batcher - article batching backend for InterNetNews


SYNOPSIS

       batcher  [  -a  arts  ] [ -A total_arts ] [ -b size ] [ -B
       total_size ] [ -i string ] [ -N num_batches ] [ -p process
       ]  [  -r ] [ -s separator ] [ -S alt_spool ] [ -v ] host [
       input ]


DESCRIPTION

       Batcher reads uses a list of files to prepare news batches
       for  the  specified  host.   It  is  normally invoked by a
       script run out of cron(8) that uses shlock(1) to lock  the
       host  name,  followed by a ctlinnd(8) command to flush the
       batchfile.

       Batcher reads the named input file, or standard  input  if
       no file is given.  Relative pathnames are interpreted from
       the <pathoutgoing in inn.conf> directory.   The  input  is
       taken  as  a set of lines.  Blank lines and lines starting
       with a number sign (``#'') are ignored.  All  other  lines
       should  consist of one or two fields separated by a single
       space.  The first field is the name of a file  holding  an
       article;  if it is not an an absolute pathname it is taken
       relative     to     the     news     spool      directory,
       <patharticles in inn.conf>.  The second field, if present,
       specifies the size of the article in bytes.


OPTIONS

       -S     The ``-S'' flag may be used to specify an alternate
              spool directory to use if the article is not found;
              this would normally be an NFS-mounted spool  direc­
              tory  of  a  master  server  with longer expiration
              times.

       -r     By default, the program sets its standard error  to
              <pathlog in inn.conf>/errlog.    To  suppress  this
              redirection, use the ``-r'' flag.

       -v     Upon exit,  batcher  reports  statistics  via  sys­
              log(3).  If the ``-v'' flag is used, they will also
              be printed on the standard output.

       -b     Batcher collects the text  of  the  named  articles
              into batches.  To limit the size of each batch, use
              the ``-b'' flag.  The default size is 60 kilobytes.
              Using ``-b0'' allows unlimited batch sizes.

       -a     To  limit the number of articles in each batch, use
              the ``-a'' flag.  The default is no limit.   A  new
              batch will be started when either the byte count or
              number of articles written  exceeds  the  specified
              limits.

              batches, use the ``-B'' flag.

       -A     To limit the total number of articles that  can  be
              batched use the ``-A'' flag.

       -N     To limit the total number of batches that should be
              created use the ``-N'' flag.

              In all three cases, the default is zero,  which  is
              taken to mean no limit.

       -i string
              A  batch starts with an identifying line to specify
              the unpacking method to be used  on  the  receiving
              end.   When  the  ``-i''  flag is used, the initial
              string, string, followed by a newline, will be out­
              put at the start of every batch.  The default is to
              have no initial string.

       -s     Each article starts with a separator line to  indi­
              cate the size of the article.  To specify the sepa­
              rator use the ``-s'' flag.  This  is  a  sprintf(3)
              format  string  which  can  have  a  single ``%ld''
              parameter which will be given the size of the arti­
              cle.   If  the  separator  is  not  empty, then the
              string and a newline will be  output  before  every
              article.   The  default  separator  is  ``#!  rnews
              %ld''.

       -p     By default, batches are written to standard output,
              which is not useful when more than one output batch
              is created.  Use the ``-p''  flag  to  specify  the
              shell command that should be created (via popen(3))
              whenever a new batch is started.  The process is  a
              sprintf  format  string  which  can  have  a single
              ``%s'' parameter which will be given the host name.
              A common value is:

              ( echo '#! cunbatch' ; exec compress ) | uux - -r -z %s!rnews


EXIT STATUS

       If  the  input is exhausted, batcher will exit with a zero
       status.  If any of the limits specified with  the  ``-B,''
       ``-A,''  or  ``-N''  flags  is  reached, or if there is an
       error writing the batch, then batcher will  try  to  spool
       the  input,  copying  it to a file.  If there was no input
       filename, the standard input will be copied to <pathoutgo­
       ing  in  inn.conf>/host  and the program will exit.  If an
       input filename was given, a temporary file named input.bch
       (if  input  is  an  absolute pathname) or <pathoutgoing in
       inn.conf>/input.bch (if the filename does not begin with a
       slash) is created.  Once the input is copied, batcher will
       try to rename this temporary file to be the  name  of  the


       Upon  receipt  of  an  interrupt  or  termination  signal,
       batcher will finish sending the current article, close the
       batch,   and  then  rewrite  the  batchfile  according  as
       described in the previous paragraph.


HISTORY

       Written by Rich $alz  <rsalz@uunet.uu.net>  for  InterNet­
       News.  This is revision 1.5.6.1, dated 2000/08/17.


SEE ALSO

       ctlinnd(8), inn.conf(5), newsfeeds(5), shlock(1).


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