newsreader help


tin | newswatcher | slrn | gnus | nn | internet mail and news (Internet Explorer) | netscape news | pine | trn


TIN:

Make sure the file ~/.newsauth (that's a file called .newsauth in your home directory) exists and contains the following line:

nose.bantha.org password

where "password" is whatever password you submitted. Because tin is broken, you cannot use a username other than your login name.

Then, follow these instructions (courtesy of Claudia Mastroianni).

Find out whether you have a tin version that supports the -g flag (this may be tin1.3 or higher on your system). Either check the man pages for a description of -g, or try the setup below and see if it works.

  1. To use tin -g:
    1. Create or edit .tin/newsrctable to include the line

      nose.bantha.org .newsrc.nose nose

    2. Copy your .newsrc to a safe filename, just in case:

      % cp -f .newsrc newsrc

    3. run tin with the -g flag:

      % tin -g nose

    4. Troubleshooting:
      • tin tells you what server it's connecting to. If tin -g nose still connects you to your home newsserver, try doing an explicit

        % setenv NNTPSERVER nose.bantha.org

        before the tin -g command.

      • if tin is just confused by this -g stuff (as you quit tin, it will tell you this) proceed to part 2.
    5. Signs that -g is working:
      • tin doesn't tell you as you quit that -g is an unknown flag.
      • if you

        % ls -al .newsrc.nose

        after quitting tin, you find that the file was last updated at the same time as you last quit the tin -g.

      • You don't have articles you've already read re-appear.
  2. To use tin -f:

    tin -f [filename] doesn't behave as nicely as tin -g, because it doesn't remember to write changes to [filename] instead of to .newsrc. So, you need to manage newsrcs for it.

    1. Copy your usual newsrc (.newsrc) to .newsrc.fas.

      % cp -f .newsrc .newsrc.fas

    2. If you already have a newsrc for the nose server, copy it to .newsrc.nose. If you don't, create one by running

      % tin -f .newsrc.nose

      and quitting immediately.

    3. If you have stuff you care about in either newsrc, make a backup copy to yet another filename before continuing.
    4. create files fastin and nosetin which say respectively:

      #!/bin/csh
      cp -f ~/.newsrc.fas ~/.newsrc
      setenv NNTPSERVER news.fas.harvard.edu
      tin
      unsetenv NNTPSERVER
      cp -f ~/.newsrc ~/.newsrc.fas

      and

      #!/bin/csh
      cp -f ~/.newsrc.nose ~/.newsrc
      setenv NNTPSERVER nose.bantha.org
      tin
      unsetenv NNTPSERVER
      cp -f ~/.newsrc ~/.newsrc.nose

    5. Make these files executable:
      % chmod 700 nosetin fastin
    6. To read fas news, type

      % fastin

      To read the nose, type

      % nosetin

      Never run them both at the same time.


NewsWatcher:

Open the application. Everything you want is under File:Preferences.

Under "Server Addresses" set "News Server" to nose.bantha.org.

Under "Remote Host Information" set "Host" to nose.bantha.org and enter your Username and Password in the boxes. Check the "Save Password" box.

Under "Authentication" set the Username and Password and check "Save Password" again. Also hit the "Always Authenticate" button.

Click "OK", quit and relaunch.

Please don't do this from lab macs. Or at least don't check the "save password" buttons.


SLRN:

Part of your .slrnrc should look something like this:

% SERVER to NEWSRC mapping
server "news.fas.harvard.edu" ".jnewsrc-news.fas"
server "nose.bantha.org" ".jnewsrc-nose"

% For servers that require a password:
nnrpaccess "nose.bantha.org" "username" "password"

(make appropriate substitutions for username and password, silly)

The first time you run slrn, do this:

slrn -h nose.bantha.org -create

Subsequent times you can leave off the -create.


