---
name: "innupgrade"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "inn"
version: "2.7.4-4"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/innupgrade"
---

# innupgrade(8)

Upgrade INN configuration files

## NAME

innupgrade - Upgrade INN configuration files

## SYNOPSIS

**innupgrade** *directory*

**innupgrade** \[**-t** *type*\] **-f** *file*

## DESCRIPTION

**innupgrade** is intended to be run during a major upgrade of INN to fix the configuration files with any required changes.  If given a directory, it will scan that directory for any files that it has updates defined for, try to perform those updates, and replace the files with updated versions if applying the updates resulted in any changes.  The old versions of the files will be saved with a `".OLD"` extension.

If the **-f** flag is used, only that file will be updated.  If the file name doesn't match the standard file name of an INN configuration file, the optional **-t** flag may be given to specify the type.  See "EXAMPLES" for an example of this.

Currently, **innupgrade** knows how to apply the following updates:

- *incoming.conf*

  - •

    Rename *nolist* and *noresendid* to respectively *list* and *resendid*. Invert the related boolean values (since INN 2.7).

  - •

    Comment removed *comment* and *email* parameters (since INN 2.7).

- *inn.conf*

  - •

    Quote values with whitespace and comment out keys with no values, required for the change in configuration parsers introduced in INN 2.4.  The new format is not backward compatible with the previous parser, since the previous parser will include the double-quotes in the value of the parameter.

  - •

    Add the *hismethod* parameter if not found (introduced in INN 2.4, with the default value `"hisv6"`).

  - •

    Rename *nntpactsync* to *incominglogfrequency* (since INN 2.5). Rename *addnntppostingdate* and *addnntppostinghost* to respectively *addinjectiondate* and *addinjectionpostinghost* (since INN 2.6).

  - •

    Remove the *refusecybercancels* and *verifycancels* parameters (since INN 2.7).

  - •

    If the *overview.fmt* file exists, its content is merged in the *extraoverviewadvertised* and *extraoverviewhidden* parameters introduced in INN 2.5.  The file is then renamed to *overview.fmt.OLD*.

  - •

    If the *sasl.conf* file exists, its content is merged in the *tlscapath*, *tlscafile*, *tlscertfile* and *tlskeyfile* parameters introduced in INN 2.5.  The file is then renamed to *sasl.conf.OLD*.

- *inn-secrets.conf*

  - •

    Create a non-world-readable *inn-secrets.conf* file in *pathetc*, if not already existing (new in INN 2.7).

- *newsfeeds*

  - •

    Replace the use of **startinnfeed** with the appropriate direct invocation of **innfeed** or **imapfeed** (**startinnfeed** was removed in INN 2.5).

  - •

    Replace the use of **filechan** with **buffchan** in unbuffered mode (**filechan** was removed in INN 2.7).

- *readers.conf*

  - •

    Rename *require\_ssl* to *require\_encryption* (since INN 2.7).

A few obsolete programs or configuration files are renamed with a `".OLD"` extension by **innupgrade**.  Obsolete man pages are directly removed.

Normally, **innupgrade** should be run at least on the *pathetc* directory after any upgrade of INN other than a patch release (any upgrade that changes the first or second version numbers).  This may occur automatically during the upgrade process.

## OPTIONS

- **-f** *file*

  Only act on *file* rather than working on an entire directory.

- **-t** *type*

  For a file specified with **-f**, parse it and upgrade it as if it were named *type*.  Used for upgrading files with the same syntax as normal INN configuration files but with different names.  Only makes sense in combination with **-f**.

## EXAMPLES

Upgrade any configuration files found in *pathetc* and append a `".OLD"` extension to obsolete files in *pathetc*:

```
    innupgrade <pathetc in inn.conf>
```

Upgrade only */news/etc/inn.conf*:

```
    innupgrade -f /news/etc/inn.conf
```

Upgrade a file named *inn-special.conf* that should have the same syntax as *inn.conf*:

```
    innupgrade -t inn.conf -f inn-special.conf
```

Any upgrade rules that apply to *inn.conf* will be applied to the alternate file.

## HISTORY

Written by Russ Allbery \<eagle@eyrie.org\> for InterNetNews.

## SEE ALSO

[incoming.conf(5)](/incoming.conf/5.md), [inn.conf(5)](/inn.conf/5.md), [inn-secrets.conf(5)](/inn-secrets.conf/5.md), [newsfeeds(5)](/newsfeeds/5.md), [readers.conf(5)](/readers.conf/5.md).