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- Archive-name: off-line-readers/usenet/yet-another-faq
- Alt-usenet-offline-reader-archive-name: yet-another-faq
- Posting-Frequency: monthly
-
-
- Note: The original author of this document, Zhahai Stewart, has handed the
- maintenance of this FAQ off to me as of mid-1994. I have taken the
- liberty of making some minor updates and corrections. I wouldn't have
- bothered except that I found this document particularly helpful when I was
- getting started in offline reading and thought it was worth a little work.
- I invite any further suggested changes. I am especially desirous of
- removing any redundant and/or outdated information that is more
- appropriate in one of the other FAQs posted to alt.usenet.offline-reader
- or comp.os.msdos.mail-news.
-
- Mike Northam (mbn@teleport.com)
-
- -----------
- The following is growing into an FAQ-like document for Unix Offline Readers.
- Please, email me corrections and additional information (not flames) at
- zstewart@nyx.cs.du.edu
- Additions by Mike Northam mbn@teleport.com
-
- After I posted the first version of this, Steve Belczyk sent me a copy of
- a similar document and I considered abandoning this effort, but others
- have apparently been unaware of it, and this document has additional
- information, so I will for now continue.
-
- =====================================
-
- Unix host to DOS offline-reader systems
- for reading, replying, and posting email and news.
- Zhahai Stewart
- 12/06/93 Version
- 08/01/94 updates by Mike Northam
- 01/22/95 updates from readers
- Thomas Riha <rito@site46.ping.at>
- William Werth <billw@eskimo.com>
-
- =============== Intro ===============
-
- Many people read their internet mail and usenet newsgroups via direct
- login to a Unix based host, using a terminal (like a VT-100/200/300
- series), or a computer emulating a terminal. They may do this via a wired
- connection (say, at a university computer lab), or via a modem and
- telephone connection. On the Unix end, they may run a news reader program
- such as rn, trn, nn, tin, etc. for news, and a mail reader such as mail,
- elm, etc. for email.
-
- (Of course, lucky ones have a high powered graphical workstation on a high
- speed network gated to the internet, but that's another thing...).
-
- For those who are connecting via modem and a computer emulating a
- terminal, it becomes obvious that they could reduce their connect time
- (which may cost money, or may tie up a phone line, or ...) if they could
- download new email and news, read and respond "offline" (while not
- connected to the Unix host), and then upload their mail and news
- responses. This is the idea behind offline readers. A very similar
- process is used by many BBS users, but the typical BBS oriented formats
- and offline readers (eg: QWK and Bluewave formats and offline readers)
- were not designed for Internet mail and Usenet news.
-
- However there are now several options for offline reading of internet
- email and usenet newsgroups. First off, there are "sorta" 4 packet
- formats:
-
- SOUP - designed for just this purpose, open standard, has the most
- support; used to be called "HellDiver Packet Format" or HDPF.
- ZipNews - also designed for this, proprietary, one $20 shareware reader
- QWK plain - actually BBS std, doesn't handle email and news well,
- especially bad for replies; but can be read by any QWK reader.
- QWK with header in body - includes internet/usenet header in the QWK
- body; theoretically a reader could use this, but so far none do;
- one can at least read (verbosely) the header info, and an expert
- can manually create appropriate response headers (dangerous).
-
- Basically, all of these consist of a group of files (one or two per
- newsgroup, plus a few extra) enclosed in a compressed archive file (like
- *.zip).
-
- On the Unix side, there are two packages which can create these packets
- for download, and accept uploaded responses.
-
- uqwk - can create/accept all four (SOUP, Zipnews, QWK plain and QWK
- header)
- getnews/postreply - can create/accept SOUP (in slnr package)
-
- Both of these are distributed in C source code, and may need to be
- compiled on your Unix machine host (somebody else may already have done
- this, or you may have to).
-
- On the nearby (to you) end, on your machine, there are several offline
- readers. There are two basic dynamics: either they read the downloaded
- packet directly, or you run one program to import each packet into a local
- messagebase and another to read/respond from the messagebase. A
- "threaded" reader can group related messages together (eg: same subject);
- unthreaded ones display them in the order received.
