Learning Tricks with yEnc

abmefaq.net usenethelp@codeccorner codeccorner.com yEnc

version 1.1 April 2003 -very much under construction

Please note the "usenethelp@codeccorner.com" address above. This primer will be relocating there during the summer.

Installing yEnc Proxies in Outlook
The non Proxy way with Outlook and Other Readers
The Agent "split file" fix
Posting with PPK2 and yEnc

yEnc tools

As a preamble to this section, it is hoped that you have reviewed the comments about yEnc made in downloading as well as in the new "how-to" on posting (coming soon). At this point the there are only two drawbacks to yEnc that we can see - 1. The lack of a decoding program for Mac OS9, and 2. The lack of implantation of the built-in crc check ( this only shows as a problem due to some of the more crudely written programs using yEnc ). Neither of these is any reason to avoid it's use - yEnc, despite having to force itself on oh so many well meaning usenet admins, is a long over due brilliant improvement for large binary posting over usenet.
Note that the inability of Outlook to decode yEnc was not mentioned. Well sorry, but Outlook was, is, and probably never will be a good tool for downloading large binaries - a tin can tied to an old cat does as well for text messages as it does. For a few dollars by Agent and get a quality large binary downloader, or if that's too much, download XNews for free, then read up on how to use it here. Ok, rant over,

Installing yEnc Proxies in Outlook
posted by PhoneR@nger.HiHo

1) Down load the program from the link here.
2) Install the program

A When you get to the set up screen, push the (next) button,
B then (Iagree) button
C and then the push next two (next) buttons.
D You will then get a screen with some options, uncheck the first two options,
E and put a check in the last option,
by doing this, it will ensure that you will be able to view yEnc posts after you reboot you machine.

3) Now finish installing the program by clicking on the (next) buttons

Configuring Outlook

Here is where you must pay attention!!!!
1. In Outlook Express Click on tools / accounts
2. find the tab labeled "News"
3. push the third button on the right labeled servers
4. In the new window find a box titled ' Server Name'
5. WRITE THIS DOWN - twice - give a copy to your wife for safekeeping
6. remove that server name and
7. replace it with 127.0.0.1
by doing this you are now calling the yproxy program to view your downloads.
8. Close out of the account section and start up yproxy.
9. In the news server box of yproxy put in the info you wrote down for your news server.
10. Hit start
11. Go into outlook express
12. Start viewing your yEnc downloads

Don't forget to press start on yproxy before you start" Outlook Express" to view your Newsgroups

Decoding yEnc in Outlook and Other Readers The following example of decoding yEnc posts "off-line" is done using the Outlook newsreader, but the steps can be easily followed using almost any other reader capable of downloading 8 bit messages (this excludes Newswatcher 3.2 and a few others that are strictly 7 bit).
We really didn't write much about ntx, partly in hopes that it would go away. During the development of the yEnc compression system it was assumed that it would be a long while before newsreaders changed to yEnc, and so the extension "file-xxx.ntx" was created to allow encoding of the file outside of the posting tool. Sadly, those using this system often encode the file in yEnc, then turn around and post it using a posting tool that will encode it again as mime or uue. What a waste.....

The only way to decode is tp reverse the encode. Goto:
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/yenc32/yenc32-106.exe?download
To download the yenc Windows encoder/decoder. Install it with the "right click" shell extension checked. Then simply go to the folder you downloaded the ntx files to, and right click on the first one. Pick decode and that should take care of it.

The Agent "split file" fix One odd effect of some version of yEnc posting tools is that Agent fails to display the posting chunks as a single file -   instead of all the sections of a part being combined into one header, each individual xxxx line section was propagated as a header.....20 sections = 20 headers. As Alice in Dallas explains, the fix is quite simple; but first
    a.) make sure you've upgraded to the most recent version,
    b.) under the Groups menu,
        1. select Default Properties
        2. look for check boxes that talking about Join multipart messages
        3. Make sure that it's checked.

If the problem persists, here's Alice's tip

Here it is and it works great.
    1. Look in Agent's "data" subdirectory
    2. Find "Agent.INI" and open it with Notepad.
    3. scroll to this area [Attachment]. It will read:

RequireFilenameWithTag=1 (the default is 1) 4. change it to: RequireFilenameWithTag=0 5. Save and exit Notepad
You will be fixed up after you exit and restart agent. In this message that 0 is a Zero not a O as in O my god.

Posting with yEnc and PowerPost2K Tests have been completed with 1 part binaries, two part binaries, 10 meg binaries, and a 100 meg binary.
6 files total posted each with build3, build4, and JWc versions of PPK2.
Line size tested were 5000 (read 10,000 uue - way too big) and 3500 (read 7000 uue), creating part counts from (1/1) to (x/135).
Only JWc passed all tests. I would recommend it's use, until and unless Juergen say No.

TL, december 2002