NEWSBUILD
will determine which of the supported TCP implementations (Multinet, WIN or
CMU) has been loaded into the local system, and will use this as the
default TCP protocol automatically. The keywords MULTINET, WIN and CMU may
be used instead of TCP. In the case of TCP the NNTP_XMIT process will
attempt to connect to remote TCP port 119 (the remote NNTP_server port).
id-file required parameter
id-file is the full filename of the message-identifier file to use as
input to the NNTP_XMIT process.
log-file optional parameter
log-file is the name of a file to which will be appended a one line
summary of the activity of the NNTP_XMIT process on completion. This
summary will list the number of identifiers offered to the remote system,
the number accepted, rejected, and the number of local lookup failures.
debug-file optional parameter
debug file is the name of a file which will receive a full traffic log
of NNTP_XMIT. This file will expand quite rapidly when processing a large
batch of identifiers, so the parameter should be used only in a controlled
testing environment.
Alternatively the command parameters may be specified using a conventional
VMS qualifier syntax:
$ NNTP_XMIT/NODE=node/PROTOCOL=proto/IDFILE=idfile[/LOGFILE=log]
[/TASK=task][/DEBUGFILE=dbgfile][/INDEXID][/STREAM]
Logical Name Environment
There are two logical names which are consulted by NNTP_XMIT:
NEWS_node_TASK
This logical name is translated if the DECnet protocol is selected,
and no -t command parameter is used. If this logical name is defined, then
the translation is used as the task string. If no such logical name exists,
then the default string of "TASK=NNTP" is used. e.g.
$ DEFINE NEWS_EMU_TASK "NNTP="
will cause NNTP to use the object string "NNTP=" when connecting to
node EMU.
NEWS_STOP
If defined as a /SYSTEM/EXEC logical name, NNTP_XMIT will not run, and
the process will stop as soon as this name is defined during execution (see
the next section).
Actions
NNTP_XMIT will establish a NNTP connection to the remote system, and then
commence a sequence of "ihave" messages to the remote server. The remote
server will respond with either a send text or a reject response.
This process will continue until:
a) the input identifier file is fully read, or
b) 5,000 message identifiers are offered to the remote system (this number
is a compile time constant, NNTP_MAX_OFFER in NNTP_XMIT.C), or
c) the logical name 'NEWS_STOP" is defined on the local system as a
/STSTEM/EXEC logical name, or
d) the remote or local system terminates the transport link.
There are two ways in which NNTP_XMIT manages the identifier file:
Sequential files (the default reader) are opened in read mode, and a second
work file NNTP_pid.tmp is opened in the same directory in write mode. If an
item cannot be locally read, then the text will be written to this temp
file for a subsequent retry. If the transfer is terminated before complete
reading of the input file, all unoffered message identifier strings are
then written into this work file. On exit the original input file is
deleted, and the work file is renamed to the original input file name.
With indexed files, NNTP_XMIT makes a sequential pass thorough the file.
All offers (i.e. remote acceptance or remote rejection) are followed by
deletion of the corresponding record from the identifier file.
Compilation constants
NNTP_MAX_OFFER
The maximum number of items to offer to the remote system in any
single execution pass. Distribution setting is 5000.
CLIENT_TIMER
The maximum time which the local system will wait for remote data
before terminating the link on a timeout. The distribution value is 250
(seconds).
RESP_TIMER
The maximum time to wait when "pinging" the remote system to check
that it is still alive. The distribution value is 30 (seconds).
Examples
$ nntp_xmit wombat.bush.au tcp
news_manager_dev:[ihave_wombat]wombat.idx news_manager:nntpxmit.log
This command will contact the remote system wombat.bush.au using tcp.
$ nntp_xmit emu decnet -s -t "NNTP=" news_manager_dev:[ihave_emu]emu.ids
news_manager:nntpxmit.log
This command will use DECnet to contact the remote Ultrix NNTP server
over DECnet
$ nntp_xmit koala decnet news_manager_dev:[ihave_koala]koala.ids
news_manager:nntpxmit.log
This command will use DECNET to contact a remote VMS NNTP server.
8. Utilities: NNTP_XFER
NNTP_XFER is a utility used to retrieve news items from a remote system to
the local system using the NNTP transfer protocols. The actual protocol
used is the local system sending "newnews" messages to the remote system
requesting that system to transmit the message identifier strings of remote
held items, to which the local system may respond with a subsequent
sequence of "article" requests to retrieve those items not held locally.
This utility essentially makes the local system is the active partner in
the transfer.
The list of message identifier strings returned is not filtered: all
message identifiers of both remote local and remote network news items are
returned. It is left to the local NEWS system to apply a local filter to
all articles returned by NNTP_XFER while adding these items into the local
NEWS database.
Installation
NEWS_FILES:[NEWS_DIST]NNTP_XFER.EXE is created by the NEWSBUILD procedure.
The installation procedure is to copy this file to the news_manager area,
and ensure that the protection (or ACLs) on the .EXE file are such that
only the NEWS_MANAGER account may execute the program. The NEWS_MANAGER
account login.com should also contain the entry:
$ NNTP_XFER :== $ NEWS_MANAGER:NNTP_XFER
Execution
The execution of NNTP_XFER should be using a procedure such as:
$ ! Obtain SYSPRV to allow reading of all NEWS item files
$ SET PROC/PRIV=SYSPRV
$ NNTP_XFER command parameters
Command Parameters
$ NNTP_XFER -n node -p proto [-l log] [-d days] [-h hours] [-t task]
[-g group] [-s] [-o]
-n node required parameter
node is used to specify the name of the remote system. In the case of
DECnet this is normally the DECnet nodename, and in the case of TCP, the
TCP node name. An IP address may be used instead of a node name.
-p protocol required parameter
protocol is used to specify the transport protocol to use. This
keyword may be either DECNET or TCP. In the case of TCP, normally NEWSBUILD
will determine which of the supported TCP implementations (Multinet, WIN or
CMU) has been loaded into the local system, and will use this as the
default TCP protocol automatically. The keywords MULTINET, WIN and CMU may
be used instead of TCP. In the case of TCP the NNTP_XMIT process will
attempt to connect to remote TCP port 119 (the remote NNTP_server port).
-l log optional parameter
log is the name of a file to which will be appended a one line summary
of the activity of the NNTP_XFER process on completion. This summary will
list the number of identifiers offered to the remote system, the number
accepted, rejected, and the number of local lookup failures.
-d days optional parameter
days is used to specify that NNTP_XFER should request all message
identifiers that were added to the remote system in the period days days
before the most recent NNTP_XFER call to this remote system and the current
time. If the parameter is set to 0, then only those identifiers added since
the last call (plus 1 hour) will be returned. i.e. if the last call to node
was at 10:00 am Wednesday, a parameter of -d 0 will request all messages
added since 10:00 am Wednesday, and a parameter of -d 1 will request all
messages added since 10:00am Tuesday.
