When MacNews starts up, it looks for a file called MacNews Settings in the same folder as the application. If it can't find it, it creates one with default values.
Up with the modem:
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The first thing to do is to set the modem configuration. To do so, choose "Modem Settings" from the "Control" menu, and select the appropriate Baud rate, # of stop bits, # of data bits, and the parity and then click the "Save" button. Note - If your modem's baud rate is not in the list presented, just open MacNews with ResEdit, and insert the Baud Rate into the menu with ID = 132. You don't need to worry about the order.
See the Sites:
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Next, you must add a site to read news from. To do this, choose "Add Site" from the "Control" menu. You will be asked for the Telnet address of the news server. "sol.ctr.columbia.edu" is a good one. Make sure you type it exactly as MacNews can not verify if it is a valid site. Depending on your host, you may need to use the IP address.
To remove a site, choose "Remove Site" from the "Control" menu, select the site name from the popup menu provided, and click on the OK button.
Logging On:
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To connect to a news server, choose a site from the "Connect" submenu under the "Control" menu. You will be presented with a dialog box. If you have already logged on to your host from reading news at a previous site, you will still be logged on, and you only need to click the "Initiate" button.
If you have just started up MacNews, you will need to perform your logon sequence manually (Scripting will be one of my first features in the next version) To do this, make sure that the modem is on, and then type the modem initialization string (if any), and then
"ATDT (hosts phone number)"
Once you see "CONNECT" appear, log into your host as usual. (You can send a break signal by, surprise, hitting the "Send Break" button) This ain't no VT100 terminal emulator, and you will doubtless see some funny characters. It's safe to ignore them.
For example:
{<> denotes what you type in, {} denote comments}
<ATM0> {turn off modem speaker}
<ATDT 775-8850> {Dial into oberlin}
CONNECT 2400
{Hit return several times}
XYPLEX TERMINAL SER....
enter c> <c occs.oberlin.edu>
CONNECTED TO OCCS.OBERLIN.EDU
login:<mhall>
Password:<it's a secret>
Welcome to OCCS
Ultrix Server Ready
1>
Now click the initiate button to get started.
Once you have logged on, hit the "Initiate" button. MacNews will attempt to connect to the newsserver at the site you chose. If it cannot, it will alert you - the biggest probability is that you mistyped the site name from the "Add Site" dialog, or that you did not log on properly.
Occasionally, the newsserver will connect, and then close the connection for some reason. If this happens, MacNews will alert you to this fact. Neither you nor MacNews did anything wrong, the server is probably just a little busy.
If all goes well, you will be presented with a list of the NewsGroups that you are subscribed to (the first time at a news server, you will not be subscribed to any groups)
