		        NNTPCACHE 3.0.2

NNTPCache is a cache, similiar to, Squid (a Web cache), but for
NEWS. However, because Usenet is not the web (hurrah!, hurrah!),
NNTPCache is FAR MORE INTERESTING. And naturally, DOES MORE STUFF.

NNTPCache can take reader loads off major news-servers. Besides its
super efficient execution, a single or multi-layer concentric ring of
NNTPCaches can be arranged about one or more central news-servers on a
DNS round-robin basis. Such a wall of NNTPCaches provides drop-in
scalability, redundancy, authentication & security for even the
largest news-server heart. NNTPCache can transparently stitch multiple
split news-servers (e.g, one news-server carrying alt.binaries.*,
another carrying alt.*, and another carrying everythign else) back
together, allowing news-server administrators to spread their news
feeds over multiple machines, or to out-source selected components.

NNTPCache minimises the effects of news-server down time, by continuing
to provide cached news-data in the face of news-server fall-over.

NNTPCache natively supports a variety of AUTHINFO methods, including
/etc/passwd, generic unix pipes, LDAP and radius.

NNTPCache can transparently merge local newsgroups & multiple remote
feeds (usually handled by INN) with remote NNRPD and NNTPCache servers
to create mind-bogglingly large "virtual" newsfeeds, without having to
negotiate for standard feeds or allocating anything like bandwidth
or drive space normally required (currently around 30-100Gb/day).

NNTPCache is an obsessive SPAM killer. NNTPCache has has full support
for cryptographically signed NoCem messages, and if enabled, actively
monitors news.lists.filters and alt.nocem.misc for NoCem SPAM
advisories. Tagged SPAM message ID's are then transparently filtered
from NNTPCache traffic.

NNTPCache can also act selectively as an intelligent chrooted firewall
NNTP application proxy and supports full RFC931/ident, source address
and newsgroup access controls with quite a reasonable degree of
granularity.

With NNTPCache, startup times for news readers become limited only
by the speed of the internal network (or the loopback device if
the readers are run on the same machine as NNTPCache).

NNTPCache tries very hard to look like nnrpd, infact remote servers
that NNTPCache is directed to feed from can even be other NNTPCaches,
arranged into a tree topography. NNTPCache authors read relevant
standards. In short, We Suck Less.

NNTPCache performs sophisticated filtering based on weighted extended
regular expression pattern matching against article headers and
content on a per-user, per-group, per-host (etc) basis (so the filters
only effect particular user groups, not the entire population). This
can be used (for instance) as a kind of Usenet "net-nanny" or to
transparently remove usenet SPAM (and probably a few not so nice uses
as well, like political censorship. Sadly to say though, after
introducting this feature we've had not had one iota thanks from
neo-corporate south-east-asian totalitarian capitalist running dogs).

NNTPCache tries very hard to emulate remote server article
numbering. This means that NNTPCache can be "dropped" in into an nntp
network without interrupting (at the news level) the flow/ordering of
articles. In the same manner, it can be transparently "plucked" from
the network in the same way should it not prove to be as sexy as a
sweet, ripe, red persimmon (hey, it's unlikely, but you never know).

NNTPCache caches the active, active.times, newsgroups and
overview.fmt files, article, head, body, stat, group, listgroup,
newgroups, newgroups, xgtitle, xover and xhdr commands.  NNTPCache
cross-posts seeds its cache and also maintains a database of message-id
-> group/article_number tuples. This is just about everything.

NNTPCache has been designed to be quite efficient, in order to serve
very large reader populations. It takes full advantage of copy-on-write
OS design, shared memory, mmaped files/memory/anonymous regions and
SMP.

NNTPCache has a built in web-server and macro language - ostensibly for
displaying NNTPCache statistical information, but the depraved or
security retentive (ok, ok, AND) could use it for other diversions.

Alleged to autoconfigure, compile and run, dance and make walnut milkshakes
on a wide variety of unix platforms. But not NT (of course!).

Authors:
	Julian Assange (proff@nntpcache.com) &
	Luke Bowker (puke@nntpcache.com) (tragically dead at 26) &
	The nntpcache crew (too many to name - see AUTHORS)

Full source archive:
	ftp://ftp.nntpcache.com/pub/nntpcache/nntpcache.tgz

Binaries made available on request.

Mailinglist:

	Send a message with the subject (or body) "subscribe" to:

		nntpcache-users-request@nntpcache.com
