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1992-11-19
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SEXPIRE v1.00 (C) Copyright 1992 Pillar Communications
--------------------------------------------------------
** CONTENTS
I Introduction
II Installation
III Command Line Options
IV Expire Log
V Forum File
VI Expire File
VII License
VIII Author Info
** INTRODUCTION
SEXPIRE is a DOS Waffle utility that provides custom news expiration based
on the age of articles. (SEXPIRE owes its existence to Chris Winemiller
please read AUTHOR INFO for more information)
o Features
- EXPIRE FILE allows expiration of files other than news.
- Statistics logging (waffle/admin/expire).
- Support for DEFAULT and FORUM lines in forum files.
- Can leave one article in each newsgroup regardless of
expire setting (keeps the message counters from getting reset).
- No registration fees (please read LICENSE (section VII)).
** INSTALLATION
Installation is very simple while still allowing many options to suit
your unique flavor of Waffle system. It is assumed that the user is
reasonably familiar with Waffle.
o Getting Started
Copy SEXPIRE.COM onto your system drive. Anywhere will be fine
as long as you provide a full pathname when invoking SEXPIRE or
it is in the path. The best place to put SEXPIRE.COM is in the
"waffle/bin" directory.
o Executing SEXPIRE
This is a matter of preference. SEXPIRE can be run as many times
and as often as you feel necessary. Some suggested ways to
execute SEXPIRE:
- in waffle/bin/poll.bat (before uucico)
- in waffle/bin/uushell (after uucico)
- in waffle/system/schedule
NOTE: If your news spool is kept close to capacity it would be a
good idea to add the SEXPIRE command line in your "POLL.BAT" so as
to free as much space before polling.
o Choosing Command Line Options
By default SEXPIRE will search through the news spool and expire
all articles that are 72 hours (3 days) or older unless there is
only one article left in a newsgroup in which case it will be
ignored (see the "-d" flag in COMMAND LINE OPTIONS (section III)).
As you are installing SEXPIRE you may want to start by invoking it
with the command line:
SEXPIRE -n
This will allow you to see how SEXPIRE works without it actually
removing files. You can then add other options and see how they
will fit in with your configuration and then remove the "-n" when
you are satisfied that things are working to your satisfaction.
o Forum File Configuration
The most important thing to know about setting up your forum files
is the "/mexp" flag. This flag is used like most other Waffle
forum flags. To set a default expire of 6 days for all newsgroups
in the current forum file, add the following line near the top of
the forums file:
DEFAULT /mexp=144
The argument given to the "/mexp" flag is the number of hours before
an article should be expired. So in the example above the expire is
set for 6 days which given 24 hours in a day we have 24 X 6 = 144.
The "/mexp" flag can also be specified on a per newsgroup basis.
Any "/mexp" flag for a newsgroup will override the default expire
for that newsgroup only.
NOTE: For more information see FORUM FILE (section V).
o Expire File Configuration
When a an EXPIRE FILE is given on the command line, each directory
listed in the file is treated as a news directory and the files
contained are expired based on the current options set. The "DEFAULT"
and "FORUM" line work the same as they do in a regular FORUM FILE.
NOTE: Please read EXPIRE FILE (section VI) before using an EXPIRE FILE.
** COMMAND LINE OPTIONS
SEXPIRE provides several command line options to help customize it
to your personal expiring needs. All flags are optional and must use
a "-" as the flag character (flags may be used in any combination).
o Usage
SEXPIRE [-a -d -e <expire_file> -n -t -h -v]
o Flag "-a"
Consider all files in each newsgroup directory for deletion. By
default SEXPIRE only considers files whose names consist of only
numerals (0-9) and no filename extension.
NOTE: This option has *no* effect on an EXPIRE FILE. All files are
taken into consideration for an EXPIRE FILE directory.
o Flag "-d"
Consider the last numerical filename in each directory for expiration.
The default is to leave the last file in a directory with a filename
that consists of only numerals (0-9) and no filename extension
regardless of the current expire time. It is not necessary to do this
as Waffle will compensate, but it does allows your system to maintain
the sequential numbering of news articles instead of reseting to zero.