This is not as straightforward as it sounds, as VMS always uses local
time, whereas some Unix systems assume all NNTP dates are GMT dates. Also
when working across timezones some fine adjustment is also needed to
compensate for the time difference.
-h hours optional parameter
hours specifies the additional hours to add onto the time search in
the same fashion as days.
-t task optional parameter
task is used to specify the remote DECnet object string. By default
NNTP_XMIT will attempt to connect to the defined task for the remote node.
For remote Ultrix DECnet NNTP servers the parameter -t NNTP= should be
used. The parameter is not consulted if the TCP protocol is selected. The
default value is "TASK=NNTP"
-g group optional parameter
group is used to specify the newsgroup to be searched on the remote
system. If the parameter is omitted then all newsgroups on the remote
system are searched. The group parameter may either contain the name of a
single group, or a list of newsgroups delimited by a comma. The "8"
wildcard character may be used, as well as the '!' character to exclude
spcific newsgroups from the resultant wildcard expansion. The default value
used is "*".
-s optional parameter
-s is used in conjunction with the DECnet protocol to specify that
stream input routines should be used instead of record-based input calls.
This is only relevant when connecting to a remote NNTP server running on an
Ultrix platform over DECnet. For remote VMS systems, this option is not
required.
-o optional parameter
-o is used to echo all NNTP traffic to the screen. This option is only
used for debugging purposes.
Alternatively the command parameters may be specified using a conventional
VMS qualifier syntax:
$ NNTP_XFER/NODE=node/PROTOCOL=proto[/LOGFILE=log][/DAYOFFSET=days]
[/HOUROFFSET=hours][/TASK=task][/GROUPS=group][/STREAM][/DEBUG]
Logical Name Environment
There is one logical name which is consulted by NNTP_XFER:
NEWS_node_TASK
This logical name is translated if the DECnet protocol is selected,
and no -t command parameter is used. If this logical name is defined, then
the translation is used as the task string. If no such logical name exists,
then the default string of "TASK=NNTP" is used. e.g.
$ DEFINE NEWS_EMU_TASK "NNTP="
will cause NNTP to use the object string "NNTP=" when connecting to
node EMU.
Actions
NNTP_XFER will first open status files. All file names used by NNTP_XFER
use the remote node name as a part of the file name. When constructing
filenames, all '.' characters in the remote node name are replaced by '-'
characters.
e.g. connecting to "wombat.bush.au" will result is a set of files of the
form: news_manager:*wombat-bush-au*.*
The files used are:
NEWS_MANAGER:NNTP_node.LASTCALL. This file contains the time of the
previous successful execution of NNTP_XFER to this node.
NEWS_MANAGER:NNTP_node.IDS. This is a work file used by NNTP_XFER
NEWS_MANAGER:NNTP_node_partno.BATCH are output files generated by
NNTP_XFER.
In the case that the -g parameter is specified the "node" component of the
abovce filenames is expanded to the string "node_group-parameter".
NNTP_XFER establishes a connection to the remote system, and then looks for
any existing .IDS files which refer to the remote node. If any are found,
then NNTP_XFER will read the file (containing a list of message
identifiers, and retrieve the text of the items, placing them into the
output files.
The second phase is establishing the date and time of the last successful
NNTP_XFER run, and requesting the remote system to transfer the message ids
of all new items which were loaded since the specified time (the "newnews"
NNTP command). The output of this is placed in a .IDS output file. The NNTP
connection with the remote system is terminated at the end of this phase.
The third phase of NNTP_XFER reads the .IDS file created from the previous
phase, and attempts to locate the message identifiers on the local data
base. All items that are not held locally are placed in a new version of
the .IDS file. On completion of this phase the previous version of the .IDS
file is deleted.
In the final phase contact is reestablished with the remote system, and all
identifiers in the .IDS file are passed to the remote system to collect the
corresponding texts. (using the "article" NNTP command). On successful
completion the .IDS file is deleted, and all collected texts are in NNTP
*.BATCH files in NEWS_MANAGER.
The .LASTCALL file is updated, and the program exits.
The output BATCH files can then be processed by the NEWS ADD command for
inclusion into the local database.
Compilation constants
MAX_BATCH_SIZE
NNTP_XFER appends each collected item into a batch file. A new version
of the file is created once the size of the file exceeds the specified size
(in bytes). The distribution code sets this constant to 250000.
MAX_RESTART_ATTEMPT
NNTP_XFER will stay connected for considerable periods, particularly
if there are low speed links between two systems, and the link may be
broken by the underlying TCP software. NNTP_XFER will attempt to restart a
broken connection, which often is sufficient. To stop these restart
attempts continuing indefinitely, NNTP_XFER will only restart a link a
certain number of times. The distribution code sets this constant to 20.
CLIENT_TIMER
The maximum time which the local system will wait for remote data
before terminating the link on a timeout. The distribution value is 250
(seconds).
RESP_TIMER
The maximum time to wait when "pinging" the remote system to check
that it is still alive. The distribution value is 30 (seconds).
Examples
$ nntp_xfer -n wombat.bush.au -p tcp -l news_manager:nntpxfer.log
This command will contact the remote system wombat.bush.au using tcp.
$ nntp_xmit -n emu -p decnet -s -t "NNTP=" -l news_manager:nntpxfer.log -g
animals.*
This command will use DECnet to contact the remote Ultrix NNTP server
over DECnet for newsgroups matching "animals.*"
$ nntp_xmit -n koala -p decnet -l news_manager:nntpxfer.log
This command will use DECNET to contact a remote VMS NNTP server.
9. Utilities: NNTP_CLIENT
NNTP_CLIENT is a utility used to test reachability to a remote NNTP server.
The program attempts to establish an interactive session with the remote
server, allowing the user to send NNTP commands to the server. In the case
of a connection made over TCP, this is equivalent to a telnet session to
the remote NNTP port; telnet/port=119. There is no direct equivalent with
DECnet.
Installation
NEWS_FILES:[NEWS_DIST]NNTP_CLIENT.EXE is created by the NEWSBUILD
procedure. The installation procedure is to copy this file to the
news_manager area.
Execution
The execution of NNTP_CLIENT is by simple invocation with the RUN command:
$ RUN NNTP_CLIENT
Command Parameters
There are no command line parameters to NNTP_CLIENT. The program prompts
for all required settings.
$ RUN NNTP_CLIENT
Node: enter DECnet nodename, TCP /IP node name, or TCP/IP
address
Channel: (DECNET, TCP)? [DECNET]: enter DECNET or TCP
If a DECNET channel is selected the following additional DECnet parameters
are required by NNTP_CLIENT:
Decnet objects are commonly of the form:
TASK=NNTP used by most VMS NNTP server implementations
NNTP= used by Ultrix NNTP servers
NEWS= used by some VMS NNTP server implementations
Decnet Object string? [TASK=NNTP] : enter task string, or use default
value
Use DECnet stream input calls (normally only with Ultrix NNTP server)?
