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.IX Title "MOD-ACTIVE 8"
.TH MOD-ACTIVE 8 2024-04-01 "INN 2.7.2" "InterNetNews Documentation"
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.SH NAME
mod\-active \- Batch processing of newsgroups creation and removal commands
.SH SYNOPSIS
.IX Header "SYNOPSIS"
\&\fBmod-active\fR [\fIctlinnd-command-file\fR ...]
.SH DESCRIPTION
.IX Header "DESCRIPTION"
\&\fBmod-active\fR is a Perl script that updates the \fIactive\fR file based on
its input lines of \fBctlinnd\fR \f(CW\*(C`newgroup\*(C'\fR, \f(CW\*(C`rmgroup\*(C'\fR and \f(CW\*(C`changegroup\*(C'\fR
commands.  It pauses the server briefly while the existing \fIactive\fR file
is read and rewritten, which not only keeps \fBinnd\fR from updating the
\&\fIactive\fR file but also locks against other instances of \fBmod-active\fR.
.PP
The script must be run as the news user.
.PP
The input to \fBmod-active\fR can come either from one or more
\&\fIctlinnd-command-file\fR files named on the command line, or from the
standard input.  Typically its input is the output from the \fBdocheckgroups\fR
or \fBactsync\fR commands.  Every line which contains the string \f(CW\*(C`ctlinnd
newgroup\*(C'\fR, \f(CW\*(C`ctlinnd rmgroup\*(C'\fR, or \f(CW\*(C`ctlinnd changegroup\*(C'\fR, optionally preceded
by whitespace and/or the path to \fBctlinnd\fR, is noted for the update.
Redundant commands, such as a newgroup directive for a group that already
exists, are silently ignored.  All other lines in the input are also silently
ignored.  After the new \fIactive\fR file has been generated, the existing one is
renamed to \fIactive.old\fR and the new one is moved into place.  The script then
displays the differences between the two files.  Any groups that were added to
the \fIactive\fR file are also added to the \fIactive.times\fR file with the string
\&\f(CW\*(C`checkgroups\-update\*(C'\fR.
.PP
Please note that no syntax checking is performed on group names by
\&\fBmod-active\fR.
.SH BUGS
.IX Header "BUGS"
Though \fBinnd\fR is paused while \fBmod-active\fR works, it is not inconceivable
that there could be a conflict if something else tries to update the \fIactive\fR
file during the relatively short time that \fBmod-active\fR is working.  The two
most realistic ways for this to happen are either by an administrator
concurrently doing a manual \fBctlinnd\fR command, or by \fBinnd\fR receiving
a control message, then \fBmod-active\fR pausing the server, then the control
message handler script that \fBinnd\fR forked running its own \fBctlinnd\fR command
while \fBmod-active\fR is working.  Note that such scenarios are \fIvery\fR unlikely
to happen.
.SH HISTORY
.IX Header "HISTORY"
Written by David C Lawrence <tale@isc.org> for InterNetNews.  Converted to POD
by Julien Elie.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.IX Header "SEE ALSO"
active(5), active.times(5), actsync(8), ctlinnd(8), docheckgroups(8), innd(8).