From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

I'm slowly migrating everything over from Windows to Linux. I have a
list of apps and functions that I use on Windows 11, checking each one
off when I have a Linux-based solution. When I have the list
completed, I'll cut over to Linux and not shed much of a tear....

One that I'm trying to check off is my newsreader. I've been using
Agent for years, but the developer has shelved further development of
the app and a few months ago stopped their newsgroup service as well.
Before that I used Gravity, which has been revived by Steve Gibson of
Gibson Research, but it isn't being produced for Linux, just Windows.

Question: What newsreader does the collective brain trust here
consider the best option, and why?

I'm using the latest version of Ubuntu Cinnamon, if that helps.

Thanks muchly!
--
//Steve//

Steve Silverwood, KB6OJS
steve.silverwood@gmail.com
Corona, CA USA
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

On Wed, 11 Feb 2026 17:09:51 -0800, "Steve Silverwood [KB6OJS]" <steve.silverwood@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm slowly migrating everything over from Windows to Linux. I have a
list of apps and functions that I use on Windows 11, checking each one
off when I have a Linux-based solution. When I have the list
completed, I'll cut over to Linux and not shed much of a tear....
One that I'm trying to check off is my newsreader. I've been using
Agent for years, but the developer has shelved further development of
the app and a few months ago stopped their newsgroup service as well.
Before that I used Gravity, which has been revived by Steve Gibson of
Gibson Research, but it isn't being produced for Linux, just Windows. >Question: What newsreader does the collective brain trust here
consider the best option, and why?
I'm using the latest version of Ubuntu Cinnamon, if that helps.
Thanks muchly!

this website includes brief descriptions and current links to many [19]
popular free newsreaders (i typically use 40tude dialog for reading and archiving and free agent for posting, but only in ms windows, no linux) . . .

https://maccafe.fr/serveurs_en.html

...
http://usenet-fr.yakakwatik.org/newsreaders.html
Last update: 05/06/2025
Introduction
Newsreaders
40Tude Dialog (Windows)
Betterbird (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Claws-Mail (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Evolution (Linux)
flnews (Linux, UNIX systems)
Gnus (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Gravity (Windows)
MacCafe (macOS)
MacSOUP (macOS = 10.14)
MesNews (Windows)
ModNewsreader (Android and its forks)
Pan (Linux / macOS)
SeaMonkey (Linux / Windows / macOS)
slrn (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Sylpheed (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Thunderbird (Linux / Windows / macOS)
tin (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Xananews (Windows)
Xnews (Windows)
References and useful links

[end quoted text]

the 40tude dialog newsgroup news:de.comm.software.40tude-dialog has
archived articles on wine-linux usage ... might try wine for debian

https://packages.debian.org/sid/all/wine/download

Download Page for wine_10.0~repack-12_all.deb
...

or other os compatibility versions . . .

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=linux+wine

...
https://www.winehq.org/
WineHQ - Run Windows applications on Linux, BSD, Solaris and macOS
Wine is a compatibility layer that translates Windows API calls into
POSIX calls on Linux, macOS, and BSD. Learn about Wine, download
the latest releases, and browse the application database.
...

--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

D <J@M> posted:

this website includes brief descriptions and current links to many [19] popular free newsreaders (i typically use 40tude dialog for reading and archiving and free agent for posting, but only in ms windows, no linux) . . .

https://maccafe.fr/serveurs_en.html

...
http://usenet-fr.yakakwatik.org/newsreaders.html

There's an interesting indication of the relative popularity of different clients at: https://www.greenend.org.uk/rjk/spoolstats/agents-summary.html
--
Colin Macleod ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ https://cmacleod.me.uk

FEED FEED FEED FEED FEED FEED FEED FEED
GAZA GAZA GAZA GAZA GAZA GAZA GAZA GAZA
NOW! NOW! NOW! NOW! NOW! NOW! NOW! NOW!
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

On Wed, 11 Feb 2026 17:09:51 -0800, Steve Silverwood [KB6OJS] wrote:

I'm slowly migrating everything over from Windows to Linux. I have a
list of apps and functions that I use on Windows 11, checking each one
off when I have a Linux-based solution. When I have the list
completed, I'll cut over to Linux and not shed much of a tear....

