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From: eps@toaster.SFSU.EDU (Eric P. Scott)
Newsgroups: news.admin
Subject: Re: Annoying problem with rn (v2.11.18)
Summary: cute explanation, but totally wrong
Keywords: rn
Message-ID: <124@toaster.SFSU.EDU>
Date: 15 Nov 89 06:45:33 GMT
References: <739@excelan.COM> <4044@ur-cc.UUCP>
Reply-To: eps@cs.SFSU.EDU (Eric P. Scott)
Organization: San Francisco State University
Lines: 20

In article <4044@ur-cc.UUCP> news@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Network News) writes:
>	B 2.11 news (as we, and apparently you, have it configured) doesn't
>create the directory for the news group until the first article hits your
>system.  Rn objects to this and after finding the first news group in your
>.newsrc file that doesn't have a corresponding directory goes "berserk".  Talk
>to your news administrator.  I found it easiest to write a shell script that
>creates the directory along with creating the news group.  This will prevent
>the problem you are seeing.

Which version of rn are you running?  We use PL 40 and it
certainly does not "go berserk" on empty directories.  It outputs
a message saying the group has no spool directory, and marks it
as read (which really doesn't do anything significant).

In any case, this is NOT the source of the problem described--in
the latest (um, about 2 year old) version of rn.  The problem is
that the user has groups in active that are not in his .newsrc.
"Pilot error."

					-=EPS=-