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nntpcache 2.3.3b4-2
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		        NNTPCACHE 2.3.3b2

NNTPCache (efficiently) executes on the localhost pretending to be an
NNRP news reading server. In fact, what it does is pass certain NNTP
commands through to real (remote and possibly local) news-servers
based on various pattern matching rules. NNTPCache takes the servers'
output and caches & indexes it in funky ways (much case specific magic
goes into this).  The next time such information is asked for, or
other information which can be logically inferred from the previously
collated information, it is sent directly from the cache, without
consulting the remote servers.

NNTPCache can transparently merge local newsgroups & multiple remote
feeds (usually handled by INN) with remote NNRPD and NNTPCache servers
to create mind-bogglingly large "virtual" newsfeeds, without having to
negotiate for standard feeds or allocating anything like bandwidth
or drive space normally required (normally around 3-10G/day).

NNTPCache is an obsessive SPAM killer. NNTPCache has has full support
for cryptographically signed NoCem messages, and if enabled, actively
monitors news.lists.filters and alt.nocem.misc for NoCem SPAM
advisories. Tagged SPAM message ID's are then transparently filtered
from NNTPCache traffic.

NNTPCache can also act selectively as an intelligent chrooted firewall
NNTP application proxy and supports full RFC931/ident, source address
and newsgroup access controls with quite a reasonable degree of
granularity.

NNTPCache saves IMMENSE amounts of bandwidth (we were quite astounded
to see just how much bandwidth news uses - on our network, news
accounted for more IP traffic than everything else combined (though
we're not sure if this says more about the authors' proclivities or
network traffic statistics in general ;). NNTPCache also saves truly
huge amounts of drive space (if you are talking about a full feed - as
of writing that's around 3 - 10Gb a day).  With NNTPCache, startup
times for news readers become limited only by the speed of the
internal network (or the loopback device if the readers are run on the
same machine as NNTPCache). It is possible to run several NNTPCached's
on different machines - indeed with larger sites, this practice is
recommended; even intranets can become clogged with news traffic.

NNTPCache tries very hard to look like nnrpd, infact remote servers
that NNTPCache is directed to feed from can ever be other NNTPCache's,
arranged into a tree topography.

NNTPCache performs sophisticated filtering based on weighted extended
regular expression pattern matching against article headers and
content on a per-user, per-group, per-host (etc) basis (so the filters
only effect particular user groups, not the entire population). This
can be used (for instance) as a kind of Usenet "net-nanny" or to
transparently remove usenet SPAM (and probably a few not so nice uses
as well, like political censorship. Sadly to say though, after
introducting this feature we have had not had one iota thanks from
neo-corporate east-asian totalitarian capitalist running dogs).

NNTPCache tries very hard to emulate remote server article
numbering. This means that NNTPCache can be "dropped" in into an nntp
network without interrupting (at the news level) the flow/ordering of
articles. In the same manner, it can be transparently "plucked" from
the network in the same way should it not prove to be as sexy as a
sweet, ripe, red persimmon (well, it's unlikely, but you never know ;).

NNTPCache caches the active, active.times, newsgroups and
overview.fmt files, article, head, body, stat, group, listgroup,
newgroups, newgroups, xgtitle, xover and xhdr commands.  NNTPCache
cross-posts seeds its cache and also maintains a database of message-id
-> group/article_number tuples. This is just about everything.

NNTPCache has been designed to be quite efficient, in order to serve
very large reader populations. It takes full advantage of copy-on-write
OS design, shared memory, mmaped files/memory/anonymous regions and
multiple cpus.

NNTPCache has a built in web-server and macro language - ostensibly for
displaying NNTPCache statistical information, but the depraved or
security retentive (ok, ok, AND) could use it for other diversions.

Alleged to autoconfigure, compile and run, dance and make walnut milkshakes
on a wide variety of unix platforms. But not NT (of course!).

Authors:
	Julian Assange (proff@nntpcache.org) &
	Luke Bowker (puke@nntpcache.org) (tragically dead at 26) &
	The nntpcache crew (too many to name - see AUTHORS)

Full source archive:
	ftp://nntpcache.org/pub/nntpcache/nntpcache.tgz

Binaries made available on request.

Mailinglist:

	Send a message with the subject (or body) "subscribe" to:

		nntpcache-users-request@nntpcache.org