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

# innxbatch(8)

Send xbatched Usenet articles to a remote NNTP server

## NAME

innxbatch, sendxbatches - Send xbatched Usenet articles to a remote NNTP server

## SYNOPSIS

**innxbatch** \[**-Dv**\] \[**-t** *timeout*\] \[**-T** *timeout*\] *host* *file* \[*file* ...\]

**innxbatch** **-i** \[**-Dv**\] \[**-t** *timeout*\] \[**-T** *timeout*\] *host*

**sendxbatches** *sitename* *host* *file* \[*file* ...\]

## DESCRIPTION

**innxbatch** connects to port 119 of the NNTP server at the specified *host*, and sends it the specified xbatch files, using the XBATCH extension to the NNTP protocol.  These files are specified either from the command line or from standard input if **i** is used.

Each file is removed after it has been successfully transferred.

If a communication error such as a [write(2)](/write/2.md) failure, or an unexpected reply from the remote server occurs, **innxbatch** will stop sending and leave all remaining files untouched for later retry.

If authentication credentials are present for the remote server in the *passwd.nntp* file in *pathetc*, then **innxbatch** will use them to authenticate.

**innxbatch** does not use itself any file locking.  At worst, a batch could be transmitted twice in parallel by two independent invocations of **innxbatch**. To prevent this, it should be invoked by a script run out of [cron(8)](/cron/8.md) that uses [shlock(8)](/shlock/8.md) to lock the host name, followed by a `"ctlinnd flush"` command to flush the batch file.  **sendxbatches** is such a wrapper around **innxbatch**. It will ensure only one instance is run, flush *sitename* (as used in the *newsfeeds* entry) and send to *host* the files given as arguments.

As the XBATCH extension is not a standardized NNTP command, some news servers do not recognize it.  Moreover, to accept batches from remote peers via XBATCH, you have to explicitly enable the capability with the *xbatch* setting in *incoming.conf*.  Instead of using **innxbatch**, you may consider **innfeed**, or if that is not possible, **nntpsend**.

## OPTIONS

- **-D**

  Prints debugging information on standard error.  This will show the protocol transactions between **innxbatch** and the NNTP server on the remote host.

- **-i**

  Reads batch file names from standard input.  For each successfully transmitted batch, an `"OK"` is printed on stdout to indicate that another file name is expected.

- **-t** *timeout*

  Specifies a timeout in seconds on how long to try to make the connection. Otherwise, **innxbatch** normally blocks until the connection is made.

- **-T** *timeout*

  Specifies the total amount of time in seconds that should be allowed for article transfers.

  The default is to wait until an I/O error occurs, or all the articles have been transferred.  If this flag is used, the time is checked just before each article is started; it will not abort a transfer that is in progress.

- **-v**

  Upon exit, **innxbatch** reports transfer and CPU usage statistics via [syslog(3)](/syslog/3.md).  If this flag is used, they will also be printed on the standard output.

## EXAMPLES

A sample *newsfeeds* entry to produce appropriate xbatch files is:

```
    nase\
        :*\
        :Tc,Wnb\
        :<pathbin>/batcher -p "(<$COMPRESS in <pathlib>/innshellvars>\
            > <pathoutgoing>/nase.\$\$)" nase.do.main
```

A sample script to invoke [innxbatch(8)](/innxbatch/8.md) is:

```
    #! /bin/sh
    #  Send xbatches for a site, wrapped around innxbatch.
    if [ $# -lt 3 ]
    then
        echo "usage: $0 <sitename> <hostname> <xbatch file name> ..."
        exit 1
    fi
    . <pathlib>/innshellvars
    site="$1"; host="$2"; shift; shift
    ctlinnd flush "$site" \
    && sleep 5 \
    && exec ${NEWSBIN}/innxbatch -v -D "$host" $*
```

You can use **sendxbatches**, already shipped with INN, doing locking. An example of call is:

```
    sendxbatches nase remote.news.server.name <pathoutgoing>/nase*
```

## HISTORY

Written by Stefan Petri \<petri@ibr.cs.tu-bs.de\>, modelled after **innxmit** and the XBATCH patch for the NNTP reference implementation.  Examples from Karsten Leipold \<poldi@dfn.de\>.  Rewritten into POD by Julien Elie.

## SEE ALSO

[ctlinnd(8)](/ctlinnd/8.md), [incoming.conf(5)](/incoming.conf/5.md), [innxmit(8)](/innxmit/8.md), [newsfeeds(5)](/newsfeeds/5.md), [nntpsend(8)](/nntpsend/8.md), [passwd.nntp(5)](/passwd.nntp/5.md), [shlock(8)](/shlock/8.md).