Provided by: inn_1.7.2q-47_amd64 bug

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)