[comp.mail.misc] Subscribing/unsubscribing newsgroups

ydlee@hou2d.UUCP (Y.LEE) (10/28/88)

1.  How does one subscribe/unsubscribe a newsgroup?
2.  Is there an efficient way of listing the newsgroups one's 
    subscribed to?

Please respond!


			Thanks,
			Y.L.

tba@sirius.UUCP (Todd Aubin) (10/28/88)

In article <2176@hou2d.UUCP>, ydlee@hou2d.UUCP (Y.LEE) writes:
> 1.  How does one subscribe/unsubscribe a newsgroup?
> 2.  Is there an efficient way of listing the newsgroups one's 
>     subscribed to?
> 

(in answer to #1)

I use 'vnews', which has a "ug" option to unsubscribe to a group.

As far as doing it in bulk, you can edit the .newsrc file
in your home directory.
Normally, a news group entry in this file has the form:

		group: 1-25

which shows the name of the group, a colon, and the articles which
have been read by yourself.

'vnews' changes the colon to an explanation mark when it marks
a group as undesired.

		group! 1-25

I have manually edited this file, with 'vi', replacing the colons
with explanation marks on those entries that control groups
which I am not interested in.

We have recently introduced news to our development team (30+ people,
40+machines) and I have found the above the best way to unsubscribe
in bulk.

(Just make sure that you don't accidentily enter any extra characters
on the group entry line which the news readers might misinterpret.


(In answer to #2)

To list the groups which you are subscribed to, assuming
that you are in the directory which contains the .newsrc:

	grep : .newsrc | awk '{print $1}'

hopes this helps

todd

-- 

Todd Aubin	@ Northern Telecom	..!dartvax!sirius!tba