Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site watcgl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!watcgl!dmmartindale From: dmmartindale@watcgl.UUCP (Dave Martindale) Newsgroups: net.news.b Subject: Why are distributions mandatory in 2.10.2? Message-ID: <368@watcgl.UUCP> Date: Thu, 8-Nov-84 11:30:24 EST Article-I.D.: watcgl.368 Posted: Thu Nov 8 11:30:24 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 9-Nov-84 07:16:37 EST Distribution: net Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 26 At Waterloo, there are a number of local newsgroups associated with courses with names like "cs488". From their names, they appear to be local groups, but in fact are explicitly distributed by the sys file on each machine to whatever other machines share the group. This scheme worked fine under 2.10.1, but now we find that the 2.10.2 postnews absolutely insists on assigning a distribution to every article posted, and that this distribution must be one of the short list in LIBDIR/distributions. Since there are several such groups, and since the set of machines that are interested in the group is different for each group, creating a separate distribution code for each of these newsgroups seems silly. I can understand why postnews would want to prevent the user from specifying a meaningless distribution code, but why must it insist that the user provide one? Why not allow the ability to leave out the Distribution line, having the distribution determined by the newsgroup name? How does this affect sites who try to receive only specific groups under control of their sys line on the machine which feeds them news? As I understand it, if every incoming article has a Distribution line, then the newsgroup name will be ignored in favour of the Distribution name in determining where an article is sent. Dave Martindale {ihnp4,clyde,decvax,allegra}!watmath!dmmartindale