The first steps were boring? You waited for this step with the URL for download? I really understand you. But I hope that one of five took the time to read the first four chapters. At least those who want to know what they are doing before they do it might have appreciated the texts.
But now it becomes real: You get the software today. But a last kind request: You can try to "learning by doing" and "try and error". I am sure that MyNews will not damage you PC/software/data. But I recommend that you continue to follow the steps. It makes live for you much easier later.
WARNING !
When you run MyNews the very first time then DONT RUN OTHER PROGRAMS simultaneously. If you have an important document open in WinWord and your computer crashes, then this document might be lost. Laster (after 2-7 days) when you are sure that MyNews works good, then you can do parallel work. But in the first time it is recommended to run MyNews exclusively and watch its operation.
Again this warning is extreme - but I care about you. I'm running MyNews always parallel to some other applications. But I dont know your system. So follow this hint and you are safe.
You are a compter-specialist or did already make 20 installations? Here the "quick" installation:
1: Download the software (it is an exe-file)
2: Run the "EXE file - it is an automatic installer. You can
select the destination directory.
3: Start MYNEWS.EXE (or click the shortcut)
4: Enter any phantasy-name (your nickname) & your community
(MyNews) - your eMail address is optional but helpful
5: Enter the access-data for your providers news-server.
6: Answer the few questions of the "basic setup" - it
will configure the most important options for you
7: Go Online to the internet & click the MyNews-START &
watch the spy (some minutes).
8: Click the "Group" button and check the results.
9: Click "EXIT" to terminate MyNews
The software is located on some of my web-servers. You can
try:
http://www.winews.net
http://www.i3w.com/mynews
http://www.infostar.de/mynews
I dont post the software to the newsgroups, because I want to
make sure that nobody "modifies" it. You can use your
normal web-browser to get the software. Download and save
it to your desktop or any download-folder you have. DONT EXECUTE
it directly from the net. Use "Save on disk" !
I use an EXE-File for distribution. It is compact, and easy to use. Most users expect self extracting and self installing software today. So I dont offer ZIP-files any longer
You've now downloaded an EXE-File to your computer. You can execute it directly (by double clicking it). You can apply a virus checker on it.
The automatic installer will just show you a few rules and a readme file. You can select a target directory and a program group name. Everything is "as usual".
MyNews does NOT copy anything to the windows-directory. It
does not change your registry. Nothing. Just this one folder !
But the "automatic installer" creates now a program
group and a shortcut on your desktop. However you can delete them
whenever you want - they are not essential - jsut for your
convenience.
If you have already MyNews on your PC (in the C:\mynews-directory) then you can install MYNews into any new directory. Then copy just the necessary files to your old installation. There is no "update" distribution.
If your disk-space on the C: drive is limited, then you can move the entire folder c:\mynews to another drive. Simply drag the folder with the explorer (not while MyNews is running!). You can also select a different drive during installation.
If you dont want MyNews to reside in your C:\ Directory, then
move the folder to any subdirectory you like. Or rename it. The
name "c:\mynews" is just another name. If you
prefer c:\program\News then it this folder.
MyNews detects its own folder-name at startup. And uses JUST this
startup-folder (and its own sub-folders).
You can start MyNews with a double-click to your freshly
created desktop-shurtcut (icon).
A double-Click with the windows-explorer to MyNews.EXE will start
it as well.
And you can use: START - Execute - c:\program
files\mynews.exe
MyNews is small, so it starts pretty fast. A window with the
name "Spy-Mynews" appears.
Later the main-window: "MyNews" appears.
The program performs some internal checks and startups. You can
watch them in the SPY-Window (this is a permanent visible
logfile).
If you see RED messages in the Spy-window during startup, then
something went wrong. Normally there are no errors. But if
something fails, then please continue with the chapter
"troubleshooting" - (step 4 and later).
When you run MyNews the very fist time, then MyNews know
nothing. Just a default-setup is delivered.
MyNews will now ask you a few questions for setup
Mynews has no "name" yet and does not know what kind of "community" you want to join. A dialog-box appears where you enter your server-name and your community.
