Readnews Handout
----------------

To access Readnews, type

	rn

A whole assortment of information will be flashed at you the first time
you use Readnews.  Then it will start accessing default news groups.
It will tabulate the number of new messages and ask you if you would like
to read them.  If you do, you may answer with a 'y' else a 'n'.  At any
time, you may enter 'q' to exit at the prompts.

If you don't want to be always asked about any news group, simply
type 'u' by the news group prompt and it will unsubscribe that news
group for you.

If you want to add newsgroups, type 

	g newsgroupname

	ex: g tamu.forsale

The next time you use Readnews, it will load that news group up for
you and prompt you if you would like to read the new messages.

What news groups are there?

Use the list command to find out.  The list command is 'l pattern' where
pattern is some part of a name of a news group.

Ex:  Let's say I want to find out what news groups there are about cycling.

	l cycle

	alt.motorcycles.harley
	ba.bicycles
	ba.motorcycles
	ne.motorcycles
	rec.bicycles.marketplace
	rec.bicycles.misc
	rec.bicycles.racing
	rec.bicycles.rides
	rec.bicycles.soc
	rec.bicycles.tech
	rec.motorcycles
	rec.motorcycles.dirt
	rec.motorcycles.harley
	rec.motorcycles.racing
	tx.motorcycles

All of these groups will come back and you may subsequently subscribe to
rec.bicycles.racing, for example, by typing

	g rec.bicycle.racing

To get all the commands in Readnews, type 'h'.  Here they are:

Newsgroup Selection commands:

y,SP    Do this newsgroup now.
.cmd    Do this newsgroup, executing cmd as first command.
=       Start this newsgroup, but list subjects before reading articles.
u       Unsubscribe from this newsgroup.
c       Catch up (mark this newsgroup all read).

n       Go to the next newsgroup with unread news.
N       Go to the next newsgroup.
p       Go to the previous newsgroup with unread news.
P       Go to the previous newsgroup.
-       Go to the previously displayed newsgroup.
1       Go to the first newsgroup.
^       Go to the first newsgroup with unread news.
$       Go to the last newsgroup.
g name  Go to the named newsgroup.  Subscribe to new newsgroups this way too.
/pat    Search forward for newsgroup matching pattern.
?pat    Search backward for newsgroup matching pattern.
        (Use * and ? style patterns.  Append r to include read newsgroups.)
l pat   List unsubscribed newsgroups containing pattern.
m name  Move named newsgroup elsewhere (no name moves current newsgroup).
o pat   Only display newsgroups matching pattern.  Omit pat to unrestrict.
a pat   Like o, but also scans for unsubscribed newsgroups matching pattern.
L       List current .newsrc.
&       Print current command-line switch settings.
&switch {switch}
        Set (or unset) more command-line switches.
&&      Print current macro definitions.
&&def   Define a new macro.
!cmd    Shell escape.
q       Quit rn.
x       Quit, restoring .newsrc to its state at startup of rn.
^K      Edit the global KILL file.  Use commands like /pattern/j to suppress
        pattern in every newsgroup.
v       Print version.


One last thing!  What if you want to post a message to a news group?
You need to use the command 

	postnews

from the UNIX prompt.  It will ask you for the news group name first.
Then it will ask you for your distribution.  Then it will ask you for
the title/subject.  Then most importantly, it will ask you if you really
want to send this message out to the World or City, etc...  Continue
on from there, if you do and edit the file or send a prepared file.
Good Luck.