Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 (Tek) 9/12/84; site daemon.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!tektronix!daemon!davest
From: davest@daemon.UUCP (Dave Stewart)
Newsgroups: net.news.b
Subject: Re: Why are distributions mandatory in 2.10.2?
Message-ID: <77@daemon.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 14-Nov-84 12:43:50 EST
Article-I.D.: daemon.77
Posted: Wed Nov 14 12:43:50 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 16-Nov-84 01:43:52 EST
References: <368@watcgl.UUCP>
Reply-To: davest@daemon.UUCP (Dave Stewart)
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 34

In article <368@watcgl.UUCP> dmmartindale@watcgl.UUCP (Dave Martindale) writes:
>At Waterloo, there are a number of local newsgroups associated with
>courses with names like "cs488".  From their names, they appear to be
>local groups, but in fact are explicitly distributed by the sys file
>on each machine to whatever other machines share the group.  This scheme
>worked fine under 2.10.1, but now we find that the 2.10.2 postnews
>absolutely insists on assigning a distribution to every article
>posted, and that this distribution must be one of the short list in
>LIBDIR/distributions.
>
>Since there are several such groups, and since the set of machines that
>are interested in the group is different for each group, creating a
>separate distribution code for each of these newsgroups seems silly.

	Firstly, postnews requires a Distribution: line before entering
the editor, but not after.  Thus, you could set up a dummy distribution, 
like "class" to respond to the "distribution" prompt, and then have your
students simply remove the Distribution: header line.

>As I understand it, if every incoming article has a Distribution line,
>then the newsgroup name will be ignored in favour of the Distribution
>name in determining where an article is sent.

	If there is no Distribution: header line, inews goes with the
Newsgroups: line only to determine distribution.  If both header lines
exist, they BOTH must match the sys file line to be sent to that site.
Thus, alternatively, you could set up a distribution for all Waterloo
machines and have your students post to "Newsgroup: cs488" and
"Distribution: wat" or whatever, and it should work just fine.

-- 
David C. Stewart                          uucp:    tektronix!davest
Small Systems Support Group                        tektronix!usenet
Tektronix, Inc.                           phone:   (503) 627-5418