HOSTS.NNTP (5)

NAME
     hosts.nntp, hosts.nntp.nolimit - list of hosts that feed NNTP news

DESCRIPTION
     The file <config$_PATH_INNDHOSTS> (typically /var/news/etc/hosts.nntp) is
     read  by innd(8)  to get the list of hosts that feed the local site Usenet
     news using the NNTP protocol.  The server reads this file at start-up  or
     when directed to by ctlinnd(8) .  When a host connects to the NNTP port of
     the system on which innd is running, the server will do a check to see if
     their  Internet  address  is  the  same as one of the hosts named in this
     file.  If the host is not mentioned, then innd will spawn an nnrpd(8)   to
     process  the  connection,  with the accepted connection on standard input
     and standard output.

     Comments begin with a number sign (``#'') and continue through the end of
     the line.  Blank lines and comments also ignored.  All other lines should
     consist of two or three fields separated by a colon.

     The first field should be  either  an  Internet  address  in  dotted-quad
     format or an address that can be parsed by gethostbyname(3).  If a host's
     entry has multiple addresses, all of them will be  added  to  the  access
     list.   The second field, which may be blank, is the password the foreign
     host is required to use when first connecting.  The  third  field,  which
     may  be  omitted,  is  a  list  of  newsgroups to which the host may send
     articles.  This list is  parsed  as  a  newsfeeds(5)   subscription  list;
     groups not in the list are ignored.

     For example:
          ##  FOO has a password, UUNET and VIX dont.
          ##  UUNET cannot post to local groups.
          ##  These are comment lines.
          news.foo.com:magic
          uunet.uu.net::!foo.*
          data.ramona.vix.com:

     The first field may be suffixed by  ``/s''  to  indicate  that  streaming
     commands  are  specifically permitted to be used by this host. By default
     streaming commands are available to all hosts. If any entry in hosts.nntp
     has a ``/s'' suffix, then only those hosts with the ``/s'' suffix will be
     permitted to use streaming commands.

     For  example,  with  the  following  hosts.nntp  file,  only   the   host
     data.ramona.vix.com is allowed to use the streaming commands.
          ## As above, but
          news.foo.com:magic
          uunet.uu.net::!foo.*
          data.ramona.vix.com/s:

     Since innd is usually started at system boot time, the  local  nameserver
     may  not  be  fully  operational  when innd parses this file.  As a work-
     around, a ctlinnd ``reload'' command can be performed after a delay of an
     hour  or  so.   It is also possible to provide both a host's name and its
     dotted-quad address in the file.

     If the file contains passwords, it should  not  be  world-readable.   The
     file             <config$_PATH_INNDHOSTS>.nolimit,             (typically
     /var/news/etc/hosts.nntp.nolimit), if it  exists  is  read  whenever  the
     ``hosts.nntp''  file  is read.  It has the same format, although only the
     first field is used.  Any host mentioned in this file is not  subject  to
     the incoming connections limit specified by innd's ``-i'' flag.  This can
     be used  to  allow  local  hosts  or  time-sensitive  peers,  to  connect
     regardless of the local conditions.

HISTORY
     Written by Rich $alz  <rsalz@uunet.uu.net>  for  InterNetNews.   This  is
     revision 1.22, dated 1996/11/27.

SEE ALSO
     ctlinnd(8) , innd(8) , nnrpd(8) .