1BUFFCHAN(8) System Manager's Manual BUFFCHAN(8)
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6 buffchan - buffered file-writing backend for InterNetNews
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9 buffchan [ -b ] [ -c lines ] [ -C seconds ] [ -d directory ] [ -f
10 num_fields ] [ -m map ] [ -p pidfile ] [ -l lines ] [ -L seconds ] [ -r
11 ] [ -s filename_format ] [ -u ]
12
14 Buffchan reads lines from standard input and copies certain fields in
15 each line into files named by other fields within the line. Buffchan
16 is intended to be called by innd(8) as an exploder feed.
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19 -b Once buffchan opens a file it keeps it open. The input must
20 therefore never specify more files than the number of available
21 descriptors can keep open. If the ``-b'' flag is used, the pro‐
22 gram will allocate a buffer and attach it to the file using set‐
23 buf(3).
24 -c lines
26 If the ``-c'' flag is used, buffchan will close, and re-open, a
27 file after every lines lines are written to a file.
28 -C seconds
30 Similarly, the ``-C'' flag may be used to specify that all files
31 should be closed and re-opened every seconds seconds.
32 -d directory
34 The ``-d'' flag may be used to specify a directory the program
35 should change to before starting. If this flag is used, then
36 the default for the ``-s'' flag is changed to be a simple
37 ``%s''.
38 -f num_fields
40 Buffchan input is interpreted as a sequence of lines. Each line
41 contains a fixed number of initial fields, followed by a vari‐
42 able number of filename fields. All fields in a line are sepa‐
43 rated by whitespace. The default number of initial fields is
44 one; the ``-f'' flag may be used to specify a different number
45 of fields.
46 -m map Map files specify short names as aliases for domain names; see
48 filechan(8) for details and an example.
49 -p pidfile
51 If the ``-p'' flag is used, the program will write a line con‐
52 taining its process ID (in text) to the specified file.
53 -l lines
55 If the ``-l'' flag is used, buffchan will call fflush(3) after
56 every lines lines are written to a file.
57 -L seconds
59 If the ``-L'' flag is used, all files will be flushed every n
60 seconds.
61 -r By default, the program sends its error messages to
63 <pathlog in inn.conf>/errlog. To suppress this redirection and
64 send error messages to standard error, use the ``-r'' flag.
65 -s filename_format
67 After the initial fields, each remaining field names a file to
68 write. The ``-s'' flag may be used to specify a format string
69 that maps the field to a file name. This is a sprintf(3) format
70 string which should have a single ``%s'' parameter which will be
71 given the contents of a non-initial field. The default value is
72 <pathoutgoing in inn.conf>/%s. See the description of this flag
73 in filechan(8).
74 -u If the ``-u'' flag is used, the program will request unbuffered
76 output.
77 Buffchan can be invoked as an exploder feed (see newsfeeds(5)). As
79 such, if a line starts with an exclamation point it will be treated as
80 a command. There are three commands, described below:
81 flush The ``flush'' command closes and re-opens all open files;
83 ``flush xxx'' which flushes only the specified site. These are
84 analogous to the ctlinnd(8) ``flush'' command, and can be
85 achieved by doing a ``send "flush xxx"'' command. Applications
86 can tell that the ``flush'' has completed by renaming the file
87 before issuing the command; buffchan has completed the command
88 when the original filename re-appears. If <$ac_cv_func_fchmod
89 in config.cache> is ``yes'', then buffchan also changes the
90 access permissions of the file from read-only for everyone to
91 read-write for owner and group as it flushes or closes each out‐
92 put file. It will change the modes back to read-only if it re-
93 opens the same file.
94 drop The ``drop'' command is similar to the ``flush'' command except
96 that no files are re-opened. If given an argument, then the
97 specified site is dropped, otherwise all sites are dropped.
98 (Note that the site will be restarted if the input stream men‐
99 tions the site.) When a ctlinnd ``drop site'' command is sent,
100 innd will automatically forward the command to buffchan for
101 sites listed as funnels feeding into this exploder. To drop all
102 sites, use the ctlinnd ``send buffchan-site drop'' command.
103 readmap
105 The map file (specified with the ``-m'' flag) is reloaded.
106
108 Written by Rich $alz <rsalz@uunet.uu.net> for InterNetNews. This is
109 revision 5909, dated 2002-12-03.
110
112 ctlinnd(8), filechan(8), inn.conf(5), innd(8), newsfeeds(5).
113 BUFFCHAN(8)