The Usenet Warez FAQ
-Appendices-
 
 
Appendix A
POSTING TECHNIQUES
 
 
 
1) Get a suitable newsreader. Although some prefer MicroPlanet Gravity or WinVN, the overwhelming majority of the folks around here use Agent. Get it at ftp.forteinc.com/pub/agent. Learn it. Read the help files.  
  
Free Agent is a freeware off-line newsreader. It offers limited send e-mail capability, but does not receive e-mail. Agent is the commercial version of Free Agent and contains many new features, including POP3 or SMTP e-mail reception, address books, kill/watch lists, URL launching, and cross-post management. Some of the more popular newsreaders are:  
  
Free Agent
Agent (ftp.forteinc.com/pub/agent) (Also see the unofficial  Agent FAQ  and  Agent Modified FAQ and official  Forte Agent FAQ ) 

MicroPlanet Gravity   

WinVN  
2) Setting up Agent: Go to [Options | User and System Profile | User] and fill in ALL the fields. Don't leave any fields blank since friendly servers will put some default info in them. Additionally, many servers will not allow posting unless there is data in all fields. *’s work fine for most, but some servers require something in the format of [blahblah@blah.blah] in the e-mail address field.
3) Set your newsreader to post in no larger than 15,000 line messages. This is crucial! Any larger messages may be refused by your server, or a gateway along the route, any smaller messages just clutter screens. In Agent, go to [Group | Default Properties | Send Files]. Make sure that "send large messages as multiple messages is checked." Set the number of bytes per section to somewhere between 630000 and 945000. It is best to start higher and go lower only if required due to timing out when posting.  Lower segment length means more individual messages and the chances increase that some will get lost in transmission.  {At certain times a byte size of 500,000 (7936 lines) maximum is recommended.}  If your server still refuses to cooperate, try changing these settings in your agent.ini file (in your Agent directory):  
  • [Timing]

    GetHostByNameTimeout=90  
    ConnectTimeout=60  
    ResponseTimeout=600  
    PostResponseTimeout=600  
    SendTimeout=300  
    PostTimeout=600  
    SplashTime=1  
    SMTPSessionTimeout=300

If your server still refuses to cooperate, get a better server (see Rule #2 )!  4) Post in manageable pieces. The commonly accepted size is 3½" floppy-sized pieces (for obvious reasons). DO NOT post in one big zip (OBZ) or attach multiple files to the same header (which is also an OBZ); this is universally despised by experienced readers and they will respond harshly for your waste of bandwidth with a useless binary. The reason behind this is simple: NNTP propagation is unreliable, especially on news servers that are not well connected. If someone gets 12 out of 13 parts of an OBZ, it is nearly impossible to recreate. There is NO way for you to repost this single segment. On the other hand, if this same program were posted in, say, 5 "disks," it would be a simple matter for you (or someone else) to upload the missing "disk."  

If you've got a program in disk-sized pieces or disks, post it that way! If all you have is a CD or OBZ, use ARJ, JAR, ACE, or RAR to break it into manageable pieces (see Appendix C). 

5) Test post to test groups ONLY.  (e.g. alt.test, alt.binaries.test etc.) Do not test post to binary or discussion groups. 6) Use a descriptive and complete subject header. A good header would include the disk number being posted, the total number of disks, and the program's name and version number. A good subject line might read: "FILE:[or REPOST:] Program Name v3.0.5 -01 of 20- read 0/ file."  Another similar considerate idea is to first post a message with a brief description of the program, the .nfo file from the packager, or any other information that a downloader might find useful. If you want to shorten the number of disks, use 3\12 (i.e. the backslash). Using the forward slash can confuse some news readers into thinking it is part 3 of 12 for a single segment and cause difficulty when decoding. But remember, people with 14" monitors have to read this; try to keep your headers under 55 characters and spaces. 7) Don't forget the serial #!  If one is required, and it is not in the .nfo file, it is best included in the first zip as "serial.txt."  8) Include the version number in the subject line.  9) Make sure that the program works. If you are new and are unfamiliar with other ways to evaluate an untested program, install and try it out first. You should be aware, however, that people posting "zero-day/0-day" warez seldom have the time to test these programs. They bring you newly-released software often before it even hits the shelves in stores. There are no guarantees in warez and it does not ALWAYS work as advertized.  With experience, the seasoned posters have found  methods of evaluation which save time but are NOT foolproof. Always read a poster's 0/file, it will often mention whether or not a program has been tested. If you don't like it, then don't download it. 10) Scan the program for viruses. Even if you haven't installed the program yourself, someone else will and may infect their system. You then run the risk of catching that same virus from one of their infected uploads. (How much do you know about virii?)  11) Don't rename the files. There may be several versions of the program floating around. For instance, off9701.zip and MSO97_01.zip may actually be incompatible. Renaming either file to a third name can only make things worse. 12) Wait a MINIMUM of five days before reposting ANY files for ANY reason. Increased participation in everything 'internet' has made traffic a big problem. When a program is posted you may see pieces of it almost at once, but some pieces MAY take different routes and not arrive for days. Most (though not all) servers expire binary posts in five days or less. If you repost part or all of the app for some people in less time than that, it will be a duplicate on most of the servers which will then expire posts more quickly to make room for it. As expire times shorten, repost REQs rise, so everyone just has to WAIT. 
 
