Re: problem with NNTP server & authentication

[Jason R Mastaler <jason@mastaler.com>]

Jason R Mastaler <jason@mastaler.com> writes:

> I am trying to access a new NNTP server that requires a username and
> password for access from behind my firewall.  Thus, my gnus-nntp-server
> is set to the firewall host whose nntp port is proxied to my ISP's
> nntp port.  I've been using this setup for a while now without
> problems, but in the past I've not had to authenticate.  Since my
> account username on the newsserver differs from the account I run Gnus
> on, I've set this in my .gnus:
>  
> (setq nntp-authinfo-function (function nntp-send-nosy-authinfo)) 
>  
> When I start Gnus, I get the prompt for my username which I
> enter.  XEmacs goes black, and I get prompted for the my NNTP password
> which I enter.  At this point, Gnus accepts the password, and then
> hangs indefinately.  There is no network activity from this point on.
> Gnus hangs with the red Gnus logo in the buffer, and I have to xkill
> it and restart XEmacs.  At first thought, one might think that I've
> typed the wrong username and/or password.  However, this isn't the
> case since Mozilla news on the same machine can access the newsserver
> fine using the same username and password I fed Gnus.  Further, Gnus
> exhibits this same behavior regardless of whether I enter a correct
> username/password combination or not.  I'm not sure whats going on
> here.  Any ideas?  This is with Gnus v5.4.56/XEmacs 19.15.  Thanks.
>  
>    Jason R. Mastaler                      jason@mastaler.com

Okay, I'm still haven't gotten past this problem after posting this
info here as well as gnu.emacs.gnus three weeks ago.  In that case, I
started by simply asking if anyone at all uses or has used Gnus with
an NNTP server requiring username/password authentication.  I got no
responses, so as far fetched as it seems, no one is.  It is also clear
that Gnus does not support username/password authentication which I
feel is a very severe shortcoming considering most comparable
newsreaders have had this feature for some time.  Lars has asked me
for some feedback in two private e-mail messages which I've provided,
but nothing has been resolved.  Here is a summary of those in hope
that someone will notice something that might lead to a bug-fix.  God
knows I love Gnus, but I'm probably the only one using it *only* for
e-mail!  This bug is existant on several versions (old and new) of
Gnus on both Emacs and XEmacs.  Any help on this one would be
greatly appreciated.  TIA.

------- Forwarded Messages

Date:    17 Jun 1997 15:19:10 -0600
From:    Jason R Mastaler <jason@mastaler.com>
To:      Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org>
Subject: Re: problem with NNTP server & authentication

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

> > When I start Gnus, I get the prompt for my username which I
> > enter.  XEmacs goes black, and I get prompted for the my NNTP password
> > which I enter.  At this point, Gnus accepts the password, and then
> > hangs indefinately. 
> 
> Could you try `M-x edebug-defun' on `nntp-send-nosy-authinfo' in
> nntp.el and see what it does what it's called?

Okay, more info for you now after doing the `M-x edebug-defun' on
`nntp-send-nosy-authinfo' in nntp.el.

When I start Gnus, I get the split window with the debugging info on
the bottom with the => to the left of the (nntp-send-command 

Now I start spacing through the function which progresses fine until 
(nnmail-read passwd "NNTP (%s) password: " nntp-address))) -- at the
end of the third ")" is where I get the hang.  So,

=> (nnmail-read passwd "NNTP (%s) password: " nntp-address)))

SPC, Result: "relay"
SPC, Asks for password, and I type it, Result: my-password
SPC, Result: t
SPC, hung session

So, in nntp.el, the hang occurs after:

(nnmail-read passwd "NNTP (%s) password: " nntp-address)))

and before:

(defun nntp-send-authinfo ()
  "Send the AUTHINFO to the nntp server.

It seems as if the AUTH info is never being sent to the server which
is probably why the result is the same no matter if I type in correct
auth info or not.  

- -----------------------(from nntp.el)-------------------------

(defun nntp-send-nosy-authinfo ()
  "Send the AUTHINFO to the nntp server.
This function is supposed to be called from `nntp-server-opened-hook'.
It will prompt for a password."
  (nntp-send-command
   "^.*\r?\n" "AUTHINFO USER"
   (read-string (format "NNTP (%s) user name: " nntp-address)))
  (nntp-send-command
   "^.*\r?\n" "AUTHINFO PASS"
   (nnmail-read-passwd "NNTP (%s) password: " nntp-address)))

(defun nntp-send-authinfo ()
  "Send the AUTHINFO to the nntp server.

- -----------------------(from nntp.el)-------------------------

   Jason R. Mastaler                      jason@mastaler.com


------- Message 2

Date:    22 Jun 1997 23:16:00 -0600
From:    Jason R Mastaler <jason@mastaler.com>
To:      Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@ifi.uio.no>
Subject: Re: problem with NNTP server & authentication

Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@ifi.uio.no> writes:

> Jason R Mastaler <jason@mastaler.com> writes:
> 
> > SPC, Result: "relay"
> > SPC, Asks for password, and I type it, Result: my-password
> > SPC, Result: t
> > SPC, hung session
> 
> If you then `C-g' and look in the " *nntpd*" and
> " *server <whatever> **nntpd*" buffers (note leading space in both),
> what do they contain?

I've tried this with both my regular account as well as a test user's
account.

Test account:

" *nntpd*" 

281 Ok!

" *server <whatever> **nntpd*" has a blank buffer

My account:

" *nntpd*" 
 
211 622 27910 28575 comp.lang.lisp
 
" *server <whatever> **nntpd*" 
 
211 4023 79443 83554 comp.lang.perl.misc^M
211 642 50770 51448 comp.lang.postscript^M
211 1002 22565 23604 comp.lang.python^M
211 874 20924 21839 comp.lang.scheme^M


------- End of Forwarded Messages

   Jason R. Mastaler                      jason@mastaler.com