---
name: "nntpget"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "inn"
version: "2.7.4-4"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/nntpget"
---

# nntpget(1)

Get Usenet articles from a remote NNTP server

## NAME

nntpget - Get Usenet articles from a remote NNTP server

## SYNOPSIS

**nntpget** \[**-ov**\] \[**-f** *file*\] \[**-n** *newsgroups*\] \[**-t** *timestring*\] \[**-u** *file*\] *host*

## DESCRIPTION

**nntpget** connects to the NNTP server at the specified *host* and retrieves articles from it.  The Message-IDs of the desired articles are read from standard input.  The articles are sent to standard output.

Instead of reading Message-IDs from standard output, the **-f**, **-n**, **-t** and **-u** options make use of the `"NEWNEWS"` command, which may not be available on the remote server.  Only one of the **-f**, **-t** or **-u** option may be given at the same time; **-n** can be specified only if one of the other three options is in use.

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

## OPTIONS

- **-f** *file*

  The list of article Message-IDs is normally read from standard input. If this option is used, then a `"NEWNEWS"` command is used to retrieve all articles newer than the modification date of the specified *file*.

- **-n** *newsgroups*

  If either the **-f**, **-t** or **-u** options are used, then this option may be used to limit the responses to only the newsgroups (if any) whose names match the list.  The default is `"*"`, that is to say all newsgroups are wanted.

  The *newsgroups* list can contain several patterns and wildmat characters. For instance `"misc.*,!*.test"` is a valid list that will be given to the `"NEWNEWS"` command.

- **-o**

  This option may be used only if the command is executed on the host where the **innd** server is running.  If this option is used, **nntpget** connects to the specified remote *host* to retrieve articles.  Any article not present in the local *history* database is then fetched from the remote site and offered to the local server.

  Articles are not written to standard output.  Only processed Message-IDs are, if the **-v** option is also used.

- **-t** *timestring*

  If this option is used, then the specified *timestring* is used as the time and date parameter to the `"NEWNEWS"` command.  Only the articles arrived in the remote server since that timestamp are retrieved.

  The *timestring* is specified as `"yyyymmdd hhmmss GMT"` where `"yyyy"` is the year, `"mm"` the month, `"dd"` the day of the month, `"hh"` the hours in the 24-hour clock, `"mm"` the minutes, and `"ss"` the seconds.  The token `"GMT"` specifies that the date and time are given in Coordinated Universal Time.

- **-u** *file*

  This option is like **-f** except that if the transfer succeeds, the file will be updated with a statistics line, modifying its timestamp so that it can be used in later invocations.

- **-v**

  If this option is used with **-o**, then the Message-ID of each article will be sent to standard output as it is processed.

## HISTORY

Written by Rich $alz \<rsalz@uunet.uu.net\> for InterNetNews.  Rewritten into POD by Julien Elie.

## SEE ALSO

[innd(8)](/innd/8.md), [passwd.nntp(5)](/passwd.nntp/5.md).