NOTE: This option has *no* effect on an EXPIRE FILE. All files are
taken into consideration for an EXPIRE FILE directory.
o Flag "-e"
Use an EXPIRE FILE. The name of the EXPIRE FILE must directly follow
this flag. This file contains name of directories whose files should
be considered for expiration (more than one "-e" may be specified).
o Flag "-h"
Displays COMMAND LINE OPTIONS.
o Flag "-n"
Do *not* delete files. SEXPIRE will report the files that should be
deleted and all related statistics but will not delete any files.
o Flag "-t"
Display expiration times for each newsgroup. The default is to *not*
display the current expire times for each newsgroup.
o Flag "-v"
Displays AUTHOR INFO.
** EXPIRE LOG
When SEXPIRE completes its task it writes a line to the "waffle/admin
/expire" file. This may be viewed inside of Waffle by users with
appropriate privileges by the command "SHOW EXPIRE". The format of
this file is as follows:
16-Nov-92 08:13:16 08:13:20 | 237.4 / 42 | -d -a -e c:\expdir.lst -t
--------- ----------------- ----- -- -------------------------
| | | | |
+----------------+ | | | |
| | | | |
date -+ | | | |
start and end time ----+ | | |
kilobytes deleted -----------+ | |
files deleted ------------------+ |
command line arguments -------------------------+
** FORUM FILE
The Waffle forum files are where SEXPIRE looks to see what newsgroups
need to be expired and what the expire time needs to be.
o "/mexp"
The format is "/mexp=xx" where "xx" is the number of hours that files
will be retained. If no "/mexp" lines are encountered then the default
of 72 hours will be used.
If "/mexp" appears on a "DEFAULT" or "FORUM" line then the expire time
will apply to all of the following newsgroups until changed with a later
"DEFAULT" or "FORUM" line. If "/mexp" appears on a newsgroup line the
current default expire time is overidden by the new value for the current
newsgroup only.
o "/dir"
SEXPIRE recognizes the Waffle "/dir" flag when used with newsgroups
and on "DEFAULT" and "FORUM" lines so optional directories *can* be
used.
o Example Forum File
Here is an example FORUM FILE /waffle/system/usenet:
# ------------------------- START OF USENET FILE ------------------------
# This file names the location and characteristics of various Usenet
# newsgroups that are carried here.
#
# Use /dir to specify the root of the directory tree containing
# the news. (Useful only for DOS Waffle systems.)
#
# Waffle's /keep attribute isn't used. Instead, use the /mexp
# attribute to cause news to expire according to its age.
DEFAULT /sig=sig /dir=c:/news /name="[Newsgroup %N]" /spy=monitor
# Set default expiration to 4 days (/mexp=96 hours). Other values are
# set as desired.
DEFAULT /mexp=96
DEFAULT /type=USENET /new=1 /post=1 /read=0
comp.bbs.waffle
# Note: The Expire program will read the /dir directive; it knows
# that the alt.msdos.programmer newsgroup is in the directory named
# c:/news/alt/msdos/programr.
alt.msdos.programmer /dir=c:/news/alt/msdos/programr
# IBM binaries are important, so let's keep them around for 7 days
# (168 hours) in comp.binaries.ibm.pc
comp.binaries.ibm.pc /mod /mexp=168
# The comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d newsgroup is expired at the most recent
# default value (96 hours, or 4 days).
comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
# Set default expirations for the following control groups. Entries
# will be kept for about a month.
DEFAULT /mexp=720
# Things that we are fed but do not carry get shoved into "junk".
# If things get placed in junk often, something is wrong. Let's
# expire its articles after 2 days (48 hours).
junk /post=9 /mexp=48
# /spy without arguments sets the "monitor" group as a destination
# for copies of any posts originating locally.. (expired after 720
# hours, which is the most recent default value).
monitor /post=0 /spy
# You *MUST* have a "control" group. Right now we don't do a whole
# lot of control messages processing in the DOS version, though.
# (Also expired after 720 hours.)
control /post=0
# ------------------------- END OF USENET FILE ------------------------
** EXPIRE FILE
An expire file allows you to have files in directories other than
the news directories expired based on age.
