Linux Network Administrator Guide, Second Edition

Disable News Server

Use the following syntax to disable the news server:

ctlinnd throttle reason

The argument is defined as follows:

reason

The reason for throttling the server.

This command is simultaneously equivalent to a newsreaders no and a reject, and is useful when emergency work is performed on the news database. It ensures that nothing attempts to update it while you are working on it.

Restart News Server

Use the following syntax to restart the news server:

ctlinnd go reason

The argument is defined as follows:

reason

The reason given when stopping the server. If this field is an empty string, the server will be reenabled unconditionally. If a reason is given, only those functions disabled with a reason matching the supplied text will be restarted.

This command is used to restart a server function after a throttle, pause, or reject command.

Display Status of a Newsfeed

Use the following syntax to display the status of a newsfeed:

ctlinnd feedinfo site

The argument is defined as follows:

site

The site name (taken from the newsfeeds file) for which you wish to display the newsfeed's status.

Drop a Newsfeed

Use the following syntax to drop a newsfeed:

ctlinnd drop site

The argument is defined as follows:

site

The name of the site (taken from the newsfeeds file) to which feeds are dropped. If this field is an empty string, all active feeds will be dropped.

Dropping a newsfeed to a site halts any active feeds to the site. It is not a permanent change. This command would be useful if you've modified the feed details for a site and a feed to that site is active.

Begin a Newsfeed

Use the following syntax to begin a newsfeed:

ctlinnd begin site

The argument is defined as follows:

site

The name of the site from the newsfeeds file to which feeds are started. If a feed to the site is already active, a drop command is done first automatically.

This command causes the server to reread the newsfeeds file, locate the matching entry, and commence a newsfeed to the named site using the details found. You can use this command to test a new news feed to a site after you've added or modified its entry in the newsfeeds file.

Cancel an Article

Use the following syntax to cancel an article:

ctlinnd cancel Message-Id

The argument is defined as follows:

Message-ID

The ID of the article to be cancelled.

This command causes the specified article to be deleted from the server. It does not generate a cancel message.

Chapter 24. Newsreader Configuration

A newsreader is a program that users invoke to view, store, and create news articles. Several newsreaders have been ported to Linux. We will describe the basic setup for the three most popular newsreaders: tin, trn, and nn.

One of the most effective newsreaders is:

$ find /var/spool/news -name '[0-9]*' -exec cat {} ; | more

This is the way Unix die-hards read their news.

Most newsreaders, however, are much more sophisticated. They usually offer a full-screen interface with separate levels for displaying all groups the user has subscribed to, an overview of all articles in each group, and individual articles. Many web browsers double as newsreaders, but if you want to use a standalone newsreader, this chapter explains how to configure two classic ones: trn and nn.

At the newsgroup level, most newsreaders display a list of articles, showing their subject lines and authors. In big groups, it is difficult for the user to keep track of articles relating to each other, although it is possible to identify responses to earlier articles.

A response usually repeats the original article's subject, prepending it with Re:. Additionally, the References: header line should include the message ID of the article on which the response is directly following up. Sorting articles by these two criteria generates small clusters (in fact, trees) of articles, which are called threads. One of the tasks of writing a newsreader is devising an efficient scheme of