--- name: "ypost" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "yencode" version: "0.46-1" release: "Debian 3.1 (Sarge)" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/ypost" --- # ypost(1) Post file(s) to Usenet ## NAME ypost - Post file(s) to Usenet ## SYNOPSIS **ypost** \[**-a**, **--author=***name*\] \[**-c**, **--comment=***comment*\] \[**-d**, **--debug**\] \[**-f**, **--force**\] \[**-g**, **--group=***newsgroup*\] \[**-l**, **--line=***length*\] \[**-m**, **--multipart=***lines*\] \[**-M**, **--message-id\]** **\[-n, --nosort\]** **\[-p, --paths\]** **\[-P, --pass=***password***\]** **\[-q, --quiet\]** **\[-r, --retry=***retries***\]** **\[-s, --subject=***subject***\]** **\[-S, --server=***address***\]** **\[-t, --timeout=***timeout***\]** **\[-U, --user=***username***\]** **\[--sfv=***name***\]** **\[--stdout\]** **\[--crc=***name***\]** **\[--help\]** **\[--version\]** **FILE ...** ## DESCRIPTION **ypost encodes and posts the files specified on the command line to a Usenet server, which may be specified** **either on the command line or in the ypost configuration file, located in the user's home directory and** **named** *.ypostrc* **(see [ypostrc(5)](/ypostrc/5.md)). Options provided on the command line always take precedence over** **the options specified in the user's** *.ypostrc***.** **By default, ypost always posts large files as multipart archives in multiple messages, with each message** **containing 5000 lines (or about 640k).** ## OPTIONS - **-a**, **--author**=*name* **When posting messages, use the** *name* **specified in the Usenet From: header field. See the AUTHOR SYNTAX** **section below for correct syntax.** **If the** *name* **argument is omitted, ypost will attempt to prompt the user interactively for this information.** - **-c**, **--comment**=*comment* **The Subject: header field of each message will be suffixed by the specified** *comment***, enclosed in square** **brackets.** **If the** *comment* **argument is omitted, ypost will attempt to prompt the user interactively for this information.** - **-d**, **--debug** **Write messages useful for debugging to stderr while program is operating.** - **-f**, **--force** **By default, ypost will output a summary before posting messages, describing what will be posted. This option** **disables that behavior and posts the messages without confirmation.** - **-g**, **--group**=*newsgroup* **Messages will be posted to the specified** *newsgroup***.** - **-l**, **--line**=*length* **Create encoded lines of** *length* **characters, instead of 128, which is the default.** - **-m**, **--multipart**=*lines* **Split files into multipart posts after** *lines* **rather than 5000, which is the default. Note that this usage** **differs from the yencode program, which accepts a file size instead.** - **-M**, **--message-id** **Output the Message-ID: header when posting (normally not needed).** - **-n**, **--nosort** **Do not sort the list of input files before posting.** - **-p**, **--paths** **Save relative pathnames to files in the encoded data. For example, running ypost files/new/bigfile.mp3** **will by default store the filename as bigfile.mp3. If the -p option is specified, the filename** **will be stored as files/new/bigfile.mp3.** - **-P**, **--pass**=*password* **Use** *password* **to authenticate with the news server. If** *password* **is omitted, the user will be prompted.** - **-q**, **--quiet** **Try to avoid writing output while running. The only output that will occur is error messages.** - **-r**, **--retry**=*retries* **Specify the number of** *retries* **after which a post attempt will fail.** - **-s**, **--subject**=*subject* **The Subject: header field of each message will be prefixed by the specified** *subject***, enclosed in square** **brackets.** **If the** *subject* **argument is omitted, ypost will attempt to prompt the user interactively for this information.** - **-S**, **--server**=*address* **Post messages through the news server located at the specified** *address***.** - **-t**, **--timeout**=*seconds* **Cause socket operations (such as connects, reads, and writes) to time out after the specified number of** *seconds***.** **The default timeout is 120 seconds.** - **--sfv**=*name* **Post a yencoded SFV file containing the checksum of each input file. If** *name* **is specified, then that name will** **be used as a prefix for the SFV file.** - **--stdout** **Output messages to standard output instead of posting them via Usenet. This can be used if you want to see what** **ypost's output will look like without actually posting anything to Usenet. If the standard output is a terminal,** **the encoded data will be omitted, to keep your screen from filling with garbage and messing up your terminal.