malcolm (07/28/82)
#N:pur-ee:13000002:004:1098 pur-ee!malcolm Jul 27 19:30:00 1982 I would like to propose that the sequencing information be moved out of a notes sub-directory and into the user's own directory. Notes presently saves all the sequencing information in its own file much like alpha news did. Beta news, on the other hand keeps this information in the user's home directory. There are two very good reasons to do this. No program is foolproof and being the owner of the sequencing information means that I can read, modify and copy the important information. When I used Beta news I kept a periodically updated copy of the sequencing file that I used when the original got trashed. Having a copy of the sequencer information also makes it easier to bring new users on board. One new user here was confronted with over 75 new messages in net.general alone. It would have been real nice if his friend could have given him a copy of his up to date sequencer information so that he could immediately start reading the new news. Getting on board notes now is like going away from the system for two weeks and trying to catch up on all the trivia. Malcolm
mark (07/28/82)
With B news, you can say readnews -p > /dev/null & and it will (eventually) update your .newsrc to be "up to date". This procedure is recommended in the tutorial that goes with it. Doesn't notes have a similar feature? If not, it should. Copying someone elses sequence file seems dangerous - if you don't subscribe to exactly the same groups it may not help. I do support the notion that a user should own his own sequencing information (e.g. in his on directory). It makes things so much simpler. Mark
essick (07/28/82)
#R:pur-ee:13000002:uiucdcs:23300008:004:451 uiucdcs!essick Jul 28 10:37:00 1982 The biggest (and really the only) problem is that the notes program runs setuid. This opens a few cans of worms with problems of not being able to access the file. This is the major reason that the sequencer information is stored in a notesfile owned directory (/usr/spool/notes/.sequencer). If this problem could be solved (most likely), then I would have no qualms about moving the sequencer files to the user's home directory. Ray Essick
sjb (07/29/82)
Don't shout at me if this seems like I'm making a stupid suggestion, not having yet tackled notes myself (yet, give me a week or two!) Why not make notes setgid and give it its own group?