Subject: Re: I want a .newsrc with everything

From: Lenny Parsons <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 1995 10:19:51 -0800

On 18 Dec 1994, Nancy McGough wrote:

> [email-masked] (Neil J. Hoopman) writes:
> >How can I generate a .newsrc file with every newsgroup
> >available on Halcyon?  
> 
> Here are 2 different methods to subscribe to all newsgroups that
> your host gets:
> 
> USING TRN
> =========
> You do not need to be a TRN user to use this method.
> This method is easier but can take a *lot* more time than the next
> method (using nngrep).
> 
> At the newsgroup selection level type: 
> 
>   a .
> 
> This means add newsgroups matching pattern ``.'', i.e., containing
> any single character.  Then at the [ynYN] prompt type Y to add
> them all.  
> 
> Question: Does anyone know if there is a way to avoid viewing all the
> newsgroup names that get added - this can take a *long* time?
> 
> 
> USING NNGREP
> ============
> You do not need to be an NN user to use this method.
> 
> cd
> cd .nn               # if you don't have .nn dir don't worry about next line
> mv LAST LAST.old     # LAST keeps track of the last newsgroup nn knows about
> cd
> mv .newsrc .newsrc.old
> nngrep -u | sed -e 's/ *$/:/' > tmp.unsub    # See below (*) for explanation
> pico tmp.unsub       # replace pico with your editor; 
>                      # remove any lines at the top that say ``Connecting...''
>                      # (Halcyon doesn't produce these lines so you don't need 
>                      # to do this step at Halcyon.)
> cat .newsrc.old tmp.unsub > .newsrc 
> 
> Next run your newsreader (nn, trn, tin, etc) to be sure that it understands
> your new .newsrc.  If it does:
> 
> rm tmp.unsub
> rm .newsrc.old
> 
> If it doesn't you can get your old .newsrc back with this:
> 
> mv .newsrc.old .newsrc
> 
> 
> (*) "nngrep -u" lists all unsubscribed newsgroups and then the sed
>     command appends a ":" to the end of each of these newsgroup names
>     and then ">> .newsrc" appends them to the bottom of your .newsrc.
> 
> Hope this helps.
> If anyone knows any other methods of subscribing to all newsgroups,
> please let me know.
> Thanks,
> Nancy
> 
> --
>  /\_/\    Nancy McGough
> ( o.o )   Infinite Ink
>  > ~ <    http://www.jazzie.com/ii/  -OR-  http://www.best.com/~ii/
> 
> 
Nancy:  I am interested in the concept you passed on the internet in 
December.
What I am wondering is if any other offline-readers can also do the same 
as you suggested.  I contacted the Pine group but they stated that pin 
will not work off-line on a 286 system in Dos environment.  I do not use 
windows as yet.  This may happen in the future but not yet.  I am 
exploring several type of offline-readers.  I am told about crosspoint 
but have not gotten that one up yet.  I have had some good pointers from 
one person named Sandy.  Thank you Sandy.
Another concept I have heard about is Blue Wave but I don't know much 
about it.  It may be only for the fido-net concept.
Another one I recently heard about was Werthy which I think will work.  
Not sure.  I believe the designer of this one told me.
I am interested in your further concepts and anyone else's for that matter.
The desire is to download messages and newsgroups messages to my PC 
through appropriate commands after logging onto my account.
Can also a batch file be developed using the commands you suggested from 
the unix prompt?  I may have to experiment with this.
Lenny.

---

From: [email-masked] (Byrg Bonnelycke)
Date: 20 Feb 1995 00:57:47 GMT

Hi,
If I want to get a new .newsrc file, with ALL the some 10,000 newsgroup
names available to me on MY system, I:
1) delete MY current .newsrc file with the UNIX command:
              rm .newsrc
2) call 'tin' with the UNIX command:
              tin
3) exit tin IMMEDIATELY and return to the UNIX prompt with tin's  
   'q' command
4) then search & edit the new COMPLETE .newsrc file with the vi-editor:
              vi  .newsrc
Regards,  Byrg

---

From: [email-masked] (Dan Lawrence)
Date: 20 Feb 1995 02:53:22 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] says...
>names available to me on MY system, I:
(instructions removed...)

I was always fond of taking the active file (usualy found in 
/usr/lib/news/active) using the unix command cut to strip off the extra 
data, and then append a ":" to the end of each line.  I forget how I 
added the : to each line, but it should be easy to do using a unix 
command.

Note that you may not have an active file if you use an nntp server.

If you use nntp, you could try telneting to it on port 119, opeining a 
capture buffer (assuming you have one), and issuing the command that 
lists all groups.  You can usualy type help to get a list of commands 
that the nntp server understands.  You will still have to edit the data 
though.
-- 
[email-masked] (now using tia+SLIP)
Dan & Amy Lawrence
Seattle, WA  USA

---

From: Nancy McGough <[email-masked]>
Date: 21 Feb 1995 15:38:33 -0800

>4) then search & edit the new COMPLETE .newsrc file with the vi-editor:

Note that this method will only work if your sys admin has set tin
up to subscribe to all groups if there is no .newsrc.   Some sys
admins set things up so that the default is to subscribe you to
only local newsgroups and newuser newsgroups.  I think there is a
way to subscribe to everything from within tin - it involves using
y to yank in all newsgroups.  Maybe a tin user could post the 
instructions...

-- 
 /\_/\  Nancy McGough              /\_/\  Vote for the humanities.misc  @..@
( o.o ) Infinite Ink              ( o.o ) newsgroup! See my Web pages  (----)
 > ~ <  http://www.jazzie.com/ii/  > ^ <  for details.                ( >__< )

---

From: [email-masked] (Brian R. Neumann)
Date: 22 Feb 1995 00:47:57 GMT

Nancy McGough ([email-masked]) wrote:
: I think there is a
: way to subscribe to everything from within tin - it involves using
: y to yank in all newsgroups.  Maybe a tin user could post the 
: instructions...

You're on the right track.

At the newsgroup level, hit 'y' to yank in all news groups.
Then use the 'S' command to subscribe  to all groups matching a pattern
which you'll then be prompted for.  To subscribe to everything, use *
Or limit to a hierarchy such as news.*

The only problem with this method is speed.  ( A big problem ).  It will
say "subscribing to xxx.xxx.xxx " slow enough to see each name!  It'll 
take quite a while for 10000 groups!  This is probably best used to
subscribe to a subset of groups.

Brian
--

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