[clug] Downloading binaries from Newsgroups?

[Nathan O'Sullivan]

As you appear to have found - binaries nowadays are usually downloaded 
through the use of an .nzb file, which I believe is basically a listing 
of the usenet posts required

Specialized software is available that utilises these nzb files - I am 
partial to hellanzb on linux, even though its abandoned.

I would suggest starting by trying that instead of Pan.




On 06/01/10 07:46, Felix Karpfen wrote:
> I have always regard this option as a recipe for disaster and made no
> effort to explore what newsgroups, that specialise on binaries, have
> to offer.
>
> Have I missed something?
>
> This query is inspired by a recent posting that describes a failed
> binaries download (see below).  And I understand *nothing* of what it
> says!
>
> I would welcome being pointed to documentation that would enable me at
> least to understand what the poster is talking about.
>
> Comments on the benefits/hazards of downloading binaries from NGs would
> be a bonus.
>
> Felix Karpfen
>
> Downloaded Posting
> ==================
>
> I grabbed what was probably the same .nzb you did, from a binsearch.info
> on the subject string in your original post. Said return was oddly
> lacking any detail about the multiparts.
>
> I fed the .nzb to Pan 1.33 (from 09SEP09 git checkout [checkout probably
> the wrong term for git but I'm new to it]), and it downloaded 1.3 GB in
> 6,124 files, almost all of which looked like this:
>
>     248 Crazy Christmas Lights-2009-12-06-0_copy_1000.tp
>       4 Crazy Christmas Lights-2009-12-06-0_copy_1000.tp.ERRORS
>     248 Crazy Christmas Lights-2009-12-06-0_copy_1001.tp
>       4 Crazy Christmas Lights-2009-12-06-0_copy_1001.tp.ERRORS
>     248 Crazy Christmas Lights-2009-12-06-0_copy_1002.tp
>       4 Crazy Christmas Lights-2009-12-06-0_copy_1002.tp.ERRORS
>
> ...etc. ad nauseum
>
> The .ERRORS files all look like this:
>
> Warning: Missing everything before part #6745
>
> But hark! Note the size of the single .tp file at the very end of this
> mess. Why, a CD-sized file all decoded and everything. What be it?
>
> 664388 Crazy Christmas Lights-2009-12-06-0.tp
>      24 Crazy Christmas Lights-2009-12-06-0.tp.ERRORS
>     628 Crazy Christmas Lights-2009-12-06-0.tp.nzb
>
> The .ERRORS file for this CD-sized .tp file is full of 379 entries like
> this:
>
> ERROR: %Part 2554 missing.  Decoded file probably corrupt.
>
> ...but Pan decoded what it could find on Easynews.
>
> Next, the google showed me that .tp is a file type for 'MPEG-2 TV
> recorded file: File extension is used for MPEG-2 TV recorded file (Use
> mpeg-2 compression).'
>
> So I fed the CD-sized .tp to Kaffeine and it plays just fine. It's the
> first 14 minutes of an hour-long show about over-the-top xmas
> decorations aired on The Learning Channel, featuring setups you've
> probably already seen on YouTube and such.
>
> Is this a borked Usenet post? Boy howdy, is it ever! What kind of idjit
> would post in that format in the first place? A clueless one, is what
> kind ;-)
>
> I've never seen this particular flavor of borkitude before, but it
> appears to me that Pan is as uncontaminated by blame for this mess as
> the poster is uncontaminated by clues.
>
>
>
>
>
>