NewsLeecher – Downloading Headers
Binaries4all QuickJumpIn this tutorial we are going to download a freeware collection that has been posted in alt.binaries.x. First we have to download the headers from that group before we can actually start downloading the files.
1) This is only an example. Files in Usenet binary newsgroups are only available for a limited number of days so the files that we will download in this tutorial aren't available anymore. Of course you can use the same procedure for every other file as well.2) Are some of the files that you have downloaded incomplete?
Then read our tutorial about incomplete files!
At the Manager tab we see the group we subscribed to on the right-hand side. To collect the headers for this group, simply right click on the group and choose Start Update (Selected) , which will result in a download of all new headers. You can also choose Selected: Purge Group to remove all headers of a group, but we do not need that right now.
If nothing seems to be happening, check to see if NewsLeecher is connected. The Connect button has to be ‘pushed’.
The bottom section shows us the status of the group update. If the green bars are full, the header download is complete.
NewsLeecher lets you see the downloaded headers directly, even if the header download is still running (this in contrast to GrabIt, for example,where you have to wait until downloading is complete).
To take a look at the headers we just downloaded, go to the Articles tab.
Check if alt.binaries.x is selected in the menubar, since we are using that group now.
This tab contains a lot of interesting things. First, let's activate Text Search and Number Search:
Then we see this:
The meaning of all these fields is as follows:
| Subject Search | Show only the headers containing the string entered. Other headers are hidden. For example, only the headers containing the string ‘freeware’ are shown |
| Binaries | Show binary items |
| Text | Show text items |
| Incomplete | Show incomplete headers |
| Leeched | Show headers of files that we already have downloaded |
| Old | Also show old headers that have been downloaded before |
| Subj excl | Hide headers containing the string entered. Other headers will be shown |
| Poster incl | Same as ‘Subject Seach’, for posters |
| Poster excl | Same as 'Subj. excl', for posters |
| Max Size | Show only items with a file size smaller than the file size entered |
| Min Size | Show only items with a file size larger than the file size entered |
| Max Days | Show items ‘younger’ than the number of days entered. |
| Min Days | Show items ‘older’ than the number of days entered. |
It is easy to hide unnecessary headers using these filters. A combination of two or more filters is also possible. Example: let’s say there is a ‘freeware collection’ and a ‘freeware DVD’ posted in alt.binaries.x. We want to download only the freeware collection post, so these are the headers we’re looking for. However, with just ‘freeware’ in the Subject Search . filter, both posts will be shown. Now if we enter ‘DVD’ in the Subj. excl. filter, the headers in ‘freeware DVD’ will be hidden and those of the ‘freeware collection’ remain. This makes searching a Usenet newsgroup a lot easier.
All right, let’s move on. NewsLeecher is still downloading the headers from alt.binaries.x. I entered ‘freeware’ in the Subject Search. filter to hide other headers. However, there are still no headers that match our search string, so the screen is still empty.
[A couple of minutes later...] Take a look at the screenshot below: all headers of the Freeware collection post have been downloaded.
If you’re sure these are all the headers we need, you can click the Stop 
button to stop NewsLeecher downloading the remaining headers. If all headers have already been downloaded, this action will be unnecessary, of course.
The headers we downloaded are all colored green. This means the files are complete. Let me explain other possible colors:
| Green (status: OK): | Item is complete |
| Red: (status: Incomplete): | Item is incomplete |
| White: (status: Downloaded): | Item has already been downloaded |
| White: (status: OK): | Item is complete. These headers have been downloaded in a previous group update. New (complete) headers will be marked in green. |
The meaning of all icons and colors:
Now that we have downloaded the headers of the ‘freeware collection’ post, we can begin downloading!
To the next chapter: Downloading files.
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