One that I'm trying to check off is my newsreader. I've been using
Agent for years, but the developer has shelved further development of
the app and a few months ago stopped their newsgroup service as well.

Huh? The Agent newsgroup service is working here.
I am posting this via their newsgroup service - check my headers.

Their newsgroup service stopped for me over a CC billing issue back
in 2024 and came up again around the beginning of 2025. It has been
working for me ever since (over a year now).

Before that I used Gravity, which has been revived by Steve Gibson of
Gibson Research, but it isn't being produced for Linux, just Windows.

Question: What newsreader does the collective brain trust here
consider the best option, and why?
I'm using the latest version of Ubuntu Cinnamon, if that helps.

I am using Agent for most things. It meets most of my needs.
I occasionally use Thunderbird or Pan for special cases.

The best newsreader will depend on one's needs. My needs may not be
your needs which may not be someone else's needs. We don't all have
the same needs.
--
Kind regards
Ralph Fox
EfaeN+A

So many countreys so many customes.
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

Colin Macleod <user7@newsgrouper.org.invalid> wrote:

There's an interesting indication of the relative popularity of
different clients at: https://www.greenend.org.uk/rjk/spoolstats/agents-summary.html

| Gnus v5.7/Emacs 20.7

Hardcore!
--
I do not bite, I just want to play.
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

On Thu, 12 Feb 2026 03:08:01 +0100 (CET), D <J@M> wrote:

On Wed, 11 Feb 2026 17:09:51 -0800, "Steve Silverwood [KB6OJS]" <steve.silverwood@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm slowly migrating everything over from Windows to Linux. I have a
list of apps and functions that I use on Windows 11, checking each one
off when I have a Linux-based solution. When I have the list
completed, I'll cut over to Linux and not shed much of a tear....
One that I'm trying to check off is my newsreader. I've been using
Agent for years, but the developer has shelved further development of
the app and a few months ago stopped their newsgroup service as well. >>Before that I used Gravity, which has been revived by Steve Gibson of >>Gibson Research, but it isn't being produced for Linux, just Windows. >>Question: What newsreader does the collective brain trust here
consider the best option, and why?
I'm using the latest version of Ubuntu Cinnamon, if that helps.
Thanks muchly!

this website includes brief descriptions and current links to many [19] >popular free newsreaders (i typically use 40tude dialog for reading and >archiving and free agent for posting, but only in ms windows, no linux) . . .

https://maccafe.fr/serveurs_en.html

...
http://usenet-fr.yakakwatik.org/newsreaders.html
Last update: 05/06/2025
Introduction
Newsreaders
40Tude Dialog (Windows)
Betterbird (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Claws-Mail (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Evolution (Linux)
flnews (Linux, UNIX systems)
Gnus (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Gravity (Windows)
MacCafe (macOS)
MacSOUP (macOS = 10.14)
MesNews (Windows)
ModNewsreader (Android and its forks)
Pan (Linux / macOS)
SeaMonkey (Linux / Windows / macOS)
slrn (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Sylpheed (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Thunderbird (Linux / Windows / macOS)
tin (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Xananews (Windows)
Xnews (Windows)
References and useful links

[end quoted text]

the 40tude dialog newsgroup news:de.comm.software.40tude-dialog has
archived articles on wine-linux usage ... might try wine for debian

https://packages.debian.org/sid/all/wine/download

Download Page for wine_10.0~repack-12_all.deb
...

or other os compatibility versions . . .

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=linux+wine

...
https://www.winehq.org/
WineHQ - Run Windows applications on Linux, BSD, Solaris and macOS
Wine is a compatibility layer that translates Windows API calls into
POSIX calls on Linux, macOS, and BSD. Learn about Wine, download
the latest releases, and browse the application database.
...

