[news.software.b] Annoying problem with rn

peter@na.excelan.com (Peter Tran) (11/14/89)

Hi,
I am running a very annoying problem with "rn" (Bnews 2.11.18).
Everytime I got into "rn" it asked if I wanted to add such and
such newsgroups. Is there a way to control it? It theoretically
should ask me once, and If I don't want to subscribe to these
newsgroups, it should not ask me again.

Could any news guru give me any advise on how to fix this?

Thanks in advance,
peter 
Internet: peter@na.excelan.COM 

bart@videovax.tv.tek.com (Bart Massey) (11/15/89)

In article <739@excelan.COM> peter@na.excelan.com (Peter Tran) writes:
>
> I am running [into] a very annoying problem with "rn" (Bnews 2.11.18).
> Everytime I got into "rn" it asked if I wanted to add such and
> such newsgroups. Is there a way to control it? It theoretically
> should ask me once, and if I don't want to subscribe to these
> newsgroups, it should not ask me again.
> 
> Could any news guru give me any advise on how to fix this?

I'm afraid I don't have a fix handy, but the classic workaround for this rn
bug is to always add the group, and then unsubscribe it.  Apparently rn, in
at least some incarnations, doesn't add a line to your .newsrc when you say
you don't want the group "added" -- which makes a twisted sort of sense :-).
Sigh.

					Bart Massey
					..tektronix!videovax.tv.tek.com!bart
					..tektronix!reed.bitnet!bart

news@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Network News) (11/15/89)

In article <739@excelan.COM> peter@na.excelan.com (Peter Tran) writes:
>Hi,
>I am running a very annoying problem with "rn" (Bnews 2.11.18).
>Everytime I got into "rn" it asked if I wanted to add such and
>such newsgroups. Is there a way to control it? It theoretically
>should ask me once, and If I don't want to subscribe to these
>newsgroups, it should not ask me again.
>
>Could any news guru give me any advise on how to fix this?

	B 2.11 news (as we, and apparently you, have it configured) doesn't
create the directory for the news group until the first article hits your
system.  Rn objects to this and after finding the first news group in your
.newsrc file that doesn't have a corresponding directory goes "berserk".  Talk
to your news administrator.  I found it easiest to write a shell script that
creates the directory along with creating the news group.  This will prevent
the problem you are seeing.