NewsStats 0.1 (c) 2010 Thomas Hochstein NewsStats is a software package for gathering statistical data live from a Usenet feed and subsequent examination. This script package is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation. --------------------------------------------------------------------- INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS 1) Install the scripts * Download the current version of NewsStats from . * Untar it into a directory of your choice: # tar -xzf newsstats-nn.tar.gz Scripts in this path should be executable by the news user. 2) Configuration * Copy the sample configuration file newsstats.conf.sample to newsstats.conf and modify it for your purposes: # cp newsstats.conf.sample newsstats.conf # vim newsstats.conf a) Mandatory configuration options * DBDriver = mysql Database driver used; currently only mysql is supported. * DBHost = localhost The host your mysql server is running on. * DBUser = The username to connect to the database server. * DBPw = Matching password for your username. * DBDatabase = newsstats Database name. NewsStats will use those credentials to connect to your mysql installation. * DBTableRaw = raw_de Table holding raw statistical data. * DBTableGrps = groups_de Table holding data on postings per group. b) Optional configuration options * TLH = de Limit examination to that top-level hierarchy. 3) Database (mysql) setup * Setup your database server with a username, password and database matching the NewsStats configuration (see 2 a). * Start the installation script: # install/install.pl It will setup the necessary database tables and display some information on the next steps. 4) Feed (INN) setup You have to setup an INN feed to feedlog.pl. * Edit your 'newsfeeds' file and insert something like ## gather statistics for NewsStats newsstats! :!*,de.* :Tc,WmtfbsPNH,Ac:/path/to/feedlog.pl * You should only feed that hierarchy (those hierarchies ...) to feedlog.pl you'll want to cover with your statistical examination. It may be a good idea to setup different feeds (to different databases ...) for different hierarchies. * Please double check that your path to feedlog.pl is correct and feedlog.pl can be executed by the news user * Check your 'newsfeeds' syntax: # ctlinnd checkfile * Reload 'newsfeeds': # ctlinnd reload newsfeeds 'Adding newsstats! feed' * Watch your 'news.notice' and 'errlog' files: # tail -f /var/log/news/news.notice ... # tail -f /var/log/news/errlog Everything should be going smoothly now. * If INN is spewing error messages to 'errlog' or reporting continous respaws of feedlog.pl to 'news.notice', stop your feed: # ctlinnd drop 'newsstats!' and investigate. 'errlog' may be helpful here. * You can restart the feed with # ctlinnd begin 'newsstats!' later. You should be done now. Just have a look at your raw data (DBTableRaw). It should now start to fill up.