The server-name is the name which is later visible for
everybody(!)
So use a nickname - or a phantasy-name. (London, Atlanta, Walnut,
LazyBear, Monster.....)
The community is not yet too important. I recommend that you enter "MyNews" or the newsgroup-abbreviation (signal) of your favorite newsgroup. More info about communities in the announcement in your special Usenet-newsgroup.
Your eMail address is a kind of "protection" or "password" for your server name. You can fake it or use any phantasy eMail - but it is recommended to enter something.
You can CANCEL here - and MyNews will stop immediately. HELP shows a WWW-Page with infos about this dialog-box.
Click OK after entering the ServerName (just letters and
digits - NO special chars. 6-12 characters long) and the
Community.
At the very first start you will be asked for info about your providers news-server.
If you have no news-server to enter (AOL-Users), then CANCEL this dialog-box!
The name of this news-server (which is our premier source for
Usenet-News) should be entered - or its IP-Number.
news.compuserve.com is one example.
The port is standard (119). Those who change it have got detailed info from their provider. Normally dont touch it.
If you have an ISP and use his news-server, then
'authentication' (login with a username and password) is usually
OFF.
For a pay-provider (where you usually must login with username
and password) you ACTIVATE the checkbox and enter your username
and password.
More help about this step is available in the help-file (help-button) in the dialogs. But the basic setup is so simple, that you should be able to run it easily.
The new "online registration" makes it easy for you to get immediate access. If you skip it then MyNews runs in an extremely tiny and crippled version.
After entering all setup information or canceling the dialog - MyNews will ask you if you want to go online and get the first messages.
If you cancel this, then you can start it manually later.
If you acknowledge, then MyNews will immediately try to login to the MyNews-root-server and start actions. If you are not yet "Online to the internet", then you get (depending on your configuration) a dialup-request from your system - or it dials automatically - or it starts without question (on a local network).
In some cases you will get just a red error-message. Then your
system is not configured for automatic dialup. In this case
"go online to the internet" manually (with your dialer
- or other program). The use the MyNews-Button "Start"
(in the MyNews-Window) to resume.
The SPY-window shows you the internal operations of MyNews. There is debug information - and useful information. RED messages are errors or important informations.
When you start MyNews the very first time, then you will see something like this:
>My local ip-address: (172.16.0.2)
>My local name: (arctest-301322)
This is your own computer (it was mine)
>Login MyNews at 195.214.82.66:80
>Login at host (195.214.82.66)
MyNews make a LogIn to the MyNews-network.
This is the root-server we will contact.
>+ Creating socket ... done
>+ Connecting to remote host (195.214.82.66:80)... done.
The "done." says, that the root-server is there.
>+ Sending request ... done.
>+ Receiving response ... done.
>+ Shutdown connection...done
>+ CloseSocket...done.
We're logged in and got a reply.
>Active MyNews: central
>Active MyNews: doggers08
>Active MyNews: www
>Active MyNews: root
This is a list of other MyNews-Server which are already there.
At least ONE server will be there: "root".
(www is a special server, central is for this project, doggers08
is a users).
> DownloadFromHost:(central)[195.214.82.80](119)
Our MyNews-Servers starts immediately to contact the other available servers:
> + Creating socket ... done
> + Connecting to remote host (195.214.82.80:119)... done.
The connection is created...
Now a LONG list of actions (explained later) may happen.
> + Shutdown connection...done
> + CloseSocket...done.
> Download done.
This shows that the download from the other server is
finished.
The "DownloadFromHost" can occur up to ten times. You
get up to ten other hosts from the MyNews-root!
The download can take some time. As long as the Main-Window shows "HOST-#"-lines in red color or the first line "Download" indicates progress, as long MyNews is working.
The first job is done when all "Host"-Lines turned to black and the first line shows "Download: done."
It is possible that the other hosts already started to get
information form YOUR server. Then there are
"SOCK"-Lines in the Main-Window. As log as there is
activity in the SOCK-Lines, someone accesses you server.