-
- slnr - SOUP only; MSDOS; packet reader; distributed in C source;
- colored screens supported; also runs under Unix or Atari or OS/2
- offliner - SOUP; MSWindows; beta at present
- yarn - SOUP only; MSDOS; messagebase reader; threaded; also runs under
- OS/2
- unor - SOUP only; MSWindows; packet reader; unthreaded
- (sorted by 'Subject:' header)
- hpv - SOUP only; MSDOS; packet reader?
- ZipNews Reader - ZipNews only; MSDOS; packet reader; threaded; shareware
- $20; unregistered version can read netnews only, cannot read email or
- respond to either
- any QWK reader - can read QWK plain or QWK header, but cannot handle all
- of the internet/usenet fields, or good responses. Not recommended
- except as a last resort. MANY available, for many machines and OS's.
-
- Note that all of these formats, host programs, and offline readers can
- handle both email and newsgroups; unlike the typical Unix software
- division of labor, the same program usually does both.
-
- There is more information on the formats, readers, and host software later
- in this document, including file names, authors, and ftp locations.
-
- ========= Setting up and configuring the software =========
-
- This can be complicated, and very much depends on the software you are
- using. You may have to create configuration files (on the DOS and/or Unix
- end), or set environment variables (likewise, on either or both ends), or
- use the right set of command line parameters. You may want to create
- "shell scripts" (on the Unix End) or "batch files" (on the DOS end) to aid
- you in getting everything set up or called correctly. You will have to
- read the documents for the software you plan to use. Ask specific
- questions in the newsgroup if you get confused. This document would be
- many times longer if I tried to explain all the background and details
- (well, even that portion thereof which I more or less understand <grin>).
-
- You may even need to compile some C program(s) to get started. Some
- systems are simple (like getnews/postreply/slnr) and fairly obvious to
- anybody used to the compiler; others like uqwk include a makefile to
- handle the complexity. Get local help if you cannot figure out how to
- compile. [See note at end.]
-
- ========== Operating Procedure (after set up) ===========
-
- Typical usage:
- Use your terminal program and modem to log in to the Unix host as usual.
- Run UWQK or getnews with proper parameters to extract news and email and
- create a 'download' packet.
- Download the 'download' packet using a modem file transfer protocol like
- ZMODEM.
- Log off.
-
- For packet reader, run the reader software on the new packet; read &
- reply
- For messagebase reader, run the import software on the new packet; then
- run the reader to read from the messagebase.
- The reader should create a reply ('upload') packet if you have any
- responses.
- Use the terminal program to log in again (or do this next time you
- download).
- Upload the reply packet via a modem file transfer protocol like Zmodem.
- Run 'uqwk' or 'postnews' with the proper parameters to process the reply
- packet and send email and/or news to the appropriate destinations.
- Log off.
-
- One part not specifically addressed here is the process of moving
- individual files in the packet into and out of compressed archives. Some
- aspects may be done automatically, others you may have to do manually (or
- via batch files). For example, getnews will invoke a configurable
- archivers (by default, zip), but you have to manually unarchive (unzip,
- pkunzip) this file on your PC before handing the enclosed files to slnr.
- Read the docs.
-
- Logging in, running the host programs, and downloading/uploading are still
- your responsibility, so you need to already know how to log on to the host
- system, and how to download and upload binary files using a protocol like
- Zmodem. The UQWK and getnews/postreply software must also exist on the
- Unix host, and be properly configured (these come with doc files). You
- should understand the idea of compressed archive formats, like .zip files.
-
- ========== Basic Questions and Answers ============
-
- Q: What is "subscribing" to a newsgroup?
-
- A: This just means that you have it on a list to be read; the list is
- maintained as a file on the host, and it has both the name of the
- newsgroup and the list of messages (by number) which you have already
- read. This file is typically named ".newsrc" and is kept in your host
- directory. Files beginning with a period are by default not shown, so
- this is a semi-hidden file; see a book on Unix for more details.