[N]: Y or N
Actions
Following the prompts, NNTP_CLIENT attempts to connect to the remote
server, and if successful this should result in a "200" response from the
server. This is of the general form:
200 NNTP server ready
At this stage valid NNTP commands may be entered (see RFC977 for a
description of NNTP commands). The program will exit when the remote system
drops the connection (after an entered quit command, or a ^Y input.
The program is a constructed from two simple reader / writers, using
asynchronous signals. One process accepts user input records and sends the
complete record to the NNTP server , while the second process assembles
complete server output records and displays them on the local screen.
10. NEWS MANAGEMENT TASKS
NEWS management is a two level hierarchy: management of individual
newsgroups can be set as the responsibility of various local newsgroup
managers (or local supervisor), while overall management of NEWS is the
responsibility of a news manager.
NEWSGROUP MANAGEMENT
A user is nominated as a local newsgroup manager using the ADD MEMBER
command, granting the specified user "MODERATE" privilege. The user can
then access newsgroup management commands by first enabling the privilege
using the SET MODERATOR command.
A newsgroup moderator can modify the access list of a newsgroup (ADD
MEMBER, DELETE MEMBER, MODIFY MEMBER) and can also cancel any local
postings made into the managed newsgroup (CANCEL). The management domain of
a local newsgroup manager does not extend outside the local system, and all
operations accessible to the local newsgroup manager only affect the local
node.
NEWS MANAGEMENT
NEWS managers are identified to NEWS by holding a site-specific identifier.
A user with this identifier can access all newsgroups regardless of access
restrictions, and can issue all management commands, including local
newsgroup management commands. All management commands check to determine
whether the user is a NEWS manager before executing the command.
The news manager normally controls the execution of the batch jobs which
update and skim off the local NEWS database (ADD and SKIM commands), and
manage attributes of the local database (SET commands). All these commands
are documented in the command reference section of this document, with a
note to the effect that the command is a NEWS MANAGEMENT command.
The responsibility of the local NEWS manager also includes that of the
maintenance of the various site-specific control files. The files and their
function are documented in the sections describing the NEWS distribution
set and NEWS installation.
11. NEWS Distribution
The software is distributed in source and executable formats. The
executables for V6.0 were compiled and linked using VAX/VMS V5.3 and VAX 11
C V3.1.
There are four savesets which make up the full distribution:
NEWS_V60_SRC.BCK
NEWS_V60_OBJ.BCK
NEWS_V60_DIST.BCK
NEWS_V60_DOC.BCK
The following is an annotated directory listing of the NEWS V6.0
distribution file sets:
11.1 SRC Distribution
The SRC kit contains the sources to the NEWS package. The files in that kit
are as follows.
VMS system definition files:
UAF.H Definition of the SYSUAF record contents (from UAFDEF). Used by
ARBITRON.C.
Other system definition files are used from sys$library - these files are
part of the VAX 11 C package (Release 3.0 or later), and are also part of
the GNU C package.
NEWS utility definition files. These are the common include files added to
the start of all NEWS source code modules. Together they implement a
consistent compile-time environment for all modules that are used to build
NEWS:
NEWSDEFINE.H Constant and macro definitions.
NEWSEXTERN.H External variable definition for source modules, and function
profile definitions.
NEWSINCLUDE.H Include file set for all source modules.
NEWSSITE.H NEWS compile-time constants - may be altered to suit local
requirements.
NEWSVARIABLES.H NEWS global variables definition module.
The following set are the C sources to the main NEWS program. The modules
are split on the basis of the commands that each module implements:
NEWS.C NEWS entry point and outer control loop.
NEWSADD.C Add command routines.
NEWSCALLEDIT.C Interface to a customizable callable editor
NEWSCONTROL.C Routines to interpret network Control: messages
NEWSDELETE.C Delete command routines.
NEWSDIR.C Directory command routines.
NEWSDISPLAY.C Display item text on screen.
NEWSDIST.C Routines to manage the news network configuration files.
NEWSEXTRACT.C Extract/Print command routines.
NEWSFILES.C File manipulation routines
NEWSFORWARD.C Forward/Reply/Mail command routines.
NEWSHELP.C Help command routines.
NEWSMOD.C Moderated newsgroup support routines
NEWSMODE.C Set terminal mode routines.
NEWSPOST.C Post/Followup command routines.
NEWSRC.C Routines to read and write the NEWS profile file
NEWSREAD.C Read command routines.
NEWSREGISTER.C Register/Deregister command routines.
NEWSREMCLIENT.C Utility routines to access remote NNTP Server.
NEWSRTL.C Common utility routines used by both NEWS and NNTP.
NEWSSEARCH.C Search command routines.
NEWSSELECT.C Select command routines.
NEWSSETSHOW.C Set and Show command routines, plus create newsgroup support.
NEWSSITE.C Loading site specific logical name values.
NEWSSKIM.C Skim command routines.
NEWSSKIP.C SKIP command routines.
NEWSUTILITY.C Various utility routines for NEWS.
NEWSV58_UPGRADE.C Conversion routines to build NEWS V6.0 from pre V5.8
NEWS versions.
NEWSVMSMAIL.C Routines to open a mail file for reading by NEWS
ADD_TRANSFORM.C Translation from internet address format to one
acceptable to VMS MAIL.
The NEWS command language definition file:
NEWSCMD.CLD NEWS command language definition file (NEWS uses the CLI
parser command parsing).
The source modules for the NNTP implementation:
NNTP_CLIENT.C Interactive access to remote NNTP server.
NNTP_DEC.C DECNET driver for NNTP server.
NNTP_DECM.C DECNET driver for NNTP server, supporting multiple clients on
a single server process.
NNTP_SERVER.C Source for NNTP NEWS Server object.
NNTP_TCPCMU.C TCP driver for NNTP server, for the CMU/Tek implementation of
TCP/IP for VMS.
NNTP_TCPWINMULTINET.C TCP driver for NNTP server for Multinet and WIN
TCP/IP implementations.
NNTP_TTY.C TTY (interactive access) driver for NNTP server.
NNTP_XFER.C NNTP client to transfer NEWS items from a remote node to the
local node.
NNTP_XMIT.C NNTP client to transfer NEWS items to a remote node from the
local node.
NEWS On-line help library source:
NEWS.HLP Help library source.
Compilation and link files:
NEWSBUILD.COM DCL command procedure to perform a make of NEWS executables
OPTIONS_C_LINK.OPT Link options commands
OPTIONS_C_MULTINETLINK.OPT Link options command file with Multinet
support.
OPTIONS_C_UCXIPCLINK.OPT Link options command file with UCX IPC socket
support.
