Re: [Pan-users] Newbie Question

[Duncan]

On Sat 25 Jan 2003 18:37, Brett I. Holcomb posted as excerpted below:
> I've just started to use PAN to evaluate it and had some questions.
>
> 1.  Where is there any documentation?? - the online help does not exist.

This is getting to be a bigger problem, as the circle of PAN users gets 
bigger.  There simply isn't a lot of documentation, except for the FAQ at the 
site, and of course the archives for this group.  The site said they had some 
volunteers to write documentation some months ago, but I haven't seen any 
forthcoming.  Of course, since they are volunteers, it comes when it comes, 
and apparently it simply hasn't come yet.

Charles.  I normally don't consider myself a writer, and a few years ago this 
would have been unthinkable, but if I simply compiled a bunch of stuff into 
an INSTRUCTIONS.README file or some such, would that be of use?  Some folks 
in the various newsgroups I've participated in seem to think I do well at 
explaining things, altho all the English Majors I've ever met seem to have 
another opinion.  I've hesitated, both because I don't want to step on 
someone else's toes and thought it was forthcoming, and because I do tend to 
do best in a newsgroup (or list) type setting.  However, I'm beginning to 
think even my poor efforts might be better than the nothing we have now, for 
the most part.  If I did do this, I'd probably run stuff by the list as I 
went.  It'd be my first time...  I can't promise I'll get anything done in a 
reasonable time either, but if it wouldn't step on anyone's toes, I might get 
some sort of something done, anyway.

Is there a framework already started, perhaps with some topics already filled 
in?

> 2.  I subscribed to newsgroups on two servers - how do I show all the
> newsgroups at once. Right now I have to select the server to show it's
> groups.

That's the way things work, right now.  One of the projects before PAN hits 
1.0 is to redo the current database layout, perhaps using an SQL-Lite type 
layout, compatible with MySQL or whatever for those who are interested in 
doing a bit more serious data mining on their PAN database, but not requiring 
it.   After this is done, it will be much easier to add advanced multi-server 
features such as what you mention.  However, currently, each server must be 
viewed separately.

> 3.  What are the folders for - is it a place we can store articles or
> can they be used to sort groups, etc.

Folders are for storing articles, as can be seen by the two default folders, 
pan.sent, and pan.sendlater.  BTW, the way PAN implements folders internally 
is as a sort of "virtual" news server.

If you wish to sort groups, try this suggestion.  Create additional "servers", 
labeled as desired for your sort, but pointing to the same real physical 
servers.  There's no law stating PAN's logical servers have to be separate 
REAL servers.  The only problem I tend to run into with this is when I forget 
that they ARE the same physical server, and try to connect two logical 
servers @ the maximum connections I am allowed.  Of course, once I hit the 
maximum connections the real server allows, the rest just time out.  However,  
I get jogged back to reality pretty quick, and remember that I am only 
allowed X connections on the server, and shut down the extra ones.

> 4.  I created a folder and now I can't delete it - how do I get rid of
> it.  Right click/delete doesn't work nor does selecting it and deleting.

Can't help w/ this one, as I haven't used folders since the 0.11.x series 
time-frame, when I first started using PAN.  I use other methods, like saving 
the messages or attachments, or mailing the news message to myself, to do 
what I would have done with folders back on MSWormOS, in OE (which I switched 
from to Linux/PAN about a year ago).

> 5.  How do I assign profiles to various newsgroups/servers?

Interesting question.  I don't see that in the GUI any more.  Mine just work, 
from back when it WAS in the GUI, I presume, but I'm guessing you may have to 
manually edit the config file itself to change from the default profiles now.  
There's still the options to make the profiles default for mail, and for 
news, but I don't see any way to assign non-default profiles, in the GUI.

When posting, you can of course choose the profile from the list.  I haven't 
had reason to see what changing that does, lately, but perhaps it's sticky 
per-server or per-group?  That'd be one way to handle it, fairly intuitively, 
to, for those not used to looking in preferences for every possible setting, 
at least.  Try it and see, would be my suggestion (and post back the results, 
as I've been wondering about this issue myself, but not enough to investigate 
or ask about it yet).

-- 
Duncan
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little
temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." --
Benjamin Franklin