slrn + slrnpull
Hi,
I installed slrn and slrnpull for offline mail reading. There is no
way that the default installation works even when debconf has asked
all the relevant questions. Sorry for the bitch, but a whole Sunday
has evaporated. An install for a dialup offline newsreader should be
something that the install program can handle without manual
tinkering being needed later.
(I am running potatoe in console mode on P120 m/c)
The primary problem is that I cannot get the subscribed groups up in
slrn.
Whether I run $ slrn --spool or plain $ slrn (must be online) only
the default groups are shown
I have downloaded a full list of groups as groups.dat thus:
$ slrn -nntp -h news.imaginet.co.za -a -f groups.dat -create
There is a .newsrc file which is essentially the same as the
groups.dat and is 155 bytes less.
The documentation refers to .slnrc (and the /slrnpull/README.Debian
gives slrnrc with no dot) but slrn.rc is what we have. This has had
all the appropriate additions.
set spool_inn_root "/var/spool/slrnpull"
set spool_root "/var/spool/slrnpull/news"
set spool_nov_root "/var/spool/slrnpull/news"
set read_active 1
set use_slrnpull 1
set server_object "spool"
set write_newsrc_flags 0
hostname "news.imaginet.co.za"
username "inksi"
Why the last two lines I am not sure, since the former is given in
the file /etc/news/server , and the last seems superfluous since I
am already logged into my isp via ppp connection.
Also I query why the set write_newsrc_flags line should have to be
manually put in when one has gone thru the debconf process as part
of the installation. In fact why should any of this have to be added
by hand?
I have edited my groups into slrnpull.conf and also twice put the
same groups into jnews.rc which is however turned back automagically
to show the default installation groups with mine gone whoknowswhere.
I can so far only read on-line.
It is obvious that the subdirectories to /var/spool/slrnpull/news
are not created to store the posts. There was no reference anywhere
to changing permissions so have not attempted this.
I have read the faqs etc etc and played about ineffectually for the
whole of today with no success.
For an offline news reader I expect to be able to mark headers while
offline that I can then download on my next dialup, but I do not see
how this is achieved. I have managed to read but only when online,
and those posts, groups, & headers, that I have read are not
retained.
I have run slrnpull on its own but since it is in /usr/sbin it is
not on the path and I conclude that it is meant to be integrated into
the slrn program and not run seperately. I followed the instructions
in /usr/share/doc/slrnpull/QUICK_INSTALL to no avail.
Any broad help guidelines would be appreciated. Something has gone
wrong and only the thought of all the hours spent playing around has
prevented me from uninstalling the whole thing.
Yours in need
Ian
--
Ian Balchin
http://www.imaginet.co.za/fables
This machine is running Debian GNU/Linux ... http://www.debian.org
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