NAME

       nnrp.access - access file for on-campus NNTP sites

DESCRIPTION

       The  file /etc/news/nnrp.access specifies the access control for those NNTP sites that are
       not handled by the main InterNetNews daemon innd(8).  The nnrpd(8) server  reads  it  when
       first spawned by innd.

       Comments begin with a number sign (``#'') and continue through the end of the line.  Blank
       lines and comments are ignored.  All other lines should consist of five  fields  separated
       by colons:
              hosts:perms:username:password:patterns

       The  first field is a wildmat(3)-style pattern specifying the names or Internet address of
       a set of hosts.  Before a match is checked, the client's hostname (or its Internet address
       if  gethostbyaddr(3)  fails) is converted to lowercase.  Each line is matched in turn, and
       the last successful match is taken as the correct one.

       The second field is a set of letters specifying the permissions  granted  to  the  client.
       The perms should be chosen from the following set:
              R    The client can retrieve articles
              P    The client can post articles

       The  third and fourth fields specify the username and password that the client must use to
       authenticate themselves before  the  server  will  accept  any  articles.   Note  that  no
       authentication (other then a matching entry in this file) is required for newsreading.  If
       they are empty, then no password is required.  Whitespace in these fields will  result  in
       the  client  being  unable  to properly authenticate themselves and may be used to disable
       access.

       The fifth field is a set of patterns identifying the newsgroups that the client is allowed
       to access.  The patterns are interpreted in the same manner as the newsfeeds(5) file.  The
       default, however, denies access to all groups.

       The access file is normally used to provide host-level  access  control  for  reading  and
       posting  articles.   There  are times, however, when this is not sufficient and user-level
       access control is needed.  Whenever an NNTP ``authinfo'' command is used, the nnrpd server
       re-reads  this  file  and  looks  for  a  matching  username  and  password.  If the local
       newsreaders are modified to send the ``authinfo'' command, then all host entries can  have
       no access and specific users can be granted the appropriate read and post access.

       For example:
              ##  host:perm:user:pass:groups
              ## Default is no access.
              *::  -no-  :  -no-  :!*
              ##  FOO hosts have no password, can read anything.
              *.foo.com:Read Post:::*
              ##  A related workstation can't access FOO newsgroups.
              lenox.foo.net:RP:martha:hiatt:*,!foo.*

       If the file contains passwords, it should not be world-readable.

HISTORY

       Written  by Rich $alz <rsalz@uunet.uu.net> for InterNetNews.  This is revision 1.11, dated
       1996/09/06.

SEE ALSO

       innd(8), newsfeeds(5), nnrpd(8), wildmat(3).

                                                                                   NNRP.ACCESS(5)