Additional utilities (Included within the NEWS distribution - the VMS port
of these utilities were performed by Lenny Glassman (Arbitron), and Earle
Ake (INPATHS).
ARBITRON.C NEWS usage information gatherer.
INPATHS.C NEWS flow information gatherer.
11.2 OBJ Distribution
The OBJ distribution contains the object library modules and the "dummy"
object files used in the BUILDNEWS command procedure. Note that many of the
OBJ files are actually text files - these files are used only to determine
the date and time of the last change to the corresponding module within the
object library files, and hence do not need to contain the actual compiled
object code. To save space the BUILDNEWS.COM procedure replaces the object
file with an object marker file following the change to the object library
file.
The individual .OBJ files are not listed here. The two object library files
are:
NEWS_LIBRARY.OLB Object modules compiled with OPT and NODEBUG
NEWS_LIBRARYD.OLB Object modules compiled with NOOPT and DEBUG
11.3 DIST Distribution
This distribution contains the executables and the associated DCL command
procedures, control template files, and with release information.
Release information:
000README.TXT V6.0 Beta test comments (pre V6.0)
\item{000_NEWSV58.NOTES} -- Upgrade notes for NEWS V5.8. Please read this
file
first.
\item{AAAREADME.TXT} -- distribution documentation.
\item{RELEASE_NOTES.TXT} -- brief description of changes to NEWS from
previous
versions, and a listing of known bugs.
\item{NEWS.DOC} -- This file.
\end{description}
Executable files. All executables in this release have been compiled and
linked
under VMS V5.0-2. Users of VMS V4.x will need to re-link the object files.
\begin{description}
\item{NEWS.EXE} -- NEWS utility.
\item{NNTP_DEC.EXE} -- NNTP server, DECnet transport.
\item{NNTP_DECM.EXE} -- NNTP server, DECnet transport, multithreaded
server.
\item{NNTP_TCPCMU.EXE} -- NNTP server, CMU/Tek TCP/IP transport.
\item{NNTP_TTY.EXE} -- NNTP server, interactive interface.
\item{NNTP_CLIENT.EXE} -- NNTP interactive client (test utility).
\item{NNTP_FEED.EXE} -- NEWS network transport utility, NNTP protocols.
\end{description}
On-line HELP file
\begin{description}
\item{NEWS.HLB} -- On-line help library for NEWS.
\end{description}
All the files in the next list are site-specific template files, which MUST
be
edited before installing on the local system. Each of these files contains
detailed descriptions of how the file is to be edited, and what aspects of
NEWS
are controlled by the contents of the files.
\begin{description}
\item{MAILPATHS} -- Template of the control file used to generate the
internet
addresses of moderators of newsgroups.
\item{NEWS.DISTRIBUTION} -- Template of news distribution control file --
used
to
determine the network routing of newsitems between adjacent news network
neighbours.
\item{NEWS.SYS} -- Template of the control file used to determine which
newsgroups and
distribution keywords are accepted by the local NEWS site, and which
newsgroups
and distribution keywords are accepted by the local node's adjacent NEWS
network neighbours.
\item{SETUP_LOG_EXAMPLE.COM} -- Template file for NEWS logical name
definitions.
\item{NEWSSKIM.COM} -- Template automatic news management routine (designed
for
periodic execution in a batch stream).
\item{NEWSADD.COM} -- Component of NEWSSKIM which handles addition of
network
batches
and distribution to downstream sites.
\item{NEWSDAILY.COM} -- Component of NEWSSKIM which performs expiration of
items
and internal consistency checks on the news database.
\item{NEWSPACK.COM} -- Component of NEWSSKIM which calls CONVERT to
compress
the RMS indexed files.
\item{NEWS_ADDRESS.CNF} -- Template file for translation rules to map
internet-style
addresses to a form acceptable to the local VMS MAIL system.
\item{NEWS_POST.CC} -- Template file for the automatic generation of carbon
copies
of all local postings.
\item{NEWS_POST.DEFAULTS} -- Default header definition file for local
postings.
\item{NNTP_FEED.COM} -- Template for passing NEWS distributions to adjacent
nodes using the NNTP protocols.
\item{NNTP_ACCESS.NEWS} -- Template for NNTP permissions file to control
NNTP
access
to the local node.
\item{NEWS.ALIASES} -- Template of local news newsgroup alias definitions -
-
used
to create a local aliases for a network newsgroup name.
\item{NEWSEDIT_EXAMPLE.COM} -- Template file for invoking an editor from
NEWS
(other
than callable TPU or callable EDT).
\end{description}
The following are user-contributed files which have been added into this
distribution:
\begin{description}
\item{NEWSSKIM_ALT.COM} -- Alternate template file for NEWS management
operations.
\item{DCLNEWS.HLP} -- DCL-level help file for NEWS.
\end{description}
4. DOC Distribution
\begin{description}
\item{NEWS.LATEX} -- LaTeX source of this document.
\item{NEWS.MSS} -- Scribe source of this document.
\item{FILES.MSS} -- Component of NEWS.MSS - description of distribution
files
and
installation procedures.
\item{FILES.TEX} -- Component of NEWS.LATEX - description of distribution
files and
installation procedures
\item{MGR.MSS} -- Component of NEWS.MSS - description of management
commands.
\item{MGR.TEX} -- Component of NEWS.LATEX - description of management
commands.
\item{USER.MSS} -- Component of NEWS.MSS - description of user commands.
\item{USER.TEX} -- Component of NEWS.LATEX - description of user commands.
\item{RFC977.DOC} -- News Network Transfer Protocol standard.
\item{NEWS-STANDARD.DOC} -- Usenet news standard (pre-RFC1036).
\item{NEWS-STANDARD.ANNOTATED} -- Standard, annotated with capabilities and
exceptions
related to this version of VMS NEWS.
\item{RFC1036.DOC} -- USENET News standard.
\end{description}
\chapter{Installing NEWS}
The following section describe the necessary steps to install NEWS on a
system.
Note that where possible these steps should be performed in the order as
given
in this text.
NOTE: NEWS is shipped with object and executable files included, but these
files were built using VMS V5.0-2. If you are running a different version
of
VMS then minimally you will need to re-link the NEWS object files
\section{Installing NEWS files}
\begin{enumerate}
\item Load *.C, *.H, *.HLP, *.CLD, *.OPT and NEWSBUILD.COM files into the
directory
{\it device}:[{\it dir}.{\bf news.news_src}]. This set of files corresponds
to
the
SRC backup saveset of the distribution. The latter two directory names,
NEWS
and NEWS_SRC are critical when using the supplied DCL {\bf newsbuild}
routine.
\item Create the directory {\it device}:[{\it dir}.{\bf news.news_build}].
Load the
contents of the OBJ backup saveset into this directory.
