***  hbatchnews  ***

                     version2.2e - 13.04.1994

* fixed some minor bugs.
* fixed bug with Path:-line, reported by Marc Schaefer. Path:-line can be
  anywhere in the header now, not just in the beginning.
* Added support for BatchBits in UULIB:config if compress is used.
* Added line Compressor to UULIB:config. Allows to specify the compressor
  there.

This is a replacement for the bachtnews-program.
It allows to use a different compressor than the standard batchnews which
uses a builtin compress.

If you still use compress for some odd reasons, don't use a number under 12
and over 16 for the compressionbits.

Since UUCP1.17 rnews allows as an option to use a different decompressor.

You can use any compressor which can read from standardin and outputs to
standardout, recommended is gzip.

The programm needs 'uux' (which is included in the UUCP-package) and if no
other compressor is given as option, 'compress' IN THE SEARCH-PATH.

Make sure, wenn you start hbatchnews from a script that the searchpath is
valid. THIS IS A MUST!!!

hbatchnews needs at least the systemname you want to batch news for as an
option. (eg. -sSYSTEMNAME).

It parses uuspool:batch/systemname to collect all the articles in there,
supplies your own host(.domain) to the path-line and batches them to one
file.
Then it calls the compressor and "sends" the file to the system with 'uux'.

Note: A new keyword for uulib:config is possible:

Compressor      gzip -9

It parses 'uulib:config' for

NodeName        if it does not find env:hostname.
DomainPath      to check wether it should include the domainpath in Path:.
DomainName      if DomainPath is set to 'Y'.
Spoolsize       if -oSpoolsize is NOT given as option.
Compressor      if -cCompressor is NOT given. If it can't find the keyword
                it uses compress as default
BatchBits       if the compressor is "compress", mainly for compatibility.

  hbatchnews <options>

      -ssystemname  Tells batch the name of the 
       (required)   system it has to batch news for.

      -tdir         Tells batch where to store the TempFiles
                    Default is t:

      -cpacker      The name of the packer we use. It must be any
                    where in the searchpath.
                    Default is compress.
                    If you use options use "-cgzip -9"

      -ospoolsize   The size in bytes of the batchfile before compressing
                    Default is 65000.

      -?            The help-page.


The flags (-s, -t, -c, -o) are case sensitive.

Remember: THE COMPRESSOR MUST BE IN THE SEARCH-PATH. THIS IS VITAL!!

AND HAVE ENOUGH STACK READY. I SUGGEST AT LEAST 10kb.

This program is still in beta-state, use it on you own risk. I have tested
it carefully and have not found an error yet.

hbatchnews is based on an idea of Marc Schaefer <schaefer@alphanet.ch> who
recently posted a combination of a simple batcher and a script to asau.patches.
Because his batch did not properly handle the Path:-line I took a look at
it and enhanced/expanded it more and more until hbatchnews.

There still might be undiscovered errors.  To test it, simple assign
uuspool:  to some other directory and copy the dir uucp:spool/batch to it.

hbatchnews is freeware. If you give it to other people, please include this
document.

If you use it I would be happy if you drop me a note via email.

Please send bugreports and suggestions to:

  gelasma systems
  holler@holli.augs1.adsp.sub.org  Bern, Switzerland

  PS: If adsp is going down (C= is soon going out of business !?) mail to
  holler@iamexwi.unibe.ch