Thanks, I will check out those links. I appreciate the help.
--
//Steve//
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

On Thu, 12 Feb 2026 10:21:33 +0000, yeti <yeti@tilde.institute> wrote:

Colin Macleod <user7@newsgrouper.org.invalid> wrote:

There's an interesting indication of the relative popularity of
different clients at:
https://www.greenend.org.uk/rjk/spoolstats/agents-summary.html

| Gnus v5.7/Emacs 20.7

Hardcore!

Indeed, I wasn't quite prepared to go THAT crazy! :D
--
//Steve//
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

On Wed, 11 Feb 2026 17:09:51 -0800, Steve Silverwood [KB6OJS] wrote:

Question: What newsreader does the collective brain trust here consider
the best option, and why?

I'm using the latest version of Ubuntu Cinnamon, if that helps.

Thanks muchly!

pan
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

On Thu, 12 Feb 2026 02:23:34 -0800, "Steve Silverwood [KB6OJS]" <steve.silverwood@gmail.com> wrote:

On Thu, 12 Feb 2026 03:08:01 +0100 (CET), D <J@M> wrote:

On Wed, 11 Feb 2026 17:09:51 -0800, "Steve Silverwood [KB6OJS]" <steve.silverwood@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm slowly migrating everything over from Windows to Linux.

snip

...
http://usenet-fr.yakakwatik.org/newsreaders.html
Last update: 05/06/2025
Introduction
Newsreaders
40Tude Dialog (Windows)
Betterbird (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Claws-Mail (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Evolution (Linux)
flnews (Linux, UNIX systems)
Gnus (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Gravity (Windows)
MacCafe (macOS)
MacSOUP (macOS = 10.14)
MesNews (Windows)
ModNewsreader (Android and its forks)
Pan (Linux / macOS)
SeaMonkey (Linux / Windows / macOS)
slrn (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Sylpheed (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Thunderbird (Linux / Windows / macOS)
tin (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Xananews (Windows)
Xnews (Windows)

snip

Thanks, I will check out those links. I appreciate the help.

best of success . . . several years ago, i tested t-bird/b-bird, and other windows-compatible newsreaders, and found the classic 40tude dialog by far
the most full-featured plain-text newsreader, and is easy to setup and use, which is why i still use it, and also forte free agent 1.93 . . . antiques,
but so is plain text usenet, i.e., what could be typed on an old fashioned typewriter made available to the world thanks to modern digital technology

usenet may serve a variety of purposes and interests, e.g. catering to the silent majority, lurkers and researchers, since usenet has always been, in effect since "eternal september" (circa ~1994) the world's most convenient internet-accessible plain text library, which many users download and save separately from the nntp usenet servers that peer, spool, and archive text articles; thus using newsreader/proxy scoring/filtering capabilities makes
it easy to "whitelist" xover headers and non-xover content to winnow wheat
from chaff, wheat being the 0.0001% (non-robot contributors) and the chaff (troll farm chatbots chatting/chattering coactively), and usenet preserves depending on retention and completeness of each nntp server spool (servers
vary in this regard) collectively sustaining this predominantly uncensored public repository . . . no social media on the planet competes with usenet, specially because moderation is censorship, an exclusive members-only club

--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

Steve Silverwood [KB6OJS] <steve.silverwood@gmail.com> wrote at 01:09 this Thursday (GMT):

I'm slowly migrating everything over from Windows to Linux. I have a
list of apps and functions that I use on Windows 11, checking each one
off when I have a Linux-based solution. When I have the list
completed, I'll cut over to Linux and not shed much of a tear....

One that I'm trying to check off is my newsreader. I've been using
Agent for years, but the developer has shelved further development of
the app and a few months ago stopped their newsgroup service as well.
Before that I used Gravity, which has been revived by Steve Gibson of
Gibson Research, but it isn't being produced for Linux, just Windows.

Question: What newsreader does the collective brain trust here
consider the best option, and why?

I'm using the latest version of Ubuntu Cinnamon, if that helps.

Thanks muchly!

