Newsgroup/Usenet Resources

WinRAR - This tool handles many types of archive files, including ZIP, RAR, TAR, and others. Most archives on the newsgroups are in RAR format, and are split up into RAR volumes, because posts can only be a certain size, or as it is actually referred, a certain number of lines (as binary files posted are converted to text). Otherwise they can't be stored on the newsserver(s). The max number of lines I believe is about 10,000, which isn't much, when you consider how many lines a nice size movie file can take up, which is well beyond that (in the neighborhood of 15 million). That's why the archives are split up into volumes, so think of the amount of lines a post takes up, as a newsserver equivalent of a file size (they correspond). Now, when the volumes are downloaded and placed in the same directory/folder, the volumes can be joined together and then the content of the archive can be extracted. The extension for these volumes is either a numbered version, for example .rar, .r01, .r02, etc.. or the new verson 3.0 format of filename.Part01.rar, filename.Part02.rar, and also, if the archive is big, filename.Part001.rar, filename.Part002.rar, all the way to filename.Part120.rar in a three number sequence, because there are 100 or more archives. As you can see, it depends, but it's pretty straight-forward.

http://www.rarlabs.com

SmartPAR - This tool handles PAR files, which are used in the reconstruction of missing or incomplete/damaged RAR archive volumes. Any PAR file can be used to reconstruct any part, but there is a limit to the amount of PAR files you can use (5-10 per posting)

http://ice.prohosting.com/smartpar/

QuickPAR - This tool handles the new version of PAR files known as PAR2 files. They have many advantages over regular PAR files, including the ability to use ANY PAR2 file to (help) reconstruct any volume in the archive (like the original), but the limit is almost infinte, in contrast to a very limited number of PAR files that can be used to reconstruct missing parts. As well, a damaged PAR2 file can still be used, whereas a damaged regular PAR file cannot. This software can handle regular PAR files.

http://www.quickpar.org.uk/index.htm

yEnc32 - This software can encode/decode newsgroup posts to/from the yEnc standard. This is useful, especially in agent, where you can download parts of an incomplete RAR archive, decode it and save it, then you can then use that file to help in the reconstruction of the archive as a whole, along with PAR files, as the decoding has made it into a binary file again.

http://www.yenc32.com. This is for imcomplete/damaged posts. Complete posts/parts are automatically decoded and converted to the original binary files they were, by most newer versions of popular newsreaders.

A little info on yEnc, from the yEnc32 website.

What is yEnc32?

yEnc32 is a free, open-source Win32 yEnc utility. It supports basic file yEncoding/yDecoding, with a friendly, easy-to-use interface.

The yEnc format itself is a nice alternative to UUencode and Base64. yEncoded messages are up to 40% smaller than UUencoded/Base64 equivalents, and include built-in error checking and multipart file support.

They also include a tutorial to the popular news reader, Agent, for the process of saving an incomplete message, as I described next to the yEnc32 link.

http://www.yenc32.com/fausers.php

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Mods/Admins, feel free to edit my post, and add what you wish.

Users, feel free to post, and leave suggestions, and a mod or admin will review and add accordingly.

There's not much here now, but I call upon the BeatKing community to help add to it.

Special thanks to NullsRevenge for a few of the links.

Shawn · June 2, 2004

I would chip in, but I have no real clue how to use newsgroups.

Maybe these will help. :read this: :good job:

NullsRevenge · June 2, 2004

One of the easiest cilents to use is powergrab which you can get here http://www.cosmicwolf.com/

Here are some other program that really are a must have.

Winrar or other decompressing program that can handle RAR files http://www.rarlabs.com/

QuickPar for PAR2 files :http://www.quickpar.org.uk/index.htm

I think quickpar also handles PAR files but if it doesnt then youll need SmartPar for those files which you can get here http://ice.prohosting.com/smartpar/

Ken · June 2, 2004

I like powergrab somewhat, though the GUI annoys me.

Grabit's GUI is horrible, especially highlighting and scrolling. Good luck.

Also, Quickpar does handle regular PAR files.

I have both quick par and smart par installed anyway.

By the way, I'll add those links nulls.

Thanks for helping out!

napho · June 2, 2004

If you don't like downloading millions of headers and scrolling through the posts you can use .nzb files instead. They're just like torrents or sig2dat or ed2k links. You use a search engine, then you can create, open, post, and import them into your client.

I don't think anyone is interested, but if you are I'll go into more detail later. :P

Ken · June 3, 2004

I'm sure many are interested Napho. Any information is good.

At your discretion, please do go into detail!

method77 · June 3, 2004

yes napho. I'd like to know too

napho · June 3, 2004

Here's an example of a site that has nzb files. All you do is download one of them and open it. That'll open any usenet client you have that's capable of running nzb files. They'll be queued and ready to go. Just like torrents. It's nice to see 60 parts of a movie load into there in 2 seconds, ready to go. Or a CD with 20 songs.

http://alt.binaries.nl/search/?q=prodigy

If you don't have a newsreader that can use nzb files, this one can. It's also a search service and indexer, but you need to join. It's free so far.

http://www.usenetjunkie.com/

Ken · June 3, 2004

Very useful Napho.

That would make Newsgroup life a lot easier.

What happens if you have incomplete parts though?

I mean, especially if you're using "usenetserver" and you want to download a large DVD release.

Some i've seen have no complete posts at all. They have poor completion.

Ken · June 3, 2004

As it turns out, Version 2.0 of agent can't handle NZB files.

napho · June 3, 2004

If you don't have enough parts and par files to complete the thing then you're out of luck I guess, regardless of whether you use nzb or not. Some people have a paid for server + their isp's server + some free ones or a free one undergoing beta testing. All those combined can complete most dvd's or whatever.

Here's a program that lets you use that alt.binaries.nl site effectively. It also works with the usenetjunkie site. You can just highlight all the parts or right click and check them, then click on the appropriate arrow at the top to make the nzb in a few seconds.

http://members.home.nl/pizza/

Ken · June 4, 2004

Ya, I know about being out of luck, but I was under the impression that NZB files would, say, set into motion the download of, for example, all parts of a certain posting (like a movie file, for example).

If one of those is incomplete, when it comes to time download that part, will you simply receive a warning message, as if you attempted to download it yourself? Or perhaps whatever the standard is for your client?

I suppose that would be the case, which is why I prefer to fly manual, because I like to scope out the situation first, and not download blindly.

gsorel · February 22, 2005

UsenetForYou Provider offer reviews of usenet newsgroups servers. Thank you

gsorel

Newsgroup/Usenet Resources

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