\item Create the directory {\it device}:[{\it dir}.{\bf news.news_dist}].
Load
the
EXE backup saveset into this directory.
\item Create the directory {\it device}:[{\it dir}.{\bf news.news_build}].
Load the
DOC backup saveset into this directory.
\end{enumerate}
\section{Compiling and Linking NEWS}
One command procedure performs both the compile and link phases of NEWS.
The
procedure works on the revision date-time of the file to determine whether
any
files require re-compilation before linking.
The procedure will also automatically include support for WIN TCP if
certain
WIN definition files are located on the system. Check the code in
{\bf newsbuild.com} for details of this.
Execute the {\bf newsbuild} command procedure:
\begin{verbatim}
$ SET def dev:[dir.NEWS.NEWS_BUILD]
$ @[-.NEWS_SRC]NEWSBUILD
\end{verbatim}
(The SET DEFAULT command to the news_build directory is critical to the
build
procedure)
This procedure creates a new set of .EXE files in the NEWS_DIST directory.
which are used in the following installation steps.
\section{NEWS Accounts}
Add an account for a NEWS manager ({\bf NEWSMGR} if you'd like a username
suggestion). This account is used to execute the housekeeping batch jobs
(such
as {\bf newsskim} if you are using it). It is also used as the account for
the
network feeds to adjacent NEWS sites, and therefore should have proxy
entries
to adjacent DECnet nodes' NEWS manager accounts if more than one node will
be
running NEWS on the DECnet.
The account normally requires SYSPRV to execute some of the functions
associated with the 'housekeeping' batch jobs. The account may also need a
reasonable disk quota if you are anticipating a large amount of network
news
flowing through your system, and you make this account own the news posting
directories.
\section{Logical Names}
It is intended that much of the local tailoring of NEWS is performed by
logical name translations. For this reason the logical name structure is
important when installing NEWS - please read this section carefully.
NOTE: It is important that these names be defined before running NEWS for
the first time.
The distribution set includes the following file: {\bf
setup_log_example.com}
\begin{verbatim}
$ ! SETUP_LOG_EXAMPLE.COM
$ !
$ ! Logical name definition template - this will need to be altered to
$ ! match local site requirements
$ !
$ ! Author:
$ ! G Huston
$ ! Computer Services Centre
$ ! Australian National University
$ !
$ ! Version:
$ ! V1.0 17-Jul-1986
$ ! V2.0 16-Jul-1987
$ ! V4.3 12-Jan-1987 GIH
$ ! V5.2 26-Apr-1988 GIH
$ ! V5.6 3-Nov-1988 GIH
$ ! V5.7 3-Jan-1989 GIH
$ ! - Added entries for rnews and newsmail mail addresses
$ !
$ !**********************************************************************
$!
$! root of news tree
$!
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXEC NEWS_ROOT ANUDISK:[NEWS]
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM/TRANS=(conc)/EXEC NEWS_DEVICE CSC3$DUB0:[NEWS.]
$!
$! News manager accounts must own this identifier
$!
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXEC NEWS_MGR_ID NEWSMANAGER
$!
$! the node address is the internet address of the node
$!
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXEC NEWS_ADDRESS "CSC3.ANU.OZ"
$!
$! the node name is either the decnet node name, or cluster decnet alias
$!
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXEC NEWS_NODE CSC3
$!
$! The "work directory" for news - normally sys$login of the
$! news manager account
$!
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXEC NEWS_MANAGER ANUDISK:[NEWS_MGR]
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM/TRANS=(conc)/EXEC NEWS_MANAGER_DEV CSC3$DUB0:[NEWS_MGR.]
$!
$! Timezone,Organisation definition
$!
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXEC NEWS_TIMEZONE "AET"
$ DEFINE NEWS_ORGANISATION "CSC, Australian National University"
$!
$! Mail addresses; these could also be setup as mail forwarding addresses
$!
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM NEWSMAIL NEWSMGR
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM RNEWS NEWSMGR
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM USENET NEWSMGR
\end{verbatim}
Description of names:
\begin{description}
\item{NEWS_ROOT, NEWS_DEVICE} Both names point to the news files root
directory. Both
must be defined in {\bf exec} mode. The news data files are placed in a
tree
descending from this root - i.e. newsgroup `aus.wanted' has text files
residing
in the area {\bf news_device:[aus.wanted]}. The Index files and Help file
are
placed in the {\bf news_root} directory.
\item{NEWS_MGR_ID} Translates to the identifier name which must be granted
to
any
users who require the management functions of NEWS (delete newsgroup,
create
newsgroup, etc). The name must be defined in {\bf exec} mode to stop
unauthorized
users tinkering with NEWS.
\item{NEWS_ADDRESS} Translates to the internet address of the host node.
This
is
typically of the form {\it node.site.domain}. The address is used to
generate
the Internet-format "From" address in all postings from this node.
\item{NEWS_NODE} Translates to the local node name. This is made a logical
name to
allow a cluster to operate as a single logical node, using a cluster alias.
All nodes in a cluster should use the same value of NEWS_NODE. This logical
name is also used in the "Path:" header as the local node name.
\item{NEWS_ORGANIZATION (or NEWS_ORGANISATION)} Translates to the name of
the
organisation. This is to help
in identifying the person posting the message to other users on the net.
Users
may use a process level logical name to overide this system value.
\item{NEWS_TIMEZONE} Translates to the local timezone code. If not defined
then
NEWS will assume (incorrectly in almost all cases!) that the local timezone
is "GMT".
\item{NEWS_MANAGER, NEWS_MANAGER_DEV} This is the work directory of the
NEWSMGR
account. All temporary files used in news maintenance are placed here.
NEWS_MANAGER_DEV is the equivalent area, defined as a concealed device.
\item{NEWSMAIL, RNEWS} These are mail address aliases to allow this node to
communicate to adjacent NEWS nodes. They should be defined as the username
of
the NEWS manager account. An alternative is to use MAIL management
utilities
to add add an entry for the addresses "NEWSMAIL" and "RNEWS" with a
forwarding
address
to the NEWS manager account (NEWSMGR).
\item{USENET} This is a mail alias for the local news manager. As above,
this
may either be a logical name or a mail forwarding address.
\end{description}
There are a number of additional logical names which are optional.
NEWS_HELPLIB
NEWS will by default search for the online help file, NEWS.HLB, in the
areas NEWS_ROOT: and SYS$HELP: (in that order). If you wish to place the
NEWS.HLB file in some other area, then use the logical name NEWS_HELPLIB to
define the full name of the help file.
