Re: Syncing gmane group read state across multiple gnusen

[Steinar Bang <sb@dod.no>]

>>>>> Duncan <1i5t5.duncan@cox.net>:

> Does Gnus use the standard newsrc format? 

Yes and no.  It writes a .newsrc file for its primary NNTP server, but I
don't know if, and if so: when, it reads it.

It persists all of its other state in a monster lisp file called
.newsrc.eld.

> If it does, then what you're asking should be a breeze, because the
> newsrc files are by definition single-server only already.  Thus, it
> would seem a natural fit for tracking status on a single shared server
> when others aren't shared, just find the appropriate newsrc file for
> each one and share it, leaving the others alone.

Right.  If I switch primary NNTP server, that isn't gmane today, _and_
if Gnus can be persuaded to actually read the .newsrc file, then this
should be possible.

One possible downside of this, is that I don't think I can switch the
primary NNTP server, without losing the current read state on both
gmane, and the server that is currently the primary NNTP server.

> I don't use gnus so can't say, but know that pan works this way, using a 
> single newsrc file for each server it tracks.  It's thus quite easy to 
> share the same single-server tracking among different machines and 
> clients, just share the same newsrc but leave others alone.  That can be 
> accomplished using symlinks or editing the servers.xml file for each so 
> it points to a singe common newsrc file.

> If gnus doesn't use newsrc files, then...

Well, thanx for the idea.  It seems simpler than my vague thoughts about
server read state exports and imports.