Re: 2 Agent behaviors

[Mike McEwan <mike@lotusland.demon.co.uk>]

Harry Putnam <reader@newsguy.com> writes:

> PartI:
> 
> What the heck is wrong on my end to cause this behavior?
> 
> Start gnus  run J s (download to agent) go unplugged and view the
> oldest messages in gnu.emacs.gnus  (by entering C-u <RET>)
> 
> Oldest displayed article is July 27.  Close gnus close emacs.
> Restart emacs then `M-x gnus-unplugged'.
> 
> Gnus starts... enter gnu.emacs.gnus with `C-u <RET>':
> Oldest displayed article is Jul 13
> 
> Why the different displays?   And why aren't articles downloaded since
> gnus-0.91 release install (approx July 4) being displayed?
>

  Just a thought, it would appear a couple of others have been caught
out with this, but do you have any `groups' files in your `agent.lib'
directory for the server in question? If so, and you also have an
`active' file, delete (or rename) the `groups' file. It would appear
that Lars has changed things such that the active ranges for
newsgroups are now *always* stored in an `active' file regardless of
whether the news server is responding to a `LIST ACTIVE group' or a
'GROUP group' command. Responses to the `GROUP' command are now
converted to 'LIST ACTIVE' format prior to being stored in
`~/News/agent/server/agent.lib/active'. When a group is being
`activated' offline, I think it uses the`groups' file in preference to
`active', if one exists.
 
> PartII:
> 
> One of my agent categories, downloads messages who's subjects begin
> with 'Re: '
> 
> All the messages whos subjects do not begin with 'Re: ' have only
> headers downloaded.   All as it should be.  But now I am accumulating
> many bodyless messages that I would like to get rid of.  
> 
> Agent expiry seems to have no controls other than setting a cutoff date.
> Deletion is not allowed in nnpt groups.  
> 
> How are people getting rid of unwanted Headers?

  Don't think there is anything you can do here, given the nature of
nntp groups. Perhaps you should periodically copy all the articles you 
wish to keep to some kind of 'group.archive' group and then expire
them all away in the original group.

-- 
Mike.