For example:
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM NEWS_HELPLIB LOCAL:[HLP]NEWS.HLB
NEWS_PATHNAME optional
This logical name is used
User Logical Names
NEWSRC
$ DEFINE NEWSRC
default sys$login:newsrc
sys$login:newsrc.localdb
sys$login:newsrc.node-doasmin
Global DCL Symbols
In the system login command script add a symbol for NEWS:
$ NEWS :== $ location:NEWS
Install NEWS.EXE
Copy NEWS.EXE to the location as specified by the DCL symbol for NEWS with
world RE access. Then install the image with SYSPRV:
$ COPY NEWS.EXE location:NEWS.EXE/PROT=W:RE
$ INSTALL
INSTALL> ADD location:NEWS.EXE/OPEN/HEAD/SHARE/PRIV=SYSPRV
INSTALL> EXIT
SYSPRV is required to ensure that users who post news items end up NOT
owning the actual news text files, and also is required to successfully
initialise the indexed files on the first-time execution of the program.
For most of the time NEWS runs with SYSPRV disabled.
Initial Environment
If you are configuring NEWS with a local database then:
1. Using AUTHORIZE, create the news management dentifier (the value of
the logical name NEWS_MGR_ID), and grant the identifier to the user(s) who
will be responsible for the management of NEWS.
Note that the NEWSMGR (news management) account must be granted this
identifier ion order to correctly process incoming network news feeds.
2. Create the directories that have been defined by the logical names
NEWS_MANAGER and NEWS_ROOT. Ensure that the directories are group and world
accessible.
Optionally: Add a propagation ACL to the NEWS_ROOT directory to allow
those users whom you wish to use news to access the item files.
3. Copy NEWS.HLB to NEWS_ROOT: and allow world read access to this file.
Note that for the installation of the NNTP client systems NEWS_ROOT:
may not be defined, or in any case you may wish to place this file
elesewhere on the system. You may optionally place NEWS.HLB in the system
help area, as SYS$HELP:NEWS.HLB, or use the system level logical name
NEWS_HELPLIB to point to another location where you have placed NEWS.HLB.
If you are configuring NEWS as a diskless NNTP Client then:
1. Copy NEWS.HLB to SYS$HELP:NEWS.HLB and allow world read access to this
file.
Note that for the installation you may wish to place this file
elesewhere on the system. You may optionally use a the system level logical
name NEWS_HELPLIB to point to where you have placed NEWS.HLB. i.e.
$DEFINE/SYSTEM NEWS_HELPLIB dev:[dir]NEWS.HLB
\section{NEWS Control Files}
There are six control files -- these files should be read, and then edited
to
match the local site requirements. Each file contains comments as to the
function and format of the file.
\begin{description}
\item{NEWS.SYS} Read (and then EDIT) file {\bf news.sys}. This file
determines which newsgroups you will accept, and which newsgroups your
network
neighbours will accept. The edited version of {\bf news.sys} should be
copied
to
{\bf news_manager:}. Include the entries "local", "junk", "control" and
"to.<node>" (where <node> is the value of NEWS_NODE) in the local node's
filter
set.
\item{NEWS.DISTRIBUTION} Read (and then EDIT) the file {\bf
news.distribution}. This file
determines how news is distributed through your node. If you are an 'end-
node'
for NEWS, then this file should be empty, otherwise the file must be
defined.
The edited version of {\bf news.distribution} should be copied to
{\bf news_manager:}.
\item{NEWS.ALIASES} Read (and then EDIT) the file {\bf news.aliases}. This
file
defines local aliases for newsgroups. If you wish to define local aliases,
edit
this file and copy the edited version to {\bf news_manager:} as {\bf
news.aliases}.
\item{MAILPATHS} Read (and then EDIT) the file {\bf mailpaths.}. This file
defines the
internet addresses of ALL moderators for moderated newsgroups. The edited
version of {\bf mailpaths.} should be copied to {\bf news_manager:}.
\item{NEWSSKIM.COM} Read {\bf newsskim.com}, and modify it to suit your
requirements. See
comments in the code. Then copy the edited file to {\bf news_root}. This
file
is
responsible for the collection and distribution of news items to remote
sites.
\item{NEWS_ADDRESS.CNF} Read this file, and also read the file {\bf
add_transform.c}. If
you are using a local PMDF mail handler, then the default action may be
suitable. Otherwise you will need to edit this file, and copy it
to {\bf news_manager:} as {\bf news_address.cnf}.
\item{NEWS_POST.DEFAULTS} Read this file and decide if it is relevant. If
so
then
edit the file and place a copy it to {\bf news_manager:}.
\item{NEWS_POST.CC} Read this file, and decide if it is relevant. Where
unmoderated
newsgroups are fed from a mailing list, then postings into the newsgroup
may
not be sent back to the central mailing list address. You can place entries
into this file to force cross mailings of local postings back to the
mailing
list address. If necessary, edit this file and copy it to
{\bf news_manager:} as {\bf news_post.cc}. If not required then do not copy
the file to the
{\bf news_manager:} area.
\end{description}
First Time Execution of NEWS
Once ALL the above steps have been completed, login to an account which has
SYSPRV and has the NEWS_MGR_ID identifier, and run NEWS.EXE.
The first time execution will create the files: news_root:news.groups and
news_root:news.items, and also create the authority file,
news_manager:news.license.
Please read the news_manager:news.license file, edit it as instructed, and
return it to the address shown in the file.
This almost completes the installation of NEWS - the remaining task is the
creation of the necessary newsgroups. Use the CREATE/LOCAL command and
create the newsgroups "control" and "junk". If you are on the USENET news
network, obtain a copy of the most recent "checkgroups" posting relevant to
your area of the USENET. Examine the newsgroup names in this posting and
add the root names (e.g. "net" from "net.wombats") of the relevant
newsgroups to your local acceptance filter in news_manager:news.sys. Once
news.sys has been edited, pass this checkgroups posting to NEWS by using
the ADD command with the /EXECUTE qualifier. This wil automatically load
the local NEWS files with the applicable network newsgroups.
12. Upgrading from Previous NEWS Versions
V5.9 - V6.0 Upgrade
The only change in V6.0 over V5.9 is a change in a previously unused field
within the news.groups indexed file as the first used news item number (to
speed up the NNTP Server code). When installing NEWS V6.0 install the NEWS
program first, and perform a SKIM pass. Then install the NNTP server code
following the completion of the SKIM pass. This is optional, and if not
done in this order then the NNTP server will lie about the first used news
item number in each newsgroup (which is exactly what Unix versions of the
NNTP server currently do!).
V5.8 - V5.9 Upgrade
There were no changes to the NEWS file in this version, so that no
particular upgrade actions were required.
V5.7 - V5.8 Upgrade
The first time NEWS V5.8 is executed on a system which has been running
NEWS V5.2 through V5.7, then NEWS will attempt to perform the upgrade to
V5.8 automatically. Note that this upgrade phase requires that the local
NEWS manager account execute the upgrade, so ensure that this account is
the first account to use V5.8.
The automatic upgrade coverts the file news_root:newsgroups.v50 to a new
internal record format, and saves the new format as news_root:news.groups.
