🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <0ZiPHc1w165w@vicuna.ocunix.on.ca> frampton@vicuna.ocunix.on.ca writes:

> Is it possible to interface the Pagesat system with DOS Waffle?  I am
> still vague at this point on the finer points of the Pagesat system, but
> the following is how I envision it to work.  I would appreciate pointers
> from existing PageSat DOS users, especially if you use Waffle.

It's a cinch.  The PageSat comm program creates standard uncompressed news
files with the extension of .BAG --- news0001.bag, news0002.bag, etc.
You need only pick each of these up with RNEWS, e.g., RNEWS < news0001.bag.

I've written a free utility I call PageNews which waits for a .bag
file to be created (or will process all if invoked on a directory full
of 'em) and invokes RNEWS on each.  When there is nothing to do, it
simply sits there giving back CPU cycles to DESQview.

> Bare-bones slow 386 (16MhZ) with about an 80MB drive handles the sat
> feed.  I assume the feed is always coming in, so I don't expect this
> machine to do much else.

I run the receiver program on a 5th comm port added to my BBS machine a
486/33 running a 4-node PCBoard system (with Waffle and ZipNews as
doors).  The current PageSat news feed runs at approximately 1200
characters per second, so the comm port is opened at 19,200.  We're
keeping only about 180 news groups of the total feed, so a small JUNK
directory located on a RAM drive keeps the load on the machine quite
light.  (This may change if I order the planned 3-gig Micropolis SCSI-2
soon.  <g>)

> interval (say, 15 minutes or 1/2 hour), Waffle will simply copy the files
> from the Pagesat computer via LAN and then delete them over there.
> Waffle will then perform batching for other sites, expiration, etc.

I have a 2nd, back-up machine, a 386/16 to which I sometimes switch the
feed (via several A-B switch boxes) such that the feed piles up on that
box if the BBS machine is down for whatever reason -- disk backups, or
if it's pressed into other service temporarily.  I also can leave things
in the 2-machine configuration when both are operating, in which case
the finished news files are shipped across to the BBS machine
(continuously) via null modem cable.  The back-up machine also runs
under DESQview and normally has one DV window dedicated to PageSat
receiving and a second for pre-processing the news and shipping it over
via the null modem.  Other DV windows are used for various odd jobs I
may do from time to time, without impacting the feed, or losing
interrupts, etc.  (16550 UARTs are required, however.)  I suspect anyone
could get away with a fast '286 as such a "back-up" machine.

> - The Pagesat computer will be a perpetual data machine.  Since data will
> be retrieved and deleted from it's hard drive on a frequent basis, I
> assume the 80MB drive will meet my needs.

More than enough.

> - Is it a simple matter to configure the Pagesat computer to only receive
> a selection of groups, or must all newsgroups be retrieved and then the
> ones not in a system file immediately deleted?

Yes, you can do this.  The pre-processing I mentioned above essentially
does this.  I use a FIDO utility called Dovemail to use a listing of
newsgroups (separate from your USENET file) as the basis for discarding
unwanted newsgroups.  So, when running in the 2-machine configuration,
I can send across for processing by RNEWS news files that contain only
only articles for the groups that I carry.

> - This should be a DOS-based solution.  Linux is fine but I don't think
> it offers Lantastic support(?).

As you've noticed, not even LAN support is needed to do the job.

> I am a bit concerned -- though excited -- about the prospect of dealing
> with a continuous stream of news!  :-)

I still marvel at my PageSat system being paid off so rapidly.  I formerly
averaged over $125 per month for just the UUCP news portion of my long
distance phone bill.  And now, when I see a 225K file come thru from some
newbie on comp.bbs.misc, etc., posting his latest find to the world, I can
sit back and grin (no more elevated blood pressure) as I imagine the flames
about to be directed his way from the long distance UUCP sites.  :)

--
Jack Kilday                |             jkilday@nlbbs.com
The Northern Lights BBS    |                    -=-
207-761-4782 (v.32bis/HST) | 4-Nodes, 700 Megs * Internet: UUCP, FTP, Telnet