=head1 NAME

news.daily - Perform daily Usenet maintenance tasks

=head1 SYNOPSIS

B<news.daily> [B<delayrm>] [B<expctl>=I<path>] [B<expdir>=I<path>]
[B<expireover>] [B<expireoverflags>=I<args>] [B<flags>=I<args>]
[B<lowmark>] [B<mailto>=I<address>] [B<noexpire>] [B<noexpireover>]
[B<noexplog>] [B<nologs>] [B<nomail>] [B<noprocbatch>] [B<norenumber>]
[B<norm>] [B<norotate>] [B<nostat>] [B<notdaily>] [B<postexec>=I<program>]
[B<procbatchdir>=I<path>] [B<tmpdir>=I<path>] [I</path/to/a/program>]

=head1 DESCRIPTION

B<news.daily> performs a number of important Usenet administrative functions.
This includes:

=over 2

=item *

producing a status report with B<innstat>;

=item *

removing old news articles (with B<expirerm> if the B<delayrm> keyword is
specified);

=item *

purging the overview database with B<expireover> (if the corresponding eponym
keyword is specified or if I<enableoverview> is true in F<inn.conf>);

=item *

processing log files and rotating the archived log files with B<scanlogs>;

=item *

processing B<innfeed> dropped files with B<procbatch>;

=item *

processing spooled messages with B<rnews> invoked with the B<-U> flag;

=item *

renumbering the F<active> file with B<ctlinnd>;

=item *

rebuilding the F<history> file with B<expire>;

=item *

removing any old socket files found in the I<pathrun> directory;

=item *

collecting all the output and mailing it.

=back

Please note that this program should be run under the news administrator's
account (usually C<news>), not as root.  By default, B<news.daily> performs
all of its functions and mails the output to the news administrator, which
is the user specified with B<--with-news-master> at configure time (it is
C<usenet> by default).  You can also change this behaviour with the B<mailto>
keyword.

By specifying keywords on the command line, it is possible to modify the
functions performed, as well as change the arguments given to expire(8)
and expireover(8).  B<news.daily> should be run once a day, typically out of
cron(8).  Since it will slow the server down while it is running, it should be
run during periods of low server usage, such as in the middle of the night.
To run it at 3am, for example, add the following entry to the news user's
crontab file:

    0 3 * * * <pathbin in inn.conf>/news.daily expireover lowmark

If you're using any non-CNFS storage methods, add the B<delayrm> keyword to
the above option list for B<news.daily>.

It may be run more often, but such invocations should at least use the
B<norotate> keyword (or perhaps the B<notdaily> keyword) to prevent the log
files from being processed and rotated too fast.  The shlock(1) program is
used to prevent simultaneous executions.

The program specified by the given path I</path/to/a/program> is executed
just before any expiration is done.  A typical use is to specify an alternate
expiration program and use the B<noexpire> keyword.  Multiple programs may be
specified; they will be invoked in order.

=head1 KEYWORDS

The following keywords may be used:

=over 4

=item B<delayrm>

This uses the B<-z> flag when invoking B<expire> and B<expireover>.  The names
of articles to be removed are written to a temporary file, and then renamed
after expiration by calling B<expirerm> which in turn calls B<fastrm>.

=item B<expctl>=I<path>

Specify the file to use as the F<expire.ctl> file for B<expire>.

=item B<expdir>=I<path>

By default, B<expire> builds the new F<history> file and database in the same
directory as the current files.  Using this keyword specifies a different
location to build the new files (by passing the B<-d> flag to B<expire>),
which will then be moved to the right location when finished.

=item B<expireover>

The B<expireover> program is called after expiration to purge the overview
database.  If no overview data is created, the B<expireover> keyword is not
needed.  This is the case when the server runs only for feeders (no reader).
By default, B<expireover> is not called by B<news.daily> unless
I<enableoverview> is set to true in F<inn.conf>.

=item B<expireoverflags>=I<args>

If the B<expireover> keyword is used, this keyword may be used to specify
the flags to be passed to B<expireover>.  If the B<delayrm> keyword is used,
then the default value is B<-z> and the list of deleted files; otherwise, the
default value is B<-s>.

=item B<flags>=I<args>

By default, B<expire> is invoked with argument B<-v1>.  Using this keyword
changes the arguments to those specified.  Be careful to use quotes if
multiple arguments are needed.  This keyword has no effect if the B<noexpire>
keyword is used.