** - **--crc**=*name* **Post a yencoded CRC file containing the checksum of each input file. If** *name* **is specified, then that name will** **be used as a prefix for the CRC file. Note that this CRC file may or may not comply with the "standard" for what a** **.crc file is supposed to contain.** - **--help** **Display program help and exit.** - **--version** **Output version number and exit.** ## QUICKSTART **First create a .ypostrc file in your home directory ("~/.ypostrc") containing your news server information.** **This file will keep you from having to enter the server information on the command line every time you run the program.** **Make sure the file is not readable by other users ("chmod 0600 ~/.ypostrc") if it contains a username or password.** **You can run "man ypostrc" for the full documentation, but here's an example that should give you a good start:** - ``` # ~/.ypostrc - sample configuration server = news.example.com # The name of your news server user = user1234 # Username (if your server requires it) pass = IloveUnix # Password (if your server requires it) author = "juser@example.net (Joe User)" # Use this address in the From: line ``` **Now, let's say you have a short video you want to post, and all the files are in the directory /home/bboy/video:** - ``` total 6816 -rw-r--r-- 1 bboy bboy 1776 Mar 14 23:24 shortfilm.nfo -rw-r--r-- 1 bboy bboy 3072000 Mar 14 23:13 shortfilm.r00 -rw-r--r-- 1 bboy bboy 817510 Mar 14 23:13 shortfilm.r01 -rw-r--r-- 1 bboy bboy 3072000 Mar 14 23:13 shortfilm.rar ``` **To post these files to the newsgroup alt.binaries.test.yenc, and create an SFV file for them as well, you would** **run:** - ``` ypost --sfv -g alt.binaries.test.yenc /home/bboy/video/* ``` **When you run the command, ypost will output a summary of the messages it is about to post, before actually posting** **the messages:** - ``` Server: news.example.com Newsgroup: alt.binaries.test.yenc Author: juser@example.net (Joe User) 1. "shortfilm.nfo" 1776 yEnc bytes 2. "shortfilm.sfv" 402 yEnc bytes 3. "shortfilm.rar" yEnc (x/5) 3072000 bytes 4. "shortfilm.r00" yEnc (x/5) 3072000 bytes 5. "shortfilm.r01" yEnc (x/2) 817510 bytes Post 5 files (14 parts)? [y]es, [n]o: ``` **Notice that ypost tries to post your files in a sensible order. .nfo and .sfv files and the like** **get posted first, and the .rar file gets posted before the .r00 file, instead of at the end.** ## SUBJECT LINE FORMAT **The yEnc specification includes subject line formats for single part and multipart Usenet posts, and strongly** **recommends their use. ypost is compliant with the specification, and no facility is included to override this** **behavior. However, there are two comment areas allowed by the specification: one before, and one after the file information.** **The comment before the file info may be specified by the -s (--subject) option, and the comment after the** **file info may be specified by the -c (--comment) option. Thus** - ``` ypost -s'Test Post' -c'file %f of %F' test.zip test.txt ``` **would post the two files specified (test.zip and test.txt) with the following subject lines:** - ``` [Test Post] "test.txt" 4281 yEnc bytes [file 1 of 2] [Test Post] "test.zip" yEnc (1/5) 3065891 bytes [file 2 of 2] [Test Post] "test.zip" yEnc (2/5) 3065891 bytes [file 2 of 2] [Test Post] "test.zip" yEnc (3/5) 3065891 bytes [file 2 of 2] [Test Post] "test.zip" yEnc (4/5) 3065891 bytes [file 2 of 2] [Test Post] "test.zip" yEnc (5/5) 3065891 bytes [file 2 of 2] ``` **The variables used in the preceding example may be included in either the subject or the comment line, and will be** **replaced on a per-file basis with the relevant data. The available variables are:** - **%p** **The current part number within the current file.** - **%P** **The total number of parts within the current file.** - **%f** **The current file number within the overall list of files to post.** - **%F** **The total number of files to be posted.** **If you specify either the -s (--subject) or -c (--comment) option without an argument, ypost** **will prompt you to enter this information.** ## AUTHOR SYNTAX **RFC 1036 specifies three permissible forms of user identification. ypost will enforce use of one of these** **forms:** - **juser@example.net** **An email address without further explanation.** - **juser@example.net (Joe User)** **An email address followed by comments enclosed by parentheses.** - **Joe User \** **The user's name followed by an email address enclosed by angle brackets.** ## FILES *~/.ypostrc* **The configuration file used by ypost if it is present. See [ypostrc(5)](/ypostrc/5.md) for further details.** ## AUTHOR **Don Moore \** ## HOMEPAGE **http://www.yencode.org/** ## SEE ALSO [**ypostrc**(5)](/ypostrc/5.md), [**yencode**(1)](/yencode/1.md), [**ydecode**(1)](/ydecode/1.md)