- Subscribing means the newsgroup names go into this file (one per line),
- unsubscribing means the name is removed. (Detail: actually, it's
- subscribed only if the newsgroup name is followed by a colon; if followed
- by an exclamation point, it is unsubscribed even if listed in the file).
- Offline reader host programs (getnews and uqwk) also use a file like this
- for the same purpose (to know which groups are subscribed, and which
- messages have already been marked as read); they may use the same file,
- or separate ones.
-
- Note that most online newsreaders allow you to subscribe or unsubscribe
- to newsgroups, and change your .newsrc accordingly (as they also do to
- show which messages you read). You can also do so with a text editor, as
- the ".newsrc" file is simple text., and there exist special programs for
- maintaining this file. Offline host programs may require that you use
- some online method to maintain your .newsrc (or equivalent)--the online
- reader, or an editor, or a maintenance program; or they may allow you to
- subscribe and unsuscribe remotely. For example, the SOUP protocol has
- explicit options (which may or may not be implemented) for subscribing
- and unsubscribing, as well as listing newsgroups. Or, the uqwk program
- can read commands mailed to it as messages. See the documentation.
-
- Q: Can I read my mail/news both online (connected to the Unix host via a
- terminal or terminal emulator and using elm/nn/trn/etc.), and offline
- (via a packet format and offline reader as described here)?
-
- A: Yes, but you need to think out what you are trying to do. Both the
- online reading programs and the host end of the offline system keep track
- of which messages you have read or not read. Do you want them to use the
- same info about this? Or each keep separate pointers?
-
- Same info: For news, use the same .newsrc file for both the online news
- readers (like rn/trn/nn/tin/etc.) and for the host end of the offline
- system (like uqwk/getnews). Once either of these has read a message, it
- will be marked not to be presented to you again by either one (unless you
- take special actions). For mail, have uqwk/getnews delete your incoming
- mailbox after collecting the messages therein. In this case, each mail
- message will go to the online or offline reader, whichever gets it first
- (actually, this is only true if you delete it from the incoming mailbox
- with the online mail program; if you leave it around, the offline host
- program will snarf it up when it next runs).
-
- Different info: For news, use a different .newrc type file for each;
- uqwk can be configured to use another one, getnews can be edited and
- recompiled. You can decide to put some newsgroups into each, allowing
- some to be read online and some offline. Of you a newsgroup in both
- such files, in which case the online and offline readers will maintain
- separate pointers. For mail, configure the offline host program to not
- delete your mailbox; you will get all mail both offline and online.
-
- You can answer this question (using the same or different info about
- what has been read for online and offline) independently for mail and
- news. The difference between them is that for news, you only have info
- about which messages you have already read (in your .newsrc or
- equivalent file), but the messages (whicha are shared by everybody) stay
- around for a while and you can still refetch ones you are marked as
- having read with some minor effort; but for mail, once the messages are
- deleted from your incoming mailbox (by an online mail program or an
- offline host program), they are gone, period.
-
- Q: I cannot compile getnews.c on my Unix host; it gives two errors, one
- near "recompile" and another near the "I" command description.
-
- A: Version 1.9 of getnews.c is mostly "old" C, but has one ANSI extension
- which confuses some older C compilers: concentanation of two adjacent
- quoted strings. This is used for multiline strings in two places. You
- have to change the second and following strings into separate print
- statements, matching the first one. Maybe this will be changed in a
- later version. The problem is your compiler being too old, not bad
- coding on the author's part. Luckily, this is easy to compensate for.
-
- Q: On the PC, "slnr" blows up in strange ways with some newsgroups.
-
- A: If the newsgroup name plus description is too long, the stack gets
- trashed, with unpredictable but unpleasant results. In the function
- "show_header()", increase the length of the desc[80] array, maybe to 160.
- Recompile.
-
- Q: How do I create a SOUP packet for download with uqwk?
