Freshnews Download

Current version: Technology Preview 1

How To

If you are not comfortable editing and compiling source code, modifying system files, or installing a root program, then this is not for you. Of course, then you wouldn't be running a news server, so this program is really not for you!

1. Download the source.
2. Unpack the source and copy it to the news home directory.
3. Check the configure me section in the source to see if you need to make any changes.
4. Compile the source with the command
   g++ -O -o freshnews freshnews.cc
5. Become root for the next two steps
6. Edit /etc/inittab adding this line:
   fn:235:respawn:/var/spool/news/freshnews &>/dev/null
7. run telinit Q to activate the changes to inittab.
8. Important: Stop being root!

Options

Of course, you can do things a little differently from the instructions above. Here are a few ideas:

• If you've looked at the source online, why bother downloading it again? Just return to that page (it's still in your cache, right?) and cut'n'paste to a text file. Please name the file freshnews.cc
• If your copy of leafnode does not use /var/spool/news as it's home directory, you will have to modify a few things above. You will also have to modify the source as it explicitly does a chdir to that directory. I'm sure you can figure that out, I have confidence it you!
• If you turned on debug, you will want to change the line in inittab to send output somewhere other than the bit-bucket. I suggest fn:235:respawn:/var/spool/news/freshnews &>/var/spool/news/freshnews.log
• If you have a very intelligent policy of using sudo or some other way to administer your system without being root, then I encourage you to follow those procedures!

Problems?

If you have problems compiling or running freshnews, first try to fix the problem yourself.

Check the home page first to see if it is a known problem.

If you cannot localize the problem and describe it to me clearly, I cannot help you.

This is a free program, if I choose to help you, it is freely and out of my own good nature. If I choose not to help you, you have no recourse. Of course, I am a nice guy, at least I think so, so if you are patient enough to accept help on my schedule, and you've done everything I think you should do for yourself, then it is unlikely that I'll refuse to help.