=item B<lowmark>

If the B<lowmark> keyword is used, C<ctlinnd lowmark> is used for renumbering
F<active>.  Normal C<ctlinnd renumber> operation will take long time.  With
the B<lowmark> keyword, this will take less time.  If the B<lowmark> keyword
is used, the B<norenumber> keyword is not needed since B<news.daily> specifies
it implicitly.

If the B<lowmark> keyword is given to B<news.daily>, then the B<expireover>
keyword must also be given; otherwise, that kind of renumbering will not be
taken into account.

=item B<mailto>=I<address>

By default, B<news.daily> mails the report to the newsmaster address specified
with B<--with-news-master> at configure time.  The B<mailto> keyword can
specify a different address to which to mail the report.  Note that using this
keyword has no effect if the B<nomail> keyword is also specified.

=item B<noexpire>

By default, B<expire> is invoked to remove old news articles.  Using this
keyword disables this function.

=item B<noexpireover>

By default, B<expireover> is invoked to remove old overview database if
I<enableoverview> is set in F<inn.conf>.  Using this keyword disables this
function.

=item B<noexplog>

B<expire> normally appends information to I<pathlog>/expire.log (see
newslog(5)).  Using this keyword causes the B<expire> output to be handled as
part of B<news.daily>'s output.  It has no effect if the B<noexpire> keyword
is used.

=item B<nologs>

After expiration, B<scanlogs> is invoked to process the log files.  Using this
keyword disables all log processing functions.

=item B<nomail>

B<news.daily> normally sends a mail message containing the results to the
administrator.  Using this keyword causes this message to be sent to stdout
and stderr instead.  Normally, all utilities invoked by the script have their
stdout and stderr redirected into a file.  If the file is empty, no message
is sent.

=item B<noprocbatch>

This keyword disables the run of B<procbatch> on B<innfeed> dropped files
generated in its spool directory.  These files contain a list of articles
which were not correctly sent to peers.  By default, they will be processed
and removed afterwards.

=item B<norenumber>

This keyword disables the C<ctlinnd renumber> operation.  Normally, the low
water marks for all newsgroups are reset in the F<active> file.

=item B<norm>

By default, any B<ctlinnd> socket that has not been modified for two days will
be removed.  Using this keyword disables this function.

=item B<norotate>

By default, log processing includes rotating and cleaning out log files.
Using this keyword disables the rotating and cleaning aspect of the log
processing: the logs files are only scanned for information and no contents
are altered.  This keyword has no effect if the B<nologs> keyword is used.
The B<norotate> keyword is passed on to B<scanlogs> if it is invoked.

=item B<nostat>

This keyword disables the status report generated by B<innstat>.  Without this
keyword, the status report is the first function performed, just prior to
obtaining the B<news.daily> lock.

=item B<notdaily>

By default, B<news.daily> expects to be run only once a day, and it does
various things (like rotating logs) that normally should only be done on daily
basis.  Use this keyword any extra times B<news.daily> is run in the day and
the normal log files processing (and rotation) will not be done.  This keyword
implies B<nologs>.

=item B<postexec>=I<program>

The program specified by the given path I<program> is executed just after all
expiration is done.  Multiple programs may be specified; they will be invoked
in order.

=item B<procbatchdir>=I<path>

B<news.daily> tries to find the backlog directory of B<innfeed> in
F<innfeed.conf>.  In case several instances of B<innfeed> are running or when
its configuration file is not the default one, the B<procbatchdir> keyword
can be used to specify the path of the backlog directory.  This keyword can be
used more than once in the command-line.

=item B<tmpdir>=I<path>

Overrides the I<pathtmp> setting in F<inn.conf> by setting the environment
variable C<$TMPDIR> to the specified path.  Various parts of the expire
process, such as sort, will then use this path as the directory for temporary
files.

=back

=head1 HISTORY

B<news.daily> and this manual page were written by Landon Curt Noll
<chongo@toad.com> and Rich $alz <rsalz@uunet.uu.net> for InterNetNews.  It was
converted to POD by Julien Elie.

=head1 SEE ALSO

active(5), ctlinnd(8), expire(8), expire.ctl(5), expireover(8), expirerm(8),
fastrm(1), inn.conf(5), innstat(8), newslog(5), procbatch(8), scanlogs(8),
shlock(1).

=cut