-
- A: run the commands:
- uqwk +n +m +L
- zip news.zip AREAS *.MSG
- sz news.zip
-
- Q: How do I get my uqwk SOUP replies mailed?
-
- A: run the commands:
- rz ;your comm program will prompt you for the reply packet
- unzip -U reply.zip
- uqwk -n -m +L -RREPLIES
-
- Q: How do I create a Zipnews packet for download with uqwk?
-
- A: run the commands:
- uqwk +n +m +z
- zip news.zns <user>.*
- sz news.zns
-
- Q: How do I get my uqwk Zipnews replies mailed?
-
- A: run the commands:
- rz ;your comm program will prompt you for the reply packet
- unzip -U <host>.pst
- uqwk -n -m +z -R.
-
- Q: How do I find out more about uqwk?
-
- A: type the command: man uqwk
- You can find out which version of uqwk your system is running by
- typing: uqwk -p
-
- Q: uqwk can, under certain circumstances, lose mail. How can I avoid
- this?
-
- A: Use the following script for secure mail locking:
-
- #!/bin/sh
- #
- # Safe UQWK wrapper -- H.Shrikumar shri@cs.umass.edu 1994
- # All rights reserved by the holder of the mail lock file. :-)
- #
- ( echo 's1-$' /tmp/qwk$$ ; echo q ) | mail
- exec uqwk -f/tmp/qwk$$ $*
-
-
- =============== Formats =============
-
- Format: QWK (plain; message body = Usenet message body)
- Origin: mark.herring@nashville.com (Mark "Sparky" Herring), extended by others
- Version: 1.7
- Ftp: /oak.oakland.edu:/pub/msdos/offline/qwklay16.zip QWK format spec
- Files Dnloaded:CONTROL.DAT,MESSAGES.DAT,*.NDX
- Files Uploaded:<bbsid>.MSG
- Unix Host End: uqwk (optional mode)
- DOS Reader End: any standard QWK reader
-
- Advantages:
- Widely supported standard, many readers available for many machines
- Compatible with QWK packets from many BBSs and doors
- uqwk source freely available
- Disadvantages:
- QWK format truncates some important fields, is missing others
- * This is a major problem for posts and replies *
-
- ***
-
- Format: QWK (w/header; message body = Usenet message header and body)
- Origin: (see above for basic QWK)
- Version: 1.7
- Ftp: /oak.oakland.edu:/pub/msdos/offline/qwklay16.zip QWK format spec
- Files Dnloaded:CONTROL.DAT,MESSAGES.DAT,*.NDX
- Files Uploaded:<bbsid>.MSG
- Unix Host End: uqwk (default mode)
- DOS Reader End: [most QWK readers]
-
- Advantages:
- Piggybacks on std QWK, can fallback to previous case
- With full headers, it's possible to write USENET aware reader
- uqwk source freely available
- Disadvantages:
- No known QWK readers yet make correct use of Usenet headers embedded
- in the QWK message body, for replies, display, threading, etc.
