--- README.in.orig	Wed Apr 21 01:16:33 1999
+++ README.in	Fri Feb  9 05:51:35 2001
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
+[edited by Winston Edmond  02/2001
+ Note: `./README' will be created by `./configure' from `README.in']
+
 
 	     Newsx - An NNTP client for posting and fetching news
 	     ====================================================
 
-			      Version @VERSION@
-		       Written by Egil Kvaleberg
+			       Version @VERSION@
+			Written by Egil Kvaleberg
 					
 				 ------
 
@@ -107,36 +110,66 @@
 test              Directory for test code
 
 
-COMPILE AND INSTALL
--------------------
-
-1. Type `make', and hopefully you will get the newsx executable.
-   Read the INSTALL for further enlightenment.
+CONFIGURE, COMPILE, AND INSTALL
+-------------------------------
 
-2. Type `su' to become root, and then `make install' to install the
-   executables and the man pages.
+1. Set up your local news server first.  Newsx auto-configuration depends
+   on the news server files and directories it finds and where.
 
+2. Glance at ./INSTALL to see if you need any special configuration
+   options.  Run ./configure with the options you prefer.
 
-MAILING LISTS
--------------
+3. Type `make', and hopefully you will get the newsx executable.
 
-If you want to be informed about future newsx versions and receive
-possible bug alerts, you can send an email message to:
-
-	majordomo@kvaleberg.no
-
-with the following line in the message body:
-
-	subscribe newsx-announce
+4. Type `su' to become root, and then `make install' to install the
+   executables and the man pages.
 
-If you want to join the newsx discussion list, you can send an
-email message to the same address with the following line in the
-message body:
 
-	subscribe newsx
+QUICK START -- GENERAL
+----------------------
 
-The Usenet newsgroup news.software.nntp is also a suitable forum for
-discussing newsx.
+Newsx moves articles between servers, so you need to have a working local
+news server with at least one newsgroup in order to test newsx.  There are
+two basic tests:
+  (1) can an article locally posted to the newsgroup and queued by the news
+       server for delivery to the remote server be successfully sent to the
+       remote server, and
+  (2) can articles from the remote server be fetched and placed in the
+       local server's "in" queue.
+The "QUICK START WITH INN/C-NEWS" instructions below walk you through these
+tests.
+
+By default, an in.hosts/$server file is built automatically and will fetch
+all articles in all groups listed in active (except as limited by the sys
+file or command line options).  It is sometimes worthwhile to set up this
+file by hand rather than accept the default.
+
+Special case #1:
+   * you've been reading news DIRECTLY from one or more REMOTE servers,
+   * you're now setting up a local server, AND
+   * you'd like to avoid downloading articles you've already seen.
+
+   You can copy your $HOME/.newsrc file and use it as the initial
+   in.hosts/$server file!  The (remote server's) article numbers will be
+   extracted, and if you use "--forget-inactive" the first time you call
+   `newsx', groups that were in .newsrc that you've unsubscribed to will be
+   eliminated from in.hosts/$server, and current and future downloading
+   will be limited to only the groups you're subscribed to at the time.
+   (This does not "track" newsgroup subscription changes you make later.)
+
+Special case #2:
+   * you've been running a local server for some time and have lots of
+       newsgroups in 'active' that you don't want fetched.
+
+   Use the 'active' file or a .newsrc file, remove the article numbers
+   (assuming they're the local server's article numbers), trim the list
+   down to the groups you want, and use that as the in.hosts/$server
+   file.
+
+WARNING:
+   Newsgroups can have LOTS of articles.  Please look at the newsx man page
+   descriptions of --maxnew, --syncnew, and --maxart before running newsx
+   to pull articles from the remote server the first time.
 
 
 QUICK START WITH INN
@@ -144,6 +177,7 @@
 
 We assume that you already have INN installed. What you have to do is:
 
+SETUP:
  1. Do all maintenance of the news system as user `@DOC_NEWSUSER@'. Ensure
     that the `.profile' of this user defines a path that includes
     `@DOC_NEWSBIN@'. E.g.:
@@ -168,14 +202,21 @@
     the special `newsx' in the example above with the particular exclude
     string for the newsserver in question.
 
- 3. If you haven't done so already, define one or more newsgroups that 
-    will appear in the `@DOC_ACTIVE@' file:
+ 3. If you haven't done so already, create one or more newsgroups in the
+    `@DOC_ACTIVE@' file that you will be fetching from the remote
+    newsserver:
 
 	ctlinnd newgroup acme.test
 
- 4. Try to fetch news articles for these groups by doing:
+FETCH TEST:
+ 4. Dry-run test fetching news articles for these groups by doing:
+
+	newsx -ddddd -n --maxnew 100 acme news.acme.net
+
+    If the output looks correct, try running it for real (using your
+    preference of --maxnew, --maxart, and --syncnew options):
 
-	newsx -ddddd acme news.acme.net
+	newsx -dd --maxnew 100 acme news.acme.net
 
  5. The articles should now appear in the incoming batch
     `@DOC_INCOMING@'. If you invoke:
@@ -185,13 +226,15 @@
     the incoming articles should appear in the news spool. In the
     example, you may look for them in `@DOC_SPOOL@/acme/test'.
 
