Is there a compressed nntp protocol?

Is there a compressed nntp protocol?

[Francois Felix Ingrand]

Now that I use agent... I was just wondering if there is compressed "mode"
in NNTP. After all, when downloading headers and bodies, a compression would
do miracles...

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Re: Is there a compressed nntp protocol?

[Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen]

Francois Felix Ingrand <felix@laas.fr> writes:

> Now that I use agent... I was just wondering if there is compressed "mode"
> in NNTP. After all, when downloading headers and bodies, a compression would
> do miracles...

If you're downloading over modem, it wouldn't mean much at all, since
modems compress on-the-fly.

But I don't have any plans for adding support for compressed NNTP,
which is (I understand) supported by some experimental nntp servers.

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
  larsi@gnus.org * Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen

Re: Is there a compressed nntp protocol?

[Francois Felix Ingrand]

Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org> writes:

> Francois Felix Ingrand <felix@laas.fr> writes:
> 
> > Now that I use agent... I was just wondering if there is compressed "mode"
> > in NNTP. After all, when downloading headers and bodies, a compression would
> > do miracles...
> 
> If you're downloading over modem, it wouldn't mean much at all, since
> modems compress on-the-fly.

Well... I use an ISDN adapter and the protocol I use HDLC (I think) does not 
compress. I will check with my ISP if a compressed protocol exist.

> But I don't have any plans for adding support for compressed NNTP,
> which is (I understand) supported by some experimental nntp servers.

Do you know the NNTP command to see if a server is supporting such protocol?

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Francois Felix INGRAND                       "Dieu est un fumeur de Havane."
Professional: http://www.laas.fr/~felix         mailto:felix@laas.fr
Personal: http://worldserver.oleane.com/felix   mailto:felix@dial.oleane.com

Re: Is there a compressed nntp protocol?

[Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen]

Francois Felix Ingrand <felix@dial.oleane.com> writes:

> Do you know the NNTP command to see if a server is supporting such protocol?

"HELP"?  :-)

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
  larsi@gnus.org * Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen

Re: Is there a compressed nntp protocol?

[Francois Felix Ingrand]

Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org> writes:

> Francois Felix Ingrand <felix@dial.oleane.com> writes:
> 
> > Do you know the NNTP command to see if a server is supporting such protocol?
> 
> "HELP"?  :-)

I tried that... could not find anything in the HELP "looking" like a
compression protocol...

I am actually surprise that such protocol has not been widely used.
-- 
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"Un milliard pour les chomeurs, 150  milliards pour le Credit Lyonnais..."
Professional: http://www.laas.fr/~felix         mailto:felix@laas.fr
Personal: http://worldserver.oleane.com/felix   mailto:felix@dial.oleane.com

Re: Is there a compressed nntp protocol?

[Jonas Kvarnström]

Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org> writes:

> > Now that I use agent... I was just wondering if there is compressed "mode"
> > in NNTP. After all, when downloading headers and bodies, a compression would
> > do miracles...
> 
> If you're downloading over modem, it wouldn't mean much at all, since
> modems compress on-the-fly.

(Oops -- I replied to this a couple of days ago, but it seems I send a
private reply instead of following up to the mailing list...  Here's
my reply again.)

Unless the modem on the other side has a slow serial connection to the
server computer (which is the case for my connection).  Even with
33600 bps modems you would need a 115200 bps connection to the
computer, and with a 57600 bps modem you'd need an even faster
connection.

I'm currently tunneling the NNTP connection via SSH.  This gives me a
compression of about 3:1 and much better performance than when I only
used the built-in compression in the modem.  (I use "suck", not the
agent features.  Normally I run a couple of parallel "suck" programs
in order to use the available bandwidth better.)