-
- ***
-
- Format: SOUP (formerly Helldiver Packet Format, HDPF or HPF)
- Origin: rhys@cs.uq.oz.au (Rhys Weatherley)
- Version: 1.2
- Ftp: /oak.oakland.edu:/pub/msdos/offline/soup12.zip SOUP format spec
- Files Dnloaded: AREAS, *.MSG, *.IDX (typ in INFONEWS.ZIP)
- Files Uploaded: REPLIES, RMAIL.MSG (typ in REPLY.ZIP) for slnr
- REPLIES, MAIL.MSG (typ in IOXR.ZIP) for yarn
- Unix Host End: getnews/postreply from slnr pkg; uqwk
- DOS Reader End: slnr; yarn; unor; hpv (Helldiver Packet Viewer); offliner
-
- Advantages:
- Format designed for Usenet news/mail, powerful and expandable
- Full header fields, no truncation
- Source code freely available for getnews,postreply,slnr,uqwk
- Largest number of readers for any full-header usenet offline format
- Disadvantages:
- New standard, limited number of readers
-
- ***
-
- Format: ZipNews format
- Origin: jkilday@nlbbs.com (Jack Kilday)
- Version: 0.92y
- Ftp: (format not publicly documented)
- Files Dnloaded: Archived file <bbsname>.ZNS contains:
- <user>.JN, <user>.NWS, <user>.MAI, <user>.GPS
- Files Uploaded: <bbsname>.pst contains:
- <user>.id, <user>.* (one for each article or reply)
- Unix Host End: uqwk
- Dos Reader End: ZipNews Reader
-
- Advantages:
- Designed to handle usenet messages without omissions or truncations
- For DOS BBSs, there is a compatible "ZipNews Door" host end
- Disadvantages:
- Supported only by ZipNews Reader on DOS, and uqwk on unix hosts
- Beta only at this time; registration is $19.95 during Beta phase
- (with free upgrades to later versions)
- ZipNews unregistered shareware will not post news, read email, or
- send email, only read news (and send subscribe/unsubscribe cmds)
- but a 10-day evaluation key can be obtained via email to try out
- these functions
-
- ============= Readers ============
- ***
- Name: Crosspoint reviewed by Thomas Riha (rito@site46.ping.at)
- Author: Peter Mandrella (peter@xpoint.ruessel.sub.org)
- FTP: ftp.worms.fh-rpl.de:ibm-pc/dos/bbs/crosspoint
- [editor's note: I could not reach this site to verify this file]
-
- Crosspoint (XP) is DOS based and works in several networks (FIDO, Z-
- Connect, Internet, Usenet...).
-
- The Internet, or UUCP, module is by far the easiest to work with program
- I've seen so far. You don't have to edit config files. Everything is done
- from inside the program. You only have to fill out a few points, call your
- provider with crosspoint and the program fixes everything for you.
-
- Maybe the problem with XP is that it is a German program but an english
- version is available since last June (but I'm not sure about the UUCP-
- module - but I think it's being translated right now). Some english
- speaking persons use it already - at least there are some english mails in
- the usenet-group de.comm.software.crosspoint.
-
- Next advantage: It's registered version is quite cheap (40$) and the non-
- registered version isn't crippled at all.
-
-
- ***
- Name: hpv 1.01b Helldiver Packet Viewer
- Author: rhys@cs.uq.oz.au (Rhys Weatherley)
- Ftp: /ftp.halcyon.com:/pub/waffle/news/hpv101b.zip
-
- Notes: DOS reader. HDPF format. Reads archived HDPF packet (does its own
- unarchiving to a temporary and deletes temps on exit). Multiple archiver
- formats accepted (ZIP/LHA/etc.) Text/Graphical interface (Borland lib).
- "The Original" SOUP reader (HDPF predates SOUP).
-
- ***
- Name: helldiver 1.07 Helldiver windows Packet Viewer
- Author: rhys@cs.uq.oz.au (Rhys Weatherley)
- Ftp: /ftp.halcyon.com:/pub/waffle/news/helld107.zip
-
- Notes: MS Windows viewer. HDPF format. (Is this just a Borland lib port?)
- Not much known to the author of this document.
-
- ***
- NewsWerthy (reviewd by William Werth <billw@eskimo.com>
-
- Name: NewsWerthy 1.20 - SOUP format, packet reader, threads on subject.
- Author: William Werth (billw@eskimo.com)
- Ftp: /ftp.eskimo.com:/billw/nwrth120.zip
-
- Notes: Fully functional, reads news and mail, can send replies to
- either. Works well when used with uqwk, since it has a built in interface
- to uqwk commands.
-
-
- ***
- Name: slnr 1.3 Simple Local News Reader
- Author: Philippe Goujard (ppg@oasis.icl.co.uk)
- Ftp: /ftp.uu.net:/networking/news/readers/off-line/slnr/
-
- Notes: DOS reader. SOUP format. Reads directly from unarchived SOUP packet,
- directly produces replies. Freely available in source. Packaged along
- with getnews 1.9 and postreply, which can provide Unix SOUP host functions,
- also in source format. Has compile options for Unix, OS/2 and Atari based
- reader. Currently limited to 500 msgs and 100 groups per packet in DOS
- version, but easy to expand. Can colorize display via ANSI.SYS escape
- sequences.