Similarly the file news_root:newsitems.v50 is converted to
news_root:news.items. While this conversion is being performed NEWS will
display it's progress on the screen. The conversion phase completes with
the display of the advice to delete the .v50 files. Following this the
upgrade is complete.
If you were running NEWS V5.4 or NEWS V5.6 then delete the file
news_root:history.dat.
13. Installing NNTP Servers
There are three node types with respect to NEWS NNTP: Server nodes, where
the node acts as a server for remote clients, Client-only nodes, which
access one or more server nodes over NNTP, and Server/Client nodes, where
some newsgroups are served from remote NNTP servers, and this node also
acts as an NNTP server for remote client nodes.
13.1 NNTP Access File
For NNTP servers you may wish to set up an access permission file. By
default any remote system is allowed to connect to the NNTP service. Access
can be restricted using an access permission file.
The access file is news_root:nntp_access.news. If this file exists, the
NNTP server will consult this file before accepting a remote client
connection request.
The format of this access file is one entry per line (with the comment
delimiter character as '#'). Each line contains up to four fields,
delimited by blanks:
a - remote host name (or "default") REQUIRED
b - read / transfer permission field REQUIRED
read # read and transfer permission
xfr # no read - transfer only permission
noread # no read, no transfer permission
(the minimum abbreviation is 1 character)
c - post permission field OPTIONAL
post # post access
nopost # no post access [default]
(the minimum abbreviation is 1 character)
d - newsgroup access list OPTIONAL
This is a comma separated list. Access is granted only to those newsgroups
listed in the entry. Wildcard characters '*' and '%' and '?' are supported
in the list, and specific negation, using the '!' character prefix, is also
supported. There is an implicit inclusion of sub-newsgroups within each
entry. For example the entry "wombat" will match against "wombat" and also
"wombat.singles", "wombat.hairy.wild", and so on.
For example:
alpha read nopost # read access, all groups
beta read post *,!alpha # read and post to all but alpha
groups
gamma xfr post # read, transfer, post to all groups
default read nopost *
The relevant line in the permissions file is selected using the remote host
name. The NNTP driver code has support for identification of the remote
host name and remote user;
¥ For the DECNET single channel driver, the remote user is retrieved
using the logical name translations of SYS$REM_NODE and SYS$REM_ID.
¥ For the DECNET multi channel driver the remote host name is set to the
value "DECNET", and the remote user to "NNTP". I have yet to check that the
NCP connection block holds the correct remote task identification.
¥ For the CMU-TEK , Multinet and WIN TCP drivers the remote host is
correctly passed to the server, but the remote user is passed as the
constant value "NNTP"
As well as the permissions, the NEWS access.news individual newsgroup
access lists are now supported by the NNTP server process. The remote user
and host names are used to look up the access.news file before allowing the
NNTP server access to a restricted newsgroup. This behaviour is consistent
with the NEWS definition of a restricted newsgroup.
13.2 NNTP Installation
To install the NNTP NEWS servers, then follow the steps as shown for the
network types below.
You can check the operation of the NNTP server by running the NNTP_CLIENT
program (this program implements an interactive interface to a remote NNTP
server). Running NNTP_CLIENT and specifying the remote node name and
transport protocol should initiate an interactive session with the remote
NNTP server. The welcome message should appear, and you should then obtain
a reasonable response to the "HELP" command. The "QUIT" command will exit
from the remote server.
Once NNTP is installed on the server and client newsgroups can then be set
as NNTP-served newsgroups (see the documentation on the SET command for
details).
13.2.1 Common Logical Name Environment
NEWS_GMT_OFFSET
NNTP uses the value of this logical name to convert from local time to the
equivalent GMT time. The format of the number is a signed timestring in VMS
delta time format.
For example, Canberra, Australia, is 10 hours ahead of GMT. The following
logical name definitions are equivalent:
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM NEWS_GMT_OFFSET "+10:00:00"
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM NEWS_GMT_OFFSET "10:00:00"
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM NEWS_GMT_OFFSET "10:00"
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM NEWS_GMT_OFFSET "10"
[Note that you'll need to change the value of the logical name for daylight
saving.]
13.2.3 DECNET Server and Client Nodes
1. Copy NNTP_DEC.EXE to a location accessible to the DECNET account (or
define a new account used for runnning NNTP in a mannar analagous to the
VMS V5 network applications accounts).
2. Use the INSTALL utility to install NNTP_DEC.EXE with SYSPRV.
3. In the DECNET (or special purpose) account, create the file NNTP.COM
with the following contents:
$ ! NNTP.COM - executed in response to an incoming connect
$ ! to "TASK=NNTP"
$ RUN device:[directory]NNTP_DEC
There is a variant of NNTP_DEC, called NNTP_DECM. This program is
configured to accept multiple incoming DECNet connections to the NNTP
object, and service all such connections from a single NNTP process. The
installation instructions are the same as the NNTP_DEC instructions, except
that the executable referred to in the INSTALL and NNTP.COM is
NNTP_DECM.EXE. Also to create a permanent DECnet object, NNTP_DECM.EXE must
be installed with SYSPRV and SYSNAM.
Note that these installation instructions allow remote systems to connect
to the NNTP using the task specification: "TASK=NNTP". This is compatible
with the task specification of the NNTP process supported under Ultrix.
You can connect the NNTP executable to a known object number and name if
desired using object definition within DECnet's NCP utility (this process
is not documented here), to allow incoming connection task specification
strings of the form "NNTP=" and so on. If the remote system is an ANU NEWS
VMS system, then the logical name NEWS_decnet-server-name_TASK can be used
to specify the required task connection string on the remote system.
13.2.4 CMU TCP NNTP Server and Server/Client Nodes
1. Copy nntp_tcpcmu.exe to a location accessible to the SYSTEM account
(this example uses tcp$system).
2. In sys$manager:internet.config insert the following lines:
; Define the well-known ports we support and their servers
; WKS:port:procname:imagename:status:privs:priority:queuelimit
;
WKS:119:NEWSRV:TCP$NEWSRV:NETWRK:NETMBX,TMPMBX,SYSPRV,PHY_IO:4:5
3. In sys$manager:ip_startup.com insert the following line:
$ define/system tcp$newsrv tcp$system:nntp_tcpcmu.exe
13.2.5 WIN TCP NNTP Server and Server/Client Nodes
1. Copy nntp_tcpwin.exe to twg$tcp:[netdist.serv]
2. Add the following block to twg$tcp:[netdist.etc]servers.dat
# NNTP
service-name NNTP
program TWG$TCP:[NETDIST.SERV]:nntp_tcpwin
socket-type SOCK_STREAM
socket-options SO_ACCEPTCONN | SO_KEEPALIVE
socket-address AF_INET , 119
working-set 200
maxservers 5
INIT TCP_Init
LISTEN TCP_Listen
CONNECTED TCP_Connected
SERVICE Run_Program
3. Add the following line to twg$tcp:[netdist.etc]services.
NNTP 119/tcp #NNTP NEWS Server
4. Stop/Id on the INET_SERVERS process and restart it by running
@twg$tcp:[netdist.misc]inetserv
13.2.6 Multinet TCP NNTP Server and Server/Client Nodes
1. Copy nntp_tcpwinmultinet.exe to multinet:nntp_server.exe
2. Invoke the Multinet services configure program:
$ MULTINET CONFIG/SERVER
Config> ADD SERVICE
14. NEWS network Transfers
This section describes some hints as to how to feed new postings from a VMS
NEWS site to an adjacent non-VMS system (commonly a Unix system). There are
two basic approaches: Using the NNTP network protocol and TCP/IP on VMS, or
using a VMS/Unix mailer.
