rsm@amethyst.ma.arizona.edu (Robert Maier) (07/26/88)
What exactly is the current status of the planned NNTP newsreaders for
VMS and MS-DOS systems? Are beta versions now available; if so, from
whom may they be obtained?
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Robert S. Maier | Internet: rsm@amethyst.ma.arizona.edu
Dept. of Math. | UUCP: ..{allegra,cmcl2,hao!noao}!arizona!amethyst!rsm
Univ. of Arizona | Bitnet: maier@arizrvax
Tucson, AZ 85721 | Phone: +1 602 621 6893 / +1 602 621 2617yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (07/27/88)
In article <793@amethyst.ma.arizona.edu> rsm@amethyst.ma.arizona.edu (Robert Maier) writes: >What exactly is the current status of the planned NNTP newsreaders for >VMS and MS-DOS systems? Are beta versions now available; if so, from >whom may they be obtained? The VMS version has been completed (in fact it is use here at Ames). That's the problem. There were a few hard-coded ames dependencies (like who the USENET gateway host is, etc). These are being changed to be environment variables (or whatever you call it under VMS), and when this work is done, it will be made available for public ftp. This is binary only, and requires WIN/TCP. The MS-DOS version, partially ported by Syd Weinstein (yes?) is already available. It requires an Excelan ethernet board. Copies are available from public ftp to ames.arc.nasa.gov (128.102.18.3). Get the pcrrn files. Available in both compressed and uncompressed versions. There is, in addition, a fully functional VMS news system that is available from Australia. Check one of Spaf's postings in news.admin for more details. We run this software at Marshall Space Flight Center. -Peter Yee yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov ames!yee
mcb@tis.llnl.gov (Michael C. Berch) (07/28/88)
In <12388@ames.arc.nasa.gov> yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov.UUCP (Peter E. Yee) writes: > The VMS version [of an NNTP client] has been completed (in fact it is use > here at Ames). That's the problem. There were a few hard-coded ames > dependencies (like who the USENET gateway host is, etc). > These are being changed to be environment > variables (or whatever you call it under VMS), and when this work is done, > it will be made available for public ftp. This is binary only, and requires > WIN/TCP. "Binary-only"? Does this mean that it is usable by binary-only VMS sites, or that the NNTP code is only distributed as binary? If the latter, why? Does the author not want to release the source, or what? I can see making a binary version available for people at sites without compilers (?), but knowing how complex a newsreader is, I wonder how this can work as a binary without the numerous compile-time config options. Besides, how will the bugs (if any :-)) get fixed if the source isn't out there to be hacked on? Michael C. Berch (Not a VMS user) mcb@tis.llnl.gov / uunet!tis.llnl.gov!mcb / ames!lll-tis!mcb
yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (07/28/88)
In article <22344@tis.llnl.gov> mcb@tis.llnl.gov (Michael C. Berch) writes: >"Binary-only"? Does this mean that it is usable by binary-only VMS >sites, or that the NNTP code is only distributed as binary? If the >latter, why? Does the author not want to release the source, or what? >I can see making a binary version available for people at sites without >compilers (?), but knowing how complex a newsreader is, I wonder how >this can work as a binary without the numerous compile-time config >options. Besides, how will the bugs (if any :-)) get fixed if the >source isn't out there to be hacked on? I meant to say that the program will be released as a binary. Some of the options may be set by environment variables. I think that the software is being released in a binary-only format because of certain NASA guidlines concerning the method by which source may be released. Then again, the guys who did the port may not want the hassle of people coming up with bug fixes, mods, and other changes. Bugs? What bugs? :-) I'll see what the policy is on source. In any case, let's wait for the binary first, okay? -Peter Yee yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov ames!yee
bob@kazoo.cis.ohio-state.edu (Bob Sutterfield) (08/02/88)
In article <793@amethyst.ma.arizona.edu> rsm@amethyst.ma.arizona.edu (Robert Maier) writes: >What exactly is the current status of the planned NNTP newsreaders >for VMS and MS-DOS systems? Are beta versions now available; if so, >from whom may they be obtained? You can get PC-RRN (Syd Weinstein's port of rrn to the IBM-PC running MS-DOS with an Excelan card) via anonymous FTP to tut.cis.ohio-state.edu,or via anonymous UUCP to osu-cis. We got a version from dsinc circa Jun 9. If you need UUCPing directions, please drop me a line. -=- Bob Sutterfield, Department of Computer and Information Science The Ohio State University; 2036 Neil Ave. Columbus OH USA 43210-1277 bob@cis.ohio-state.edu or ...!{att,pyramid,killer}!cis.ohio-state.edu!bob