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