14.1 NNTP-based NEWS feeds
The NNTP approach uses the "ihave/sendme" protocol described in the NNTP
standard. The following changes have to be applied:
¥ Modify NEWS.SYS on the VMS system:
unixnode:world,inet,arp,anu,canb,comp,sci,rec,news,misc,soc,talk,aus,alt:N:
\
NEWS_MANAGER_DEV/[IHAVE_UNIXNODE]COLLECT.IDS
The relevant entry now specifies that the VMS system will append the
message identifiers to the specified file, rather than placing the entire
message text into the posting area (the 'N' flag in the SYS entry specifies
message identifier transmission).
¥ In the Skim command procedure on VMS, the following commands are used to
invoke NNTP:
$ Distribute:
$ write sys$output "Copy items to other sites"
$ set on
$ nntp_xmit :== $ news_manager:nntp_xmit
$Search_1:
$ nodedir = f$search("news_manager:ihave_*.dir",2)
$ If nodedir .eqs. "" Then goto abort
$ node = f$parse(nodedir,,,"NAME","SYNTAX_ONLY") - "IHAVE_"
$ senddir = "news_manager_dev:[ihave_" + node + "];"
$ savedfiles = senddir - ";" + "*.*;*"
$ node = node + "::;"
$Search_2:
$ file = f$search(savedfiles,3)
$ If file .eqs. "" Then goto search_1
$ on error Then goto no_copy_2
$ nntp_xmit 'node tcp 'file
$ delete 'file
$No_copy_2:
$ goto search_2
¥ If the VMS system does not feed to additional systems then no further
changes are necessary (i.e. the VMS system is a logical end-node in the
news network topology). However if the VMS system does relay network
batches (i.e. a routing node with respect to the NEWS network), then you
will need to modify the configuration file NEWS_MANAGER:NEWS.DISTRIBUTION
to ensure that news batches are forwarded correctly through this VMS node
to all adjacent nodes.
14.2 Mail-based NEWS feeds
The second approach is based on the existance on a mail link between the
two systems.
¥ On the VMS system you will need to define two mail destinations:
newsmail and rnews. These mail destinations are used by the Unix system as
the default mail destination of forwarded news batches. If the news manager
username is NEWSMGR then the following logical names need to be defined on
the VMS system:
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM NEWSMAIL NEWSMGR
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM RNEWS NEWSMGR
¥ The VMS NEWS.SYS file requires the entry:
unixnode:world,inet,arp,anu,canb,comp,sci,rec,news,\
misc,soc,talk,aus,alt:BN:\
NEWS_MANAGER_DEV/[POST_UNIXNODE]NEWS.BATCH
The 'B' flag indicates the news item texts are to be stored in the post
area, and the 'N' transmission flags indicate that the the mail format uses
leading 'N' characters in the mail body to delineate the news batch from
the mail headers.
¥ In the Skim command procedure on VMS, the following commands need to
be inserted:
$Distribute:
$ write sys$output "Copy items to other sites"
$ set on
$Search_1:
$ nodedir = f$search("news_manager:post_*.dir",1)
$ If nodedir .eqs. "" Then goto Exitlabel
$ node = f$parse(nodedir,,,"NAME","SYNTAX_ONLY") - "POST_"
$ senddir = "news_manager_dev:[post_" + node + "];"
$ savedfiles = senddir - ";" + "*.*;*"
$ node = node + "::;"
$Search_2:
$ file = f$search(savedfiles,2)
$ If file .eqs. "" Then goto Search_1
$ on error then goto No_copy_2
$ mail 'file' in%"""rnews@"node'"""
$ delete 'file
$No_copy_2:
$ goto search_2
¥ On the Unix system an entry needs to be inserted in the aliases file:
rnews: "|/usr/lib/news/uurec"
Variants of these approaches are possible, such a mailing the 'ihave' list
of message-ids to the unix site, and then having the Unix site respond with
'sendme' control messages back to the VMS system using mail (or any other
means of message transfer) as the message transport. The comments in the
distributed version of NEWS.SYS contain additional information on how to
set up such distribution mechanisms.
Additional notes which haven't been put in the correct place yet (or even
finished for that matter!)
Compilation Settings
JUNKNODOT
#define JUNKNODOT 0
The USENET news standard states that items are only passed between nodes
within the USENET as long as the item has been posted to at least one
newsgroup within the USENET hierarchy. This is expressed by stating that
all items must be posted to newsgroups which contain at least one period
('.') in the newsgroup name. The implicit assumption made in the standard
is that all local (non-network) newsgroups are non-hierarchy newsgroups
("local", "general", etc), while all network newsgroups have at least one
period.
If JUNKNODOT is set to 1, then the prerequisite that all incoming items
must be posted to hierarchy newsgroups (which contain periods i their
names), is enforced by the ADD command processor. The distribution value of
0 implies that this requirement is not enforced by NEWS.
NEWGROUP_REG
#define NEWGROUP_REG 0
This compiler constant is the default register value for new newsgroups.
With a value of 0 users are not automatically registered into new
newsgroups. With a value of 1, new newsgroups are automatically registered
in new newsgroups (strictly speaking the value for automatic registration
is between 1 and 255, but using a value higher than 1 is not recommended).
Note that if a user specifies preferred new newsgroup action by the SET
PROFILE/NEWREGISTER command, then the user profile setting overrides the
NEWGROUP_REG setting.
1 There is a considerable additional execution cost of the ALLSCAN
actions over SCAN. If the local news system supports a large number of
newsgroups, then SCAN is a more efficient means of determining if there are
unread items within news.
2 The initial check for unseen items is performed using the SCAN
actions.
3 VWS is not supported as a NEWS display manager. X Windows display
management may be suported in future versions of the program.
4 There is a qualification to this assertion - a set of newsgroups
(LOCAL or NETWORK newsgroups) can be setup as read-only by use of the
NEWS_NETPOST/NEWS_NONETPOST identifiers.