I quite like slrn
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

In a previous article, D <J@M> said: >>http://usenet-fr.yakakwatik.org/newsreaders.html

Last update: 05/06/2025
Introduction
Newsreaders
40Tude Dialog (Windows)
Betterbird (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Claws-Mail (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Evolution (Linux)
flnews (Linux, UNIX systems)
Gnus (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Gravity (Windows)
MacCafe (macOS)
MacSOUP (macOS = 10.14)
MesNews (Windows)
ModNewsreader (Android and its forks)
Pan (Linux / macOS)
SeaMonkey (Linux / Windows / macOS)
slrn (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Sylpheed (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Thunderbird (Linux / Windows / macOS)
tin (Linux / Windows / macOS)
Xananews (Windows)
Xnews (Windows)

I'm still using trn. I don't think it's been updated in decades, but it still works.
--
Paul Tomblin <ptomblin@xcski.com> http://blog.xcski.com/
"Help!! Come see the violence inherent in the sysadmin!"
- Cobb, User Friendly, by Illiad
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

Hi Steve,

Adding news.software.readers to the discussion.

Le 12/02/2026 |a 02:09, Steve Silverwood [KB6OJS] a |-crit-a:

I'm slowly migrating everything over from Windows to Linux. I have a
list of apps and functions that I use on Windows 11, checking each one
off when I have a Linux-based solution. When I have the list
completed, I'll cut over to Linux and not shed much of a tear....

One that I'm trying to check off is my newsreader. I've been using
Agent for years, but the developer has shelved further development of
the app and a few months ago stopped their newsgroup service as well.
Before that I used Gravity, which has been revived by Steve Gibson of
Gibson Research, but it isn't being produced for Linux, just Windows.

Question: What newsreader does the collective brain trust here
consider the best option, and why?

I'm using the latest version of Ubuntu Cinnamon, if that helps.

Thanks muchly!

You'll certainly obtain more answers from people in that newsgroup.
--
Julien |eLIE

-2-aAmbo florentes aetatibus, Arcades ambo-a-+ (Virgile, _|eglogue VII_)

--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

ptomblin+netnews@xcski.com (Paul Tomblin) spake the secret code <10mlkpq$k9g$1@linode.xcski.com> thusly:

I'm still using trn. I don't think it's been updated in decades, but it still >works.

I'm working on a new version :)
<https://github.com/LegalizeAdulthood/trn>
--
"The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" free book <http://tinyurl.com/d3d-pipeline>
The Terminals Wiki <http://terminals-wiki.org>
The Computer Graphics Museum <http://computergraphicsmuseum.org>
Legalize Adulthood! (my blog) <http://legalizeadulthood.wordpress.com>
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

According to Richard <>:

ptomblin+netnews@xcski.com (Paul Tomblin) spake the secret code ><10mlkpq$k9g$1@linode.xcski.com> thusly:

I'm still using trn. I don't think it's been updated in decades, but it still >>works.

I'm working on a new version :)
<https://github.com/LegalizeAdulthood/trn>

I'm very interested. I'm using a copy on MacOS that I compiled in about 2017, but I can't get it close to compiling with the current Mac programming environment.
Tick, tick, tick, ...
--
Regards,
John Levine, johnl@taugh.com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for Dummies",
Please consider the environment before reading this e-mail. https://jl.ly
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

[Please do not mail me a copy of your followup]

John Levine <johnl@taugh.com> spake the secret code <10mm3ia$3d7$2@gal.iecc.com> thusly:

According to Richard <>:

ptomblin+netnews@xcski.com (Paul Tomblin) spake the secret code >><10mlkpq$k9g$1@linode.xcski.com> thusly:

I'm still using trn. I don't think it's been updated in decades, but it still
works.

I'm working on a new version :)
<https://github.com/LegalizeAdulthood/trn>

I'm very interested. I'm using a copy on MacOS that I compiled in about 2017, >but I can't get it close to compiling with the current Mac programming >environment.
Tick, tick, tick, ...