GNUS:

Instructions by Joev Dubach (dubach1@fas.harvard.edu):

You may recall that my last set of instructions had a couple of quirks. Well, not too long after I posted it, I changed what I was actually doing in order to eliminate those quirks, but decided that instead of telling people how to do so as well, I'd go argue with Lars for a while about how needlessly annoying this setup was. And, you know, procrastinate.

Anyhow, I've now codified the setup I ended up using (though I find it irksome that it requires so much code), so if you're using (or would like to hear more about) Gnucerin, ask your doctor. I mean, read this.

This is my second pass at a preferred configuration for Gnus browsing a password-protected foreign nntp server. I do this in Gnus 5.4.56; at least one other person does it in Gnus 5.3. YMMV. Note that this is more complicated than I think it should be; I'm hoping that Lars will require less user configuration to do this in later versions of Gnus.

First, I have the following settings in ~dubach1/.emacs-gnus (normal people put this stuff in .gnus, and I'm sure I'll come around eventually):

---- begin elisp settings ----
; I use 2 for mail groups, 3 for local groups, 4 for remote but
; always-desired groups, and 5 for remote and not-always-desired
; groups (often because they're slow.)
(setq gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups 4)
;(setq gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups nil)

(require 'cl)

; "my-nntp-send-authinfo-from-file" was mutated from sample code

; posted to the (ding) Gnus mailing list, and will hopefully be

; incorporated in some form in a future version of Gnus.

(defvar my-nntp-authinfo-file "~/.my-nntp-authinfo"
  "Each line of `my-nntp-authinfo-file' should be of the form:

  `SERVER USER PASS'.")

(defun my-nntp-send-authinfo-from-file ()
  (when (file-exists-p my-nntp-authinfo-file)
    (nnheader-temp-write nil
      (insert-file-contents my-nntp-authinfo-file)
      (goto-char (point-min))
      (if (re-search-forward
	   (format "^%s \\([^ \n]+\\) \\([^ \n]+\\)$"
		   nntp-address)
	   nil t nil)
	  (let ((user (match-string 1))
		(pass (match-string 2)))
	    (nntp-send-command "^.*\r?\n" "AUTHINFO USER" user)
	    (nntp-send-command "^.*\r?\n" "AUTHINFO PASS" pass))))))

(add-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook 'my-nntp-send-authinfo-from-file)
---- end elisp settings ----

Then, put your server/user/password lines into ~/.my-nntp-authinfo (make sure only you can read it). It can't hurt to add some extra newlines here, as otherwise, people might guess from "ls -l .my-nntp-authinfo" how many characters your password has.

E.g., my file just has one meaningful line (where the asterisks replace my password):

nose.bantha.org dubach1 ********

since I only use one password-protected server; but if I used more than one, it would be very easy to add it.

Then, start up gnus, and hit "B" to browse foreign newsgroups. Backend: nntp, Address: nose.bantha.org.

You're in the server buffer now. "u" on all the newsgroups you want to subscribe to, then "q" to get back to *Group*. The groups should be there; read them as much as you like. Select them with "#" and then "S l" to set their levels to your personal preference; mine are at 4, so they're automatically activated when I start up.

When you post, you have to "C-u C-c C-c" instead of "C-c C-c". Luckily, it warns you when you're doing it wrong. Someday, Lars will get around to making "C-c C-c" "just work".

Minor quirks: I haven't figured out how to cancel foreign posts yet; there is no "C-u C" equivalent to "C". Also, I haven't bothered to try to set things up so that I'll get automatically notified of new foreign groups.

'Sallright? 'Sallright.

---- end Gnus instructions ---- 

Joev                            

  "'So, is it true that this is a huge decentralised network of
    computers immune from control?'
   'Well, no, Ted, that's not true.  There are passwords and codewords
    and things.'"
          -- (roughly) Ted Koppel and the Christian Coalition's Ralph Reed


NN:

nn is God's newsreader.

The following instructions only work on hcs at the moment, because I had to hack it up a bit to make it work. If you want to run nn on fas, send email to reikel and I'll help you get it set up.

nn does not need separate .newsrc files for different servers, as long as there is no overlap between the groups on different servers. [ Hint, hint, tin and slrn. ] Since nose.bantha.org carries no usual USENET groups, this is not a problem.