Appendix B
OTHER RESOURCES
 
 
Usenet  

There are many other newsgroups involved in the warez scene. By looking at the groups that messages are cross posted to, you can get a good idea of where the action is. There are also some documents that you should have read as soon as you came to the Usenet.  

        Some General Usenet Information;  Omit this material from your education at your peril.  

    Other Usenet Groups related to warez, games, and cracks  
These groups require a solid working knowledge of PGP encryption. If you haven't yet mastered both Usenet and PGP, just forget it for awhile. Don't even attempt to post there without first learning the ropes! Lurk in alt.ipl.discussion and ask your questions there if you 
are interested. There are several who will be more than happy to help you out, and they will point you to their FAQ

       CD Image Groups

  • . 
    • WWW  

    Do a Web search (AltaVista is highly recommended) using keywords such as: warez, cracks, crackz, serial numbers, serials, serialz. There is a staggering variety of information out there. 

    FTP  

    The best way to get reliable FTP information is to visit the warez channels in IRC. If someone posts an FTP site in the newsgroups, it is highly unlikely that it will be profitable to even try to connect. There are at least three reasons for this: (1) by the time the Usenet message gets to your server, the site is cold, (2) if the site is not cold, it will be jammed with hundreds of warez hounds, and (3) they are often bait for the ignorant. Don't waste your time. 

    ENCRYPTION & NYM CREATION  

    This is a complex subject that will require time and patience to master. The following links contain excellent information as well as additional links.  

    The best combined resource for PGP and Nym creation from Thanatopsis (A truly great resource.)  

    The MIT distribution site for PGP  (You can obtain PGP here if you are a U.S. or Canadian citizen. It is free.  Current U.S. law prohibits distribution to other countries.)  

    PGP & Remailers made simple  (An excellent starting point for beginners.)  

    MIT Public Key Server  (You can find someone's PGP Public key on a key server. All key servers exchange information daily.) 

     
    Appendix C
    ARCHIVE PROCEDURES
     
     
    COMPRESSION UTILITIES  
      
    WinZIP, WinRAR, ARJ v. 2.60 (released 10/97), and Jar32 will handle long file names; PKZIP and previous versions of ARJ will NOT.  
     
    Pkzip for DOS WinZip ARJ 2.60 for DOS ACE32E
    RAR for DOS & WinRAR JAR32/16 for DOS and WIN95/NT ARJ User's Manual comes with ARJ 2.60

    Less Common Archivers
     Testing Archives:  

    It's a good idea to test ALL compressed files as you download them to check for CRC errors.  Many posters include a verification file with their posts so that you can check them.

    If you have a damaged zip file, try the procedures below. If that doesn't work, you must obviously get another copy. First try to download another copy to see if you simply had a transmission error during the last download. If the new copy is still corrupted, wait at least 5 days before requesting a repost.
    Damaged Archives and CRC Errors:  

    If you test a zip file with the command [pkunzip -t filename.zip] and it reports errors, you have a 50-50 chance that you can fix it with the command [Pkzipfix filename.zip]. This procedure will create a new file called pkfixed.zip.  

    Now you test this file with the command [pkunzip -t pkfixed]. If it comes back with no errors, you give the command [copy /y pkfixed.zip filename.zip] to rename it back to the original filename. You may now erase pkfixed.zip.  
      
    This is considerable effort to salvage just one file, but if you've been searching for months for that last disk in a 50 disk set and you've finally found it and its got CRC errors, the effort is well worth it.  
    Alternate Procedure for Damaged Archives:  

    Some CRC errors are the result of the way Agent decodes the file. If the original file isn't damaged, some CRC errors can be resolved by doing the following:  

    In Agent, split the message into separate sections. Retrieve the first part of the message, and save it as a Unix text file with an extension of *.001. Next, retrieve the remaining sections (in order), and when saving, check the "Append to existing file" box, and save it to the .001 file.  

    Now run the *.001 file through Wincode 2.6 or higher (freeware), and it should yield a workable file. Test it to be sure.  
    Creating a Postable Archive from One Big Zip (or any archive): 

    RAR is used to split large files into manageable pieces. RAR can archive an entire directory into floppy-sized archive files. When the user on the other end unrars your volumes the original files are recreated with the directory structure intact.  
      

    This FAQ has been compiled by readers of alt.binaries.warez.ibm-pc and its companion discussion group alt.binaries.warez.ibm-pc.d.
    Revision 2.2  8/13/99
     
     
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    ©1997 www.warezfaq.org. All rights reserved. Original document published 2/21/96 by the Inner Circle. All information herein has been written, compiled, and edited by the Inner Circle and other members of the warez community.
     
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