Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rutgers!sri-spam!sri-unix!hplabs!tektronix!tekgen!tektools!peewee!tonyb
From: tonyb@peewee.uss.tek.com (Tony Birnseth)
Newsgroups: net.news.adm
Subject: Re: Problem with bitmap for vnews
Message-ID: <1768@tektools.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 22-Oct-86 17:15:06 EDT
Article-I.D.: tektools.1768
Posted: Wed Oct 22 17:15:06 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 23-Oct-86 23:48:22 EDT
References: <196@sandia.UUCP> <285@rayssd.UUCP>
Sender: tonyb@tektools.UUCP
Reply-To: tonyb@peewee.uss.tek.com (Tony Birnseth)
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR.
Lines: 27

In article <285@rayssd.UUCP> dhb@rayssd.UUCP (David H. Brierley) writes:
> We keep getting messages similar to this one forr groups having reached
> a fairly high message number. Same with net.sf-lovers and net.women. 
> 
> > Oct 16 10:16		vnews:  Bitmap not large enough for newsgroup net.micro.mac
>

The problem is not really in the bit map sizing, but rather in expire.  Try
running expire with the -I option (if your version of expire supports this).
This option tells expire to ignore the 'Expires:' line in the header and to
expire news based on the default or the time passed with the '-e' option.

If your version of expire doesn't support the -I option, a 
'find /usr/spool/news -mtime +60 -exec rm -f {} \;' should do the trick.
Adjust the +nn to your comfort level.

We have found articles in net.jokes and others that some ignorant sole's
ego has decided that their joke should stick around till the turn of the
century.  This is not only self centered, but causes problems like the
ones you are experiencing.  One of the largest offenders is mod.conferences.
Apparently it is necessary to let people know about upcomming conferences
many months in advance.  You could be selective in the find above that would
only reduce specific newsgroups.

You will be amazed at how fast the range of your bitmap will shrink.

Tony Birnseth