So. To set up your authentication, create a file called .newsauth in your home directory. Each line in the file should be of the form:
hostname password login
 So for present purposes, you need one line, with hostname = nose.bantha.org, and password = your password. The login field is optional; if it is not present, then nn will just use your UNIX username to log in to the server.

nn checks the NNTPSERVER environment variable to figure out which server to use, so you just need to type
% setenv NNTPSERVER nose.bantha.org
 at the prompt and then run nn. To get back to using news.fas, just type
% setenv NNTPSERVER news.fas.harvard.edu
 at the prompt.


Internet Mail and News (Internet Explorer):

Instructions courtesy of Evan Stein.

You might want to add an explanation as to how to configure Internet Mail and News (the newsreader that accompanies Internet Explorer).

Under the 'Edit' menu select 'Preferences...'
Next to "Server Address" type 'nose.bantha.org'
Select the radio button "this server requires authentication"
Enter your password on the "password" line.
Hit add.

This should work although, I'm not sure how it's going to deal with not seeing a username.


Netscape News:

I'm not actually sure how I did this, but it does work. First, in "Mail and News Preferences" you set the news server to nose.bantha.org. Then when you try to open Netscape news it will prompt you for username and password. There's no place to save and remember them as best I can tell.

Then you just futz around with menu items from the "Options" menu (on a Mac, or the equivalent PC nonsense) until newsgroups show up.


Pine:

Instructions courtesy of Jon Miller.

okay, this is what i've figured out with reading nose.* from pine. it works, but it's going to ask your password a buttload of times. i'm still working on that, but at least it works for now, with some extra typing. -jon 

(all in setup-->config from main menu)
set nntp-server to:             nose.bantha.org
set news-collection to:         *{nose.bantha.org/nntp}[]
  (the * is important, i expect)
set newsrc-path to:             `whatever it is you're using
                                (full path works, don't know about ~)`
check off:		        news-read-in-newsrc-order


TRN:

[setup for trn]
[hardstuff by Bill D, easy stuff by cuthbert@hcs]

first you need a copy of trn4.0. currently [9-aug-97] trn4.0 is still in beta and is thus not installed on fas or hcs as the default version of trn. therefore, do one of the following:

if you have an hcs account:

  1. ftp trn4.0 from ftp.clari.net/private/trn4/ and compile it, or
  2. edit .aliases (with pico, emacs, or vi) and add:

    alias trn "~cuthbert/bin/trn"

    or if the reason you're using trn is you don't like newsgroup selectors, add instead:

    alias trn "~cuthbert/bin/trn ++"

if you have a fas account do one of the following:

  1. wait for the release of trn4.0
  2. get an hcs account
  3. choose another newsreader.
(perhaps a better solution can be found?)

okay, so now you've got trn4.0, now set it up. first you need a .trn directory. type

% mkdir .trn

if it doesn't exist, it'll make one. now,

% cd .trn
% pico access [or vi access or emacs access, you get the picture]

if there is an access file already, add "#" to the beginning of any line that doesn't already have one. then add to the bottom of access:

[fas]
NNTP Server = news.fas.harvard.edu

[nose]
NNTP Server = nose.bantha.org
Auth User = cuthbert (your user name here)
Auth Password = password (your password here)

[Group 1]
ID = fas
Newsrc = ~/.newsrc.fas
Add Groups = yes

[Group 1]
ID = nose
Newsrc = ~/.newsrc.nose
Add Groups = yes

if you set it up this way, all your fas groups will be shown first then all your nose groups. to make nose groups go above fas groups, just reverse the two sections however, if you want more separation in your life, change the second [Group 1] to [Group 2]. Then you'll only see one newsserver at a time. Use Ctrl-N and Ctrl-P to move back and forth between the two.

myke



nose@bantha.org