From: peterson@choctaw.ti.com (Bob Peterson)
Subject: Re: DOS based newsreaders?
Reply-To: peterson@csc.ti.com
Organization: Texas Instruments
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 12:05:36 GMT

In article <1992Apr01.201400.15445@norton.com>, stevec@norton.com (Steve Cundall) writes:
|> 
|> --
|> At our company, we really only have DOS machines hooked up to a Novell
|> network. I have managed to provide users with a way to get to Internet
|> mail using an SMTP mail gateway to our DOS based mail system. My next
|> problem was how to allow users to read news from their DOS stations. I
|> want to try to do this without any changes on the user side (ie, I want
|> to try to avoid putting packet drivers on the stations and giving
|> everyone IP addresses).
|> 
|> One solution I thought might be possible, is to use Netware for NFS and
|> put the /usr/spool/news directory over on the Netware file server using
|> NFS and then have the DOS users login into that server and read the
|> news. I have two problems with this approach and they are: 1> I need
|> a completely DOS based news reader that could use the directory structure
|> on the NFS file system to read the news 2> The second minor problem is that
|> the names of the directories (the newsgroups) get truncated to 8 characters
|> on the DOS side. This presents a problem for news groups like 'programming'.
|> I think if I can resolve these two problems, I can make this idea work.

  You might want to explore using the Waffle package.  The next MS-DOS
version, currently available in beta test form, reputedly supports
Novell networks.  This support is (apparently) holding up the 1.65
release.

  The current Waffle, version 1.64, contains (1) a simple newsreader,
(2) an RFC822, et al, mail handler, (3) an implementation of uucp to
handle the transport, (4) misc. administrative facilities, and (5) full
capabilities for support dialin users, i.e., a BBS.  The next version
adds a screen-oriented news reader for local console use, called
Chrome, the LAN support, and various other improvements.

  MS-DOS Waffle registration costs $30.  The Unix version, distributed
in source code form, costs $120.  You might want to watch alt.bbs.waffle
for a while, to get a feel for what the system can and cannot do.

|> The only other possiblity I can think of, is to batch the news to a
|> completely DOS based unbatching and filing system for the news. I
|> don't know if such a thing even exists.

  Waffle is one implementation of this.

  The vendor of Waffle is
        Thomas E Dell
        PO Box 4436
        Mountain View CA 94040-0436
        dell@vox.darkside.com

  Tom runs a 24 hour/day BBS, The Dark Side of the Moon, at +1
408/245-SPAM.

  I'm a happily registered user of the current version, 1.64.  I'm
looking forward to using 1.65 when it gets released.

|> I would appreciate any suggestions that people have for a solution to
|> this problem.

  You got it!

|> Thanks in advance.
|> 
|> Steve

    Bob

--
Bob Peterson          Home: peterson@zgnews.lonestar.org  Landline: 214 995-6080
P.O. Box 865132       Work: peterson@csc.ti.com           FAX line: 214 995-0304
Plano, Tx 75086-5132  BBS: +1 214 596 3720  300/1200/2400/9600+ (HST or V.32bis)
Newsgroups: news.software.readers