dww@stl.stc.co.uk (David Wright) (05/25/89)
In article <1042@dlhpedg.co.uk> cl@datlog.co.uk (Charles Lambert) writes:
#Why, when I create a number of new groups in accordance with a checkgroups
#message, do I get messages of the form
#
# Newsgroup new.stuff does not exist!
#
#for most of them when I next read the news?
This is a 'well known' bug - er - problem.
inews creates the group in the active file, but doesn't create a directory
for it until the first news article arrives, as the directory isn't needed
until then. rn (I assume you are using rn?) assumes all valid groups will
have directories; when it checks for new news for a group it looks for
files in the group's directory - if there is no such directory it declares
the group does not exist, and refuses to add it to your .newsrc list.
Later, when articles appear and the directory is created, you don't notice
because you are not subscribed to that group.
Temp fix is to always create the directory manually.
The proper fix is for rn to treat a non-existant directory in the same way
as a real one with no articles in it. (rrn already does this). Also,
inews should create the directory anyway, just in case the site has an
unfixed rn.
To whom it may concern:
How about putting these fixes in the next inews and rn patches?
Regards, "None shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity"
David Wright STL, London Road, Harlow, Essex CM17 9NA, UK
dww@stl.stc.co.uk <or> ...uunet!mcvax!ukc!stl!dww <or> PSI%234237100122::DWWrick@uunet.UU.NET (Rick Adams) (05/26/89)
> The proper fix is for rn to treat a non-existant directory in the same way > as a real one with no articles in it. (rrn already does this). Also, > inews should create the directory anyway, just in case the site has an > unfixed rn. The fact that inews does not create the directory is a feature. Site who do not have a full feed, but want a full active file (so they can crosspost to groups they dont receive I guess) do not want 500 empty directories sitting around.