I wrote a script to make it easier to post stuff to the newsgroups for
those that wish to do so with linux. I have tested it and it works fine.

The script dependencies are: rar,unrar,par2,newspost (an older program
but still available for download.

My attempt is two fold. 1. Make it easier to upload large files to
newsgroups. 2. Generate some interest in those with the skills to write a
real program to get the job done.

This script does basically 3 things: Creates the rar files, Creates the
par2 files, and then posts them.


script start
------------------------------------------------------------------
# This is a script that uses the program newspost and also the rar and par2 program to
# to post to newsgroups. I wrote this script in hopes to generate some interest in
# creating an actual program to upload to newsgroups in linux.
# Most repositories have the rar program available via yum or other means.
# Feel free to modify this little script but please give me credit for atleast figuring
# out how to do this with very little programing/bash experience.
echo BE A GOOD POSTER AND INCLUDE A NFO INFORMATION FILE
sleep 2
echo
echo Welcome to newspost3 for Newsgroups. N3N
echo
echo Script by coffee four one two at comcast dot net
echo
echo
echo
sleep 3
echo What newsgroup do you want to post to?
read -r NEWSGROUP
echo
echo Please give a subject line for your header.
read -r SUBJECT
clear
read NEWSSERVER NEWSID NEWSPASS NEWSEMAIL <newspost.conf
echo
echo Lets rar up a file for upload. Please enter the file name here
echo
ls
read -r FILETORAR
echo What do you want to call your archive?
read -r RARNAME
echo Please wait. This could take a while depending on the size of the file.
rar a -v9000 "$RARNAME" "$FILETORAR"
echo Creating your par2 files for repairing archives
par2 c -r10 *.rar
echo All files ready for uploading
echo
echo Ok, Here we go. This could take a while depending on your connection speed.
sleep 5
echo Uploading rar files now
newspost -i $NEWSSERVER -u $NEWSID -p $NEWSPASS -f $NEWSEMAIL -n $NEWSGROUP -s "$SUBJECT" -q *.rar
clear
echo Uploading par2 files now
newspost -i $NEWSSERVER -u $NEWSID -p $NEWSPASS -f $NEWSEMAIL -n $NEWSGROUP -s "$SUBJECT" -q *.par2
echo Uploading nfo information file now
newspost -i $NEWSSERVER -u $NEWSID -p $NEWSPASS -f $NEWSEMAIL -n $NEWSGROUP -s "$SUBJECT" -q *.nfo
echo ALL DONE

On Sat, 17 May 2008 19:33:11 -0500, coffee wrote:

> I wrote a script to make it easier to post stuff to the newsgroups for
> those that wish to do so with linux. I have tested it and it works fine.
>
> The script dependencies are: rar,unrar,par2,newspost (an older program
> but still available for download.
>
> My attempt is two fold. 1. Make it easier to upload large files to
> newsgroups. 2. Generate some interest in those with the skills to write
> a real program to get the job done.
>
> This script does basically 3 things: Creates the rar files, Creates the
> par2 files, and then posts them.
>
>
> script start
> ------------------------------------------------------------------ #
> This is a script that uses the program newspost and also the rar and
> par2 program to # to post to newsgroups. I wrote this script in hopes to
> generate some interest in # creating an actual program to upload to
> newsgroups in linux. # Most repositories have the rar program available
> via yum or other means. # Feel free to modify this little script but
> please give me credit for atleast figuring # out how to do this with
> very little programing/bash experience. echo BE A GOOD POSTER AND
> INCLUDE A NFO INFORMATION FILE sleep 2
> echo
> echo Welcome to newspost3 for Newsgroups. N3N echo
> echo Script by coffee four one two at comcast dot net echo
> echo
> echo
> sleep 3
> echo What newsgroup do you want to post to? read -r NEWSGROUP
> echo
> echo Please give a subject line for your header. read -r SUBJECT
> clear
> read NEWSSERVER NEWSID NEWSPASS NEWSEMAIL <newspost.conf echo
> echo Lets rar up a file for upload. Please enter the file name here echo
> ls
> read -r FILETORAR
> echo What do you want to call your archive? read -r RARNAME
> echo Please wait. This could take a while depending on the size of the
> file. rar a -v9000 "$RARNAME" "$FILETORAR"
> echo Creating your par2 files for repairing archives par2 c -r10 *.rar
> echo All files ready for uploading
> echo
> echo Ok, Here we go. This could take a while depending on your
> connection speed. sleep 5
> echo Uploading rar files now
> newspost -i $NEWSSERVER -u $NEWSID -p $NEWSPASS -f $NEWSEMAIL -n
> $NEWSGROUP -s "$SUBJECT" -q *.rar clear
> echo Uploading par2 files now
> newspost -i $NEWSSERVER -u $NEWSID -p $NEWSPASS -f $NEWSEMAIL -n
> $NEWSGROUP -s "$SUBJECT" -q *.par2 echo Uploading nfo information file
> now newspost -i $NEWSSERVER -u $NEWSID -p $NEWSPASS -f $NEWSEMAIL -n
> $NEWSGROUP -s "$SUBJECT" -q *.nfo echo ALL DONE

Oh, Forgot to mention. I created a config file so that you dont have to fill in so much info (password,userid,ect).
Here is an example of the file below and should be in the same directory as the script and file to upload.

