[news.software.b] A couple of trn questions

del@thrush.mlb.semi.harris.com (Don Lewis) (08/08/90)

I just got trn and I'm pretty impressed.  I have a couple of questions
though.

1) The soft pointer file seems to be incompatible between rrn pl 47 and
trn.  When you switch between them they have to rebuild the soft pointers.

2) How hard would it be to hack up trn and nntp so that the active2 and
thread files could be retrieved from the news server via nntp?
--
Don "Truck" Lewis                      Harris Semiconductor
Internet:  del@mlb.semi.harris.com     PO Box 883   MS 62A-028
Phone:     (407) 729-5205              Melbourne, FL  32901

davison%drivax@uunet.uu.net (Wayne Davison) (08/09/90)

Don Lewis (del@thrush.mlb.semi.harris.com) wrote:
> 1) The soft pointer file seems to be incompatible between rrn pl 47 and
> trn.  When you switch between them they have to rebuild the soft pointers.

The problem here is that the active and active2 files are not identical
in many instances (the active2 file keeps the newsgroup counts that mthreads
has processed).  The differences are inconsequential to operation, but they
do make a difference in the .rnsoft pointers.

The obvious solution is to stop using rrn :-).  Another solution would be
to make the active2 file a more exact "copy" of the active file (which is
something that I am likely to do in a future patch).  Some other solutions
include using a .trnsoft file instead of sharing the .rnsoft file, or totally
revamping the new-newsgroup-finding code.

> 2) How hard would it be to hack up trn and nntp so that the active2 and
> thread files could be retrieved from the news server via nntp?

It would be really nice if the nntp support would be enhanced to provide
access to non-article files in some manner.  In looking at the nntp code,
it didn't appear to be too difficult (especially if you're accessing the
.thread file in the group's spool directory).  Trn's code would be very
easy to change.  However, don't look to me to twiddle the nntp code.  The
last thing I need right now is to generate and maintain another off-shoot
development project.  If someone does something in this area, please get
in touch with me.

Another possibility that I would like to see explored, which might save
transfer time (but not disk space) on the client machines:  "clone" the
server's thread database as it updates.  This would involve sending the
completed thread files after they are updated via rsh, uucp, ftp, etc.
-- 
Wayne Davison            \  /| / /|\/ /| /(_)     davison%drivax@uunet.uu.net
davison@drivax.UUCP     (_)/ |/ /\|/ / |/  \         ...!uunet!drivax!davison
                           (W   A  Y   N   e)

del@thrush.mlb.semi.harris.com (Don Lewis) (08/09/90)

In article <QYQN3ZN@drivax.UUCP> davison%drivax@uunet.uu.net (Wayne Davison) writes:
>Don Lewis (del@thrush.mlb.semi.harris.com) wrote:
>> 1) The soft pointer file seems to be incompatible between rrn pl 47 and
>> trn.  When you switch between them they have to rebuild the soft pointers.
>
>The problem here is that the active and active2 files are not identical
>in many instances (the active2 file keeps the newsgroup counts that mthreads
>has processed).  The differences are inconsequential to operation, but they
>do make a difference in the .rnsoft pointers.
>
>The obvious solution is to stop using rrn :-).  Another solution would be
>to make the active2 file a more exact "copy" of the active file (which is
>something that I am likely to do in a future patch).  Some other solutions
>include using a .trnsoft file instead of sharing the .rnsoft file, or totally
>revamping the new-newsgroup-finding code.

Problem solved.  I changed mthreads so that it writes C News compatible
ten digit article numbers in the active2 file.  Now trn and rrn happily
coexist.
--
Don "Truck" Lewis                      Harris Semiconductor
Internet:  del@mlb.semi.harris.com     PO Box 883   MS 62A-028
Phone:     (407) 729-5205              Melbourne, FL  32901