Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site dalcs.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utcsrgv!dalcs!holmes
From: holmes@dalcs.UUCP (Ray Holmes)
Newsgroups: net.news.adm
Subject: Re: Re: admins-- please READ!
Message-ID: <1401@dalcs.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 27-Dec-84 15:05:35 EST
Article-I.D.: dalcs.1401
Posted: Thu Dec 27 15:05:35 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Dec-84 00:43:22 EST
References: <2107@nsc.UUCP> <617@munnari.OZ>
Organization: Dalhousie University, Halifax, N.S., Canada
Lines: 77

> In article <2107@nsc.UUCP> chuqui@nsc.UUCP (Chuqui Q. Koala) writes:
> | 
> | A related problem is with sites that are passing specific topics to
> | some other place. This example is WRONG and will not properly forward
> | all messages:
> | 
> |     ME:net,fa,mod,usa,na,to::
> |     THEM:net.unix-wizards::
> | 
> | The reason this is wrong is that 2.10.2 now requires the "Distribution:"
> | line in headers of messages being posted. If you send out a message with
> | the headers:
> | 
> |     Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
> |     Distribution: net
> | 
> | your sys file with match the "Newsgroups:" line but it will NOT match
> | the line for the "Distribution:". Because of this, large numbers of
> | articles are not being sent when (or where) they should be.
> 
> This is only true for 2.10.1 (and earlier?) - the example works
> fine if you are running 2.10.2.  2.10.2 matches the Distribution
> against the newsgroups, if the Distribution adds no "new information"
> as in the postulated case, it is ignored.  Unfortunately, it
> doesn't delete the Distribution line (probably it should, I posted
> a mod which will do almost that at the posting site - see
> <609@munnari.OZ> in net.news.b or net.sources.bugs).
> 
> It also not true that 2.10.2 *requires* Distribution lines, it
> simply supplies them by default, and doesn't let you leave the
> Distribution empty while you're in the prompting stage of
> postnews.  However, you can easily delete the Distribution line
> while you're in the editor, 2.10.2 will respect your wishes, and
> work fine.
> 
> Chuq continues...
> |							      The correct
> | way of handling this in the sys file is:
> | 
> |     ME:net,fa,mod,usa,na,to::
> |     THEM:net,net.unix-wizards::
> 
> This MUST have been a typo, I'm sure Chuq means
> 
> 	ME:net,fa,mod,usa,na,to::
> 	THEM:net,!net.all,net.unix-wizards::
> 
> Chuq's version would have you sending everything!
> 
> | 
> | Please, PLEASE update your sys file!
> 
> I concur.  Please do!  An alternative is to install the
> mod I posted to net.news.b and net.sources.bugs <609@munnari.OZ>
> which has the effect of updating the 2.10.1 handling of
> Distribution lines to operate like 2.10.2 does.
> You will find updating your sys file easier, and quicker,
> to do, except possibly if you send limited newsgroups to
> a lot of sites.
> 
> See my article <616@munnari.OZ> in net.news.b, and the
> articles it references, for more discussion of this problem.
> 
> Robert Elz				decvax!mulga!kre

I am realy getting confused here.  I have deIu|~bed that the optimal method
of setting up "sys" files is to start with what looks right, and if that
doesn't work, make a random change.  I HATE this, but something must be
done, we (are supposed to) get all news (but I know we don't, possibly I
missed THE CRITICAL ARTICAL that makes sense out of this) and only random
moves seem to help (about 30% of the time (but then we can always back up).


Thus, my recomendation is to try all combinations in your "sys" file until
one works -- should only take a few years.

					Ray