[coffee@coffee programfiles]$ cat newspost.conf.example
# This config file is one line seperated by a single space
# Change it to your informaiton for your server.
server userid password emailaddress

coffee wrote:

> I wrote a script to make it easier to post stuff to the newsgroups for
> those that wish to do so with linux. I have tested it and it works fine.
>
That's nice, but newsgroups - by design - have never been made for big
binaries. Why abuse newsgroups when there is sendit (web) for a limited
group of clients, and bittorrent for the big audience?
--
vista policy violation: Microsoft optical mouse found penguin patterns
on mousepad. Partition scan in progress to remove offending
incompatible products. Reactivate MS software.
Linux 2.6.24. [LinuxCounter#295241,ICQ#4918962]

On Mon, 19 May 2008 00:23:22 +0200, Walter Mautner wrote:

> coffee wrote:
>
>> I wrote a script to make it easier to post stuff to the newsgroups for
>> those that wish to do so with linux. I have tested it and it works
>> fine.
>>
> That's nice, but newsgroups - by design - have never been made for big
> binaries. Why abuse newsgroups when there is sendit (web) for a limited
> group of clients, and bittorrent for the big audience?

First of all, Thank you for your interest or lack of.

Anyone that has used newsgroups for downloading anything realizes the potental
and the amount of information available. Since the concept of newsgroups started
it has evolved to include binary attachments with the advent of rar and par2 files.
I invite you to take a second look at newsgroups.

Newsgroups actually handle files better than P2P. They download faster,And they are under
less scrutiny, With over 130k of different newsgroups provided thru such places as giganews
there is vast ocean of information available.

Iam not here to debate newsgroups. Iam here to make it easier for the linux user to access
and give back as they take from them. The only program that I know of for linux is called "newspost"
which is a console program written some time ago that is somewhat difficult for the average user to
work with. My script mearly makes things easier and its free.

Its my intent to start some interest in those that view this script to take an interest and
write a real program to use - incorporating the ideas in the script.

For those interested: 1. Install newspost, rar, par2. 2. Edit the below config file and
store it in the same directory as newsposter4.
coffee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


# This is a script that uses the program newspost and also the rar and par2 program to
# to post to newsgroups. I wrote this script in hopes to generate some interest in
# creating an actual program to upload to newsgroups in linux.
# Most repositories have the rar program available via yum or other means.
# Feel free to modify this little script but please give me credit for atleast figuring
# out how to do this with very little programing/bash experience.
# The example config file should be in the same directory as newsposter4 is. Otherwise, edit the
# script and put the full path to where you are going to put it. coffee.
clear
echo
echo
echo BE A GOOD POSTER AND INCLUDE A NFO INFORMATION FILE
sleep 4
clear
echo
echo NEWSPOSTER4 FOR NEWSGROUPS N4N
echo
echo A Script by coffee four one two at comcast dot net
echo
echo
echo
sleep 3
echo What newsgroup do you want to post to?
read -r NEWSGROUP
echo
echo Please give a subject line for your header.
read -r SUBJECT
clear
read NEWSSERVER NEWSID NEWSPASS NEWSEMAIL <newspost.conf
echo
clear
echo
echo
echo
for i in $(ls);do
echo $i
done
echo Lets rar up a file for upload. Please enter the file name here
echo
read -r FILETORAR
echo What do you want to call your archive?
read -r RARNAME
RESULTS_SIZE=`stat -c %s $FILETORAR`
if [ "$RESULTS_SIZE" -lt 153600000 ]
then
echo "File is less than 15MB in size we can just post it instead"
sleep 4
newspost -i $NEWSSERVER -u $NEWSID -p $NEWSPASS -f $NEWSEMAIL -n $NEWSGROUP -s "$SUBJECT" -q $FILETORAR
echo ALL DONE
exit 1;
fi
echo Please wait. This could take a while depending on the size of the file.
rar a -v15000 "$RARNAME" "$FILETORAR"
echo Creating your par2 files for repairing archives
par2 c -r10 *.rar
echo All files ready for uploading
echo
echo Ok, Here we go. This could take a while depending on your connection speed.
sleep 5
echo Uploading rar files now
newspost -i $NEWSSERVER -u $NEWSID -p $NEWSPASS -f $NEWSEMAIL -n $NEWSGROUP -s "$SUBJECT" -q *.rar
clear
echo Uploading par2 files now
newspost -i $NEWSSERVER -u $NEWSID -p $NEWSPASS -f $NEWSEMAIL -n $NEWSGROUP -s "$SUBJECT" -q *.par2
echo Uploading nfo information file now
newspost -i $NEWSSERVER -u $NEWSID -p $NEWSPASS -f $NEWSEMAIL -n $NEWSGROUP -s "$SUBJECT" -q *.nfo
echo ALL DONE

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
newspost.conf ----> Config file for newsposter4 below:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

# This config file is one line seperated by a single space
# Change it to your informaiton for your server.
server userid password emailaddress