-
- ***
- Name: yarn 0.78 (Yet Another RN)
- Author: cthuang@io.org (Chin Huang)
- Ftp: /oak.oakland.edu:/pub/msdos/offline/yarn_078.zip (DOS)
- /hobbes.nmsu.edu:/os2/32bit/bbs/yrn2_077.zip (OS/2)
-
- Notes: DOS and OS/2 reader. SOUP format (fully Usenet compliant). Netnews
- and mail. Imports SOUP packets into its own messagebase format, date
- expires old messages; reader operates on messagebase rather than SOUP
- packet. No source.
-
- ***
- Name: Offliner for Windows 0.06b Usenet Offline Reader
- Author: harknesb@metronet.com (Barry L. Harkness)
- Ftp: /metronet.com:/pub/xfer/ol06b.zip
-
- Notes: MS Windows Reader. SOUP format. Currently in beta test.
-
- ***
- Name: unor 0.31 Usenet Offline Reader
- Author: rrusbasa@nyx10.cs.du.edu (Bob Rusbasan)
- Ftp: /ftp.gte.com:/pub/unor/unor0031.zip
-
- Notes: MS Windows Reader. SOUP format.
-
- ***
- Name: znr 0.93b ZipNews Reader
- Author: jkilday@nlbbs.com (Jack Kilday)
- Ftp: /oak.oakland.edu:/pub/msdos/offline/znr093b.zip
- /ftp.halcyon.com:/pub/waffle/news/znr092y.zip (old version)
- /ftp.gte.com:/pub/zipnews/znr093b.zip
-
- Notes: DOS reader. ZipNews format, or local Waffle BBS messagebase.
- Proprietary format; DOS based host also available (ZipNews Door). $19.95
- shareware. Fully Usenet compliant.
-
- ***
- Name: pboy 2.04 PaperBoy
- Author: vart@clark.net (Michael H. Vartanian)
- Ftp: /ftp.clark.net:/pub/vart/pboy204.zip
-
- Notes: MS Windows based. SOUP Reader. Not much known to document author.
-
- ============ Unix based Host Software for Offline Readers ==========
-
- Name: uqwk 1.8 Unix QWK host
- Author: seb3@gte.com (Steve Belczyk)
- Ftp: /ftp.gte.com:/pub/uqwk/uqwk1.8.tar.Z
- /ftp.clark.net:/pub/vart/uqwk.binary.solaris.nntp
- /ftp.clark.net:/pub/vart/uqwk.binary.solaris.spool
-
- Notes: Unix host. SOUP, ZipNews, QWK and QWK/header in body formats.
-
- ***
- Name: getnews, postreply
- Ftp: /ftp.uu.net:/networking/news/readers/off-line/slnr/
-
- Notes: Unix host. SOUP format. Source freely available. Packaged with
- slnr reader.
-
- ***
-
- There's a Linux qwk reader available. I'm not sure if there's a v
- for your system, but the source is available, and porting shouldn't be
- difficult. ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/system/BBS/atp142src.tar.gz
- ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
- [editor's note: This address no longer appears to be valid]
-
- =====================================================================
- The author of this document is Zhahai Stewart (zstewart@nyx.cs.du.edu),
- with helpful contributions from:
- seb3@gte.com (Steve Belczyk)
- jkilday@nlbbs.com (Jack Kilday)
- mbn@teleport.com (Mike Northam)
-
- ---------------
-
- --
- mbn@teleport.COM Public Access User --- Not affiliated with Teleport
- Mike Northam (503)324-1831 (H) SCUD missile coords: 123 11' 40"W 45 37'14"N
- "I need a job; I need a vacation,
- I need money, I've got bills to pay" Bob Woodruff "Alright"
-