NOTE: The "-d" and "-a" COMMAND LINE OPTIONS have no effect on an
expire file. All files are considered for expiration.
o Expire File Format
The following may be contained in an EXPIRE FILE:
- A blank line.
All blank lines are ignored.
- A comment line.
The comment line must begin with a '#' character. All comments
are ignored.
- A "DEFAULT" line.
The first word must be "DEFAULT" (upper or lower case). The
only valid flags following a "DEFAULT" line is "/mexp" or
"/exclude".
- A directory line.
Must specify the full pathname of one directory optionally
followed by the "/exclude" or "/mexp" flags.
o "/mexp"
The format is "/mexp=xx" where "xx" is the number of hours that files
will be retained. If no "mexp" lines are encountered then the default
of 72 hours will be used.
If "/mexp" appears on a "DEFAULT" line then the expire time will apply
to all of the following directories until changed with a later
"DEFAULT" line. If "/mexp" appears on a directory line then the
current default expire time is overidden by the new value for the
current directory only.
o "/exclude"
The format is "/exclude=file,file,..." where "file" is the name of
a file that SEXPIRE should ignore. The "/exclude" lines should
contain no spaces and list filenames that are separated by commas.
If "/exclude" appears on a "DEFAULT" line then the files specified
will be ignored until changed with a later "DEFAULT" line. If
"/exclude" appears on a directory line then the current default
"/exclude" will be overidden by the new "/exclude" value for the
current directory only.
NOTE: No wildcard characters are recognized.
To specify that no files should be excluded after "DEFAULT" line
that include a "/exclude", use "/exclude=" which specifies that
*no* files should be excluded.
o Example Expire File
# ------------------------- START OF EXPDIRS FILE ------------------------
#<--- This '#' character must be in column 1 of the file!
#
# This is an expire file. It names directories which the expire
# program will consider for expiration AFTER all Waffle news groups have
# been considered.
# Let's set some defaults. Unless otherwise specified, let's retain
# files for 168 hours (1 week), and NEVER get rid of files named
# "readme.txt" or "notouch.me". (Note: file names are NOT case sensitive.)
DEFAULT /mexp=168 /exclude=readme.txt,notouch.me
c:/misc
# Waffle's outbox and /user/uucp directories fill up quickly, so
# let's expire their files after 24 hours. Also, we want to get rid
# of all files, but don't change the current defaults for /exclude.
DEFAULT /mexp=24
e:/spool/outbox /exclude=
e:/user/uucp /exclude=
# Allow users to retain their files for 2 weeks (336 hrs), and then let's
# delete them. But never get rid of files like the signature files and
# a few others.
DEFAULT /mexp=336 /exclude=join,sig,mailsig,waffle
c:/user/kilgore
c:/user/narc
c:/user/boomer
# ------------------------- END OF EXPDIRS FILE ------------------------
** LICENSE
SEXPIRE may be used free of charge on any system that is using a registered
version of WAFFLE. SEXPIRE may be used on an unregistered system for the
duration of the WAFFLE trial period as set forth in the documentation
distributed with WAFFLE.
** AUTHOR INFO
Send all inquiries, bug reports and donations to:
o Email Address
kilgore@obelisk.pillar.com
kilgore@wuntvor.pillar.com
kilgore@obelisk.okc.ok.us
...!obelisk!kilgore
o Postal Address
Pillar Communications
Stan Hall
918 Duncan Drive
Oklahoma City, Ok 73107 USA
o Original Author
SEXPIRE is based on a program (cwexp104.zip) by
Chris Winemiller (cwinemil@keys.lonestar.org).
I would like to thank Chris for this wonderful program and for
providing source so that I could bring you this new and improved
expire program. Much of the source and tidbits of the documentation
are taken directly from Chris's program (I hope he doesn't mind :-).