getlist

(Get a list from an NNTP server)

SYNOPSIS

getlist [-AR] [-h host] [-p port] [list [pattern [types]]]

DESCRIPTION

getlist obtains a list from an NNTP server and sends it to standard output. list may be one of active (which is the default value), active.times, distributions, or newsgroups. active contains a list of all newsgroups carried by the server with the high and low article numbers in the group and the group status flag. active.times is a list of newsgroups, their creation times (in seconds since epoch), and the creator of the group. distributions is a list of relevant distributions and their descriptions. newsgroups is a list of newsgroups and their short descriptions.

For more information on the formats of these files, see active(5), active.times(5), distributions(5) and newsgroups(5).

The pattern parameter may be used with a list value of active or newsgroups to limit the output. If given, only entries corresponding to newsgroups that match the uwildmat(3) pattern pattern will be printed.

If the list parameter is active, a third parameter, types, may also be used to restrict the list. If given, only entries corresponding to newsgroups with a newsgroup mode found in types will be printed. For example, a types value of y would only show unmoderated groups, and a types value of ym would show all unmoderated and moderated groups but not aliased groups or groups that disallow postings.

The listing files other than the active file are common extensions to the NNTP protocol and may not be available on all servers. For instance, distrib.pats, moderators, motd, overview.fmt and subscriptions, amongst other (like extensions, which is not a file, strictly speaking), may be available. Moreover, a uwildmat(3) pattern pattern may also be usable for some of these listing files.

For more information on the formats of these files, see distrib.pats(5), moderators(5), motd.news(5), overview.fmt(5) and subscriptions(5).

OPTIONS

-A

Try to authenticate using the username and password information in passwd.nntp(5) before issuing the LIST command.

-h host

Connect to the server host rather than to the value of server in inn.conf or the value of the NNTPSERVER environment variable.

-p port

Connect to the port port, which is by default 119.

-R

Try to switch to nnrpd with a MODE READER command before issuing the LIST request. It can be useful in case a feeding access exists for the news server: more information can be retrieved from nnrpd, compared with innd.

EXAMPLES

The following command will obtain the one-line descriptions of all newsgroups found on UUNET:

    getlist -h news.uu.net newsgroups

The following command will show the active file entries for all moderated comp.* groups on the default server:

    getlist active 'comp.*' m

The following command lists all groups where local postings are permitted, are moderated or aliased:

    getlist active '*' ym=

Note that the wildcard character * has to be quoted by simple quotes to protect it from the shell.

HISTORY

Written by Landon Curt Noll <chongo@toad.com> for InterNetNews. Rewritten in POD by Russ Allbery <rra@stanford.edu>.

$Id: getlist.pod 7851 2008-05-26 19:33:08Z iulius $

SEE ALSO

active(5), active.times(5), distrib.pats(5), distributions(5), inn.conf(5), moderators(5), motd.news(5), newsgroups(5), nnrpd(8), overview.fmt(5), passwd.nntp(5), subscriptions(5), uwildmat(3).

Last spun 2008-06-23 from POD modified 2008-05-26