+POST TEST:
  6. Using a newsreader, post an article to a suitable test group. Try to 
     use a group with as small distribution as possible, preferably local 
     to the external newsserver you are using. If you haven't done so 
     already, the group must be in the `@DOC_ACTIVE@' file.
 
-    The next time that `rnews' is invoked, the articles will be output
-    to the spool file `@DOC_BATCH@/acme' specified in the `@DOC_NEWSFEEDS@' file.
+    The next time that `rnews' is invoked, the articles will be output to
+    the spool file `@DOC_BATCH@/acme' specified in the
+    `@DOC_NEWSFEEDS@' file.
 
  7. Run:
 
@@ -210,16 +253,11 @@
 
 	newsx -l posted.log -f posted acme news.acme.net
 
- 9. To catch up with new newsgroups in a quicker way, you may want to
-    limit the number of articles fetched by adding the option:
-
-		--maxnew 100
-
-10. You may want to arrange for automatic news exchange by using `crontab'.
+ 9. You may want to arrange for automatic news exchange by using `crontab'.
     It is usually good to invoke `newsrun' before and after the newsx
     session.
 
-11. For more information about how to set up news and other subjects related
+10. For more information about how to set up news and other subjects related
     to use of ordinary ISP accounts, you might want to consult:
 
 	http://www.kvaleberg.com/ISP-Hookup-HOWTO.html
@@ -231,6 +269,7 @@
 
 We assume that you already have C News installed. What you have to do is:
 
+SETUP:
  1. Do all maintenance of the news system as user `@DOC_NEWSUSER@'. Ensure
     that the `.profile' of this user defines a path that includes
     `@DOC_NEWSBIN@'. E.g.:
@@ -244,8 +283,9 @@
 	ME:all/all::
 	acme/newsx:all,!junk,!control/all:FL:
 
-    The outgoing batch will be named `acme' - replace `acme' with what
-    is appropriate for your configuration.
+    The filename of the outgoing batch will be the server's name, `acme' in
+    the example above.  Replace `acme' with what is appropriate for your
+    configuration.
 
     All groups that you do NOT want to exchange with the host in question
     should be listed with an `!' before it, the `junk' group being a
@@ -254,27 +294,38 @@
     The L-flag is a double insurance that only actual local postings will
     be sent out.
 
-    NOTE: Depending on how you use the spool, you may want to replace
-    the special `newsx' in the example above with the particular exclude
-    string for the newsserver in question.
-
- 3. If you haven't done so already, define one or more newsgroups that 
-    will appear in the `@DOC_ACTIVE@' file:
+    NOTE: Depending on how you use the spool, you may want to replace the
+    special `newsx' in the example above with the particular exclude string
+    for the newsserver in question.  This is particularly true if you are
+    sending and receiving news with multiple servers or if the local system
+    names you're using aren't the name the servers use for themselvers in
+    "Path:".
+
+ 3. If you haven't done so already, create one or more newsgroups in the
+    `@DOC_ACTIVE@' file that you will be fetching from the remote
+    newsserver:
 
 	addgroup acme.test y
 
- 4. Try to fetch news articles for these groups by doing:
+FETCH TEST:
+ 4. Dry-run test fetching news articles for these groups by doing:
+
+	newsx -ddddd -n --maxnew 100 acme news.acme.net
 
-	newsx -ddddd acme news.acme.net
+    If the output looks correct, try running it for real (using your
+    preference of --maxnew, --maxart, and --syncnew options):
+
+	newsx -dd --maxnew 100 acme news.acme.net
 
  5. The articles should now appear in the incoming batch
-    `@DOC_INCOMING@'. If you invoke:
+    `@DOC_INCOMING@'.  If you invoke:
 
 	newsrun 
 
-    the incoming articles should appear in the news spool. In the
-    example, you may look for them in `@DOC_SPOOL@/acme/test'.
+    the incoming articles should appear in the news spool.  For newsgroup
+    acme.test, articles would be placed in `@DOC_SPOOL@/acme/test/'.
 
+POST TEST:
  6. Using a newsreader, post an article to a suitable test group. Try to 
     use a group with as small distribution as possible, preferably local 
     to the external newsserver you are using. If you haven't done so 
@@ -287,6 +338,28 @@
  7. Continue with point 7 in the INN explanation above.
 
 
+MAILING LISTS
+-------------
+
+If you want to be informed about future newsx versions and receive
+possible bug alerts, you can send an email message to:
+
+	majordomo@kvaleberg.no
+
+with the following line in the message body:
+
+	subscribe newsx-announce
+
+If you want to join the newsx discussion list, you can send an
+email message to the same address with the following line in the
+message body:
+
+	subscribe newsx
+
+The Usenet newsgroup news.software.nntp is also a suitable forum for
+discussing newsx.
+
+
 LEGAL MATTER
 ------------
 
@@ -398,6 +471,3 @@
 	Husebybakken 14A
 	N-0379 Oslo
 	Norway         
-
-
-$Id: README.in,v 1.60 1999/04/21 05:16:33 src Exp $