I have the macOS CI builds on github currently disabled, but mostly
because the terminal handling in trn is funky and the macOS build
failed due to the order of includes and which termcap related headers
were included. It's probably not a big deal to figure that out, but I
don't have a mac on which I can manually edit/compile/test. I would
be very grateful for some collaboration there! My primary development environment is Windows with WSL testing for linux.

Things are progressing nicely; the UTF-8 improvements contributed by
others have been integrated although they probably need some more
manual testing. Manual integration testing on all platforms and final
polish is where we're at for the 5.0 release.
--
"The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" free book <http://tinyurl.com/d3d-pipeline>
The Terminals Wiki <http://terminals-wiki.org>
The Computer Graphics Museum <http://computergraphicsmuseum.org>
Legalize Adulthood! (my blog) <http://legalizeadulthood.wordpress.com>
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

According to Richard <>:

I'm very interested. I'm using a copy on MacOS that I compiled in about 2017,
but I can't get it close to compiling with the current Mac programming >>environment.
Tick, tick, tick, ...

I have the macOS CI builds on github currently disabled, but mostly
because the terminal handling in trn is funky and the macOS build
failed due to the order of includes and which termcap related headers
were included. It's probably not a big deal to figure that out, but I
don't have a mac on which I can manually edit/compile/test. I would
be very grateful for some collaboration there! My primary development >environment is Windows with WSL testing for linux.

I don't have unlimited time but if you have some things you'd like
me to try, write to me directly.
--
Regards,
John Levine, johnl@taugh.com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for Dummies",
Please consider the environment before reading this e-mail. https://jl.ly
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

legalize+jeeves@mail.xmission.com (Richard) wrote:

. . .

[fork of trn]

Things are progressing nicely; the UTF-8 improvements contributed by
others have been integrated although they probably need some more
manual testing. Manual integration testing on all platforms and final
polish is where we're at for the 5.0 release.

trn expects the user to do things for himself in the composer.

If there is a reason to declare a character set, I add MIME headers
manually. I don't expect trn to do it for me.

Also, in followup, I parse for all that crap added to articles that make
them other than plain text, like nonbreaking spaces. When trn users who
care about this send an article, it is genuine plain text, devoid of all nontext characters.

I hope this feature remains.
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

[Please do not mail me a copy of your followup]

"Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> spake the secret code <10moh4u$2po5v$1@dont-email.me> thusly:

legalize+jeeves@mail.xmission.com (Richard) wrote:
[fork of trn]

Things are progressing nicely; the UTF-8 improvements contributed by
others have been integrated although they probably need some more
manual testing. Manual integration testing on all platforms and final >>polish is where we're at for the 5.0 release.

trn expects the user to do things for himself in the composer.

This is unchanged. The UTF-8 improvements I mentioned have to do with
proper display of UTF-8 in articles; they don't impose UTF-8 on
authors of messages.

Also, in followup, I parse for all that crap added to articles that make
them other than plain text, like nonbreaking spaces. When trn users who
care about this send an article, it is genuine plain text, devoid of all >nontext characters.

I hope this feature remains.

I too find many messages that strictly declare themselves to be UTF-8
could easily be rendered in 7-bit ASCII without any significant loss,
just minor formatting losses like "smart quotes" being rendered as
plain ASCII quote characters and so-on.

trn has a "character set conversion" mechanism that is fairly limited,
but I have an enhancement issue to add this UTF-8 => ASCII style
conversion: <https://github.com/LegalizeAdulthood/trn/issues/34>

In the current code, this mechanism was semi-disabled by the changes
made by Ambrose Li (@acli on github). It will need to be re-enabled
for the 5.0 release.

In general, the character set handling in trn is a weak spot. The
strengths are more in the threading, scoring and kill file processing.
--
"The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" free book <http://tinyurl.com/d3d-pipeline>
The Terminals Wiki <http://terminals-wiki.org>
The Computer Graphics Museum <http://computergraphicsmuseum.org>
Legalize Adulthood! (my blog) <http://legalizeadulthood.wordpress.com>
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2