NAME

       hosts.nntp, hosts.nntp.nolimit - list of hosts that feed NNTP news

DESCRIPTION

       The file /etc/news/hosts.nntp is read by innd(8) to get the list of hosts that feed the local site Usenet
       news  using the NNTP protocol.  The server reads this file at start-up or when directed to by ctlinnd(8).
       When a host connects to the NNTP port of the system on which innd is running, the server will do a  check
       to  see if their Internet address is the same as one of the hosts named in this file.  If the host is not
       mentioned, then innd will spawn an nnrpd(8) to process the connection, with the  accepted  connection  on
       standard input and standard output.

       Comments  begin  with  a  number  sign (``#'') and continue through the end of the line.  Blank lines and
       comments also ignored.  All other lines should consist of two or three fields separated by a colon.

       The first field should be either an Internet address in dotted-quad format or  an  address  that  can  be
       parsed  by  gethostbyname(3).  If a host's entry has multiple addresses, all of them will be added to the
       access list.  The second field, which may be blank, is the password the foreign host is required  to  use
       when  first connecting.  The third field, which may be omitted, is a list of newsgroups to which the host
       may send articles.  This list is parsed as a newsfeeds(5) subscription list; groups not in the  list  are
       ignored. Posts crossposted in groups matched by a @group.* entry are dropped.

       For example:
              ##  FOO has a password, UUNET and VIX dont.
              ##  UUNET cannot post to local groups.
              ##  Example is not part of Usenet II.
              ##  These are comment lines.
              news.foo.com:magic
              uunet.uu.net::!foo.*
              data.ramona.vix.com:
              newspeer.example.com::*,@net.*

       The  first field may be suffixed by ``/s'' to indicate that streaming commands are specifically permitted
       to be used by this host. By default streaming commands are available  to  all  hosts.  If  any  entry  in
       hosts.nntp  has  a  ``/s''  suffix, then only those hosts with the ``/s'' suffix will be permitted to use
       streaming commands.

       For example, with the following hosts.nntp file, only the host data.ramona.vix.com is allowed to use  the
       streaming commands.
              ## As above, but
              news.foo.com:magic
              uunet.uu.net::!foo.*
              data.ramona.vix.com/s:

       The first field may be suffixed by ``/a'' to indicate that the IP address of the feeding hosts allowed by
       this  entry  should  always  be  included in the Path line of articles, or by ``/t'' to indicate that the
       address should not be included, or ``/a'' followed by a pathhost value to indicate that  the  IP  address
       should be included if the most recent Path entry does not match the pathhost specified after ``/a''.  The
       default is to log the address in articles whose most recent Path entry is not the same as the hostname in
       the hosts.nntp entry.

       Since innd is usually started at system boot time, the local nameserver may not be fully operational when
       innd  parses this file.  As a work-around, a ctlinnd ``reload'' command can be performed after a delay of
       an hour or so.  It is also possible to provide both a host's name and  its  dotted-quad  address  in  the
       file.

       If  the file contains passwords, it should not be world-readable.  The file /etc/news/hosts.nntp.nolimit,
       if it exists is read whenever the ``hosts.nntp'' file is read.  It has the same format, although only the
       first field is used.  Any host mentioned in this file is not subject to the  incoming  connections  limit
       specified  by  innd's  ``-i''  flag.   This  can be used to allow local hosts or time-sensitive peers, to
       connect regardless of the local conditions.

HISTORY

       Written by Rich $alz <rsalz@uunet.uu.net> for InterNetNews.  This is revision 1.22, dated 1996/11/27.

SEE ALSO

       ctlinnd(8), innd(8), nnrpd(8).

                                                                                                   HOSTS.NNTP(5)