Access from others does not affect our further work.
Let the Server do its job and continue:
There is a "VIEW"-button in the Main-Window. If you
click it, then the XOVER-Window appears on your desktop. It shows
you the default newsgroups and their actual content.
We will discuss this window in the next few steps.
You can click around - but I recommend that you still wait until
we've learned a little more about it.
The EXIT-Button will stop your MyNews and close it (all
windows).
Use it now.
If you get a dialog box with "Someone is still
downloading..." then cancel the EXIT or enforce it.
Dont forget to stop your dialup-connection ;-)
MyNews will NOT do this for you.
Use the function: MainWindow - Server - QuickExit!
No further questions: Everything is stopped and MyNews is
closed.
Thus is rude, but it works :-)
Sometimes an Internet-application can 'hang' up to 60 seconds on various conditions. If MyNews does not react for 120 seconds, then call the Task-Manager and "terminate" MyNews. You cannot damage very much. It can take again up to 10-20 seconds. And perhaps there are still MyNews-Windows which must be "terminated" separately.
This is really seldom! And this text is just for completeness.
Unless most other applications MyNews has built-in trouble shooting helps. The most important one is the LOGFILE!
After you have closed MyNews you can have a look the these
logfiles:
The directory c:\mynews\logs contains logfiles with
the names:
log00001.txt, log00002.txt, log00003.txt
Every sessions creates an own logfile. You should delete these
files from time to time. But in case that anything went wrong,
these logfiles are an important help:
Whenever you report real trouble, PLEASE attach the logfile
(which matches to that session with trouble) to your Emails or
Posts.
Help is _extremely_ difficult without this logfiles.
The LogFile is a recording of all displays from the SPY-Window.
During MyNews is still running, the logfile is written to the
file:
c:\mynews\log.tmp
If you have to "KILL" MyNews with the Task-Manager,
then this file is the last logfile. (MyNews renames it and moves
it to the log-directoy just in case of proper EXIT).
All red error-messages are ADDITIONALLY recorded in the file:
c:\mynews\!event.log
This is also an always growing file and can be deleted from time
to time. In case of trouble you can add it (the last 10 - 100
lines) to your report.
All previous installations had no big trouble. So no specific trouble shooting is available, yet. If you have trouble, then please report it (extensively) by Email (with the Logfiles) to: mynews@i3w.com
The experienced users are still bored?
You are disappointed because there are no "newsgroups of
interest" yet?
I dont want to let the single steps grow too much. I believe this
was enough for today.
Be sure: Much more will come.
If you have skipped the online registration then this applies:
You have entered a name for your server and you've got a "temporary" license. This 'temporary' license allows you to run MyNews - but some functions are disabled. Worse: The temporary license has also the "child proof lock" activated. So you will NOT be able to access newsgroups with the name "erotica" or "adult".
If you want to go on, then I recommend that you register.
Registration is FREE for everybody! And a lot of functions will
stay free forever. But the "Registration" allows me to
provide guaranteed unique names for the servers.
The online registration is the easiest and fastest way to
register MyNews. It is free.
If you want a full version (with more feature) then please
drop me an Email at: mynews@i3w.com
Subject/Title: Registration TheNameYouLike
Tell me the name of your server (6-12 chars, just letters and
digits - starting with a letter). You will get your license back
by Email. No obligations!
Registrations are given without respect to copyrights or
trademarks. So please dont try to register as
"microsoft" or "intel28" or
"windows" or "pentium" !
I cannot guarantee that the name you use is legal - I'm not the
InterNIC or a lawyer!
No problem: Get a free Email-account at hotmail.com and send me an anonymous Email - or use an anonymous Email-Server. I dont want to find out who you are.
You can continue to use your temporary license - or the freeware version. It is not (yet) time-limited. Perhaps you will do it later. Meanwhile welcome to MyNews - and enjoy the available part of it.
Next step: Adding more newsgroups and checking the group content.
Juergen, <InfStar>
All rights reserved. Document contains mistakes in spelling,
grammar and terms.