From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

I have forgotten the reason for setting "force authentication" in a
newsreader.

Is this because a server wants the newsreader to provide the user's
credentials but doesn't initiate the request in the greeting dialogue? Is it because the server is set not to ask as it expects the newsreader to offer credentials without prompting? Or is it because the newsreader won't
provide credentials when prompted to unless this feature is set?

I've got a vague recollection of using long defunct servers for which I provided credentials but didn't force authentication. There must be a historical reason for the additional step.
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

On 15.02.2026 18:20 Uhr Adam H. Kerman wrote:

Is this because a server wants the newsreader to provide the user's credentials but doesn't initiate the request in the greeting
dialogue? Is it because the server is set not to ask as it expects
the newsreader to offer credentials without prompting? Or is it
because the newsreader won't provide credentials when prompted to
unless this feature is set?

Some servers (e.g. ES) provides a small amount of groups for read (or
even write) access without authentication. The newsreader doesn't try authentication unless it is being prompted by the server to do so - or
forced by the setting.

For the group list, the servers allows unauthenticated retrieval for
some hierarchies, but not all. The newsreader does not know that the
server provides even more after authentication.
--
kind regards
Marco

Send spam to 1771176056muell@stinkedores.dorfdsl.de

--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

Thus spake "Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com>

I have forgotten the reason for setting "force authentication" in a newsreader.

Is this because a server wants the newsreader to provide the user's credentials but doesn't initiate the request in the greeting dialogue? Is it because the server is set not to ask as it expects the newsreader to offer credentials without prompting? Or is it because the newsreader won't
provide credentials when prompted to unless this feature is set?

The "force authentication" options is required with newsreaders that
rely on the server greeter ("posting ok") and will only use authinfo
user/pass when this info is missing from the greeter.

Since Eternal-September accepts posts for the eternal-september.*
hierarchy without authentication and the greeter is sent /before/ the user enters a group, it will always send "posting ok" and complain when the
users tries to enter a group that is only accessible to authenticated
users(*).
To set these newsreaders to use authinfo user/pass despite the "posting ok" greeter, "Force authentication" is needed (the actual wording may vary depending on the newsreader).

* see https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3977#section-3.2.1.1 for details.
--
-f-a|U-e-u-+ rCo -a-a-|-+-+|U
https://www.eternal-september.org
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

Ray Banana <rayban@raybanana.net> wrote:

Thus spake "Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com>

I have forgotten the reason for setting "force authentication" in a >>newsreader.

Is this because a server wants the newsreader to provide the user's >>credentials but doesn't initiate the request in the greeting dialogue? Is it >>because the server is set not to ask as it expects the newsreader to offer >>credentials without prompting? Or is it because the newsreader won't >>provide credentials when prompted to unless this feature is set?

The "force authentication" options is required with newsreaders that
rely on the server greeter ("posting ok") and will only use authinfo >user/pass when this info is missing from the greeter.

Since Eternal-September accepts posts for the eternal-september.*
hierarchy without authentication and the greeter is sent /before/ the user >enters a group, it will always send "posting ok" and complain when the
users tries to enter a group that is only accessible to authenticated >users(*).
To set these newsreaders to use authinfo user/pass despite the "posting ok" >greeter, "Force authentication" is needed (the actual wording may vary >depending on the newsreader).

* see https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3977#section-3.2.1.1 for details.

I read through the example dialogues. Thank you.
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

Ray Banana <rayban@raybanana.net> wrote:

Thus spake "Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com>

I have forgotten the reason for setting "force authentication" in a >>>newsreader.

Is this because a server wants the newsreader to provide the user's >>>credentials but doesn't initiate the request in the greeting dialogue? Is it >>>because the server is set not to ask as it expects the newsreader to offer >>>credentials without prompting? Or is it because the newsreader won't >>>provide credentials when prompted to unless this feature is set?

The "force authentication" options is required with newsreaders that
rely on the server greeter ("posting ok") and will only use authinfo >>user/pass when this info is missing from the greeter.

Since Eternal-September accepts posts for the eternal-september.*
hierarchy without authentication and the greeter is sent /before/ the user >>enters a group, it will always send "posting ok" and complain when the >>users tries to enter a group that is only accessible to authenticated >>users(*).
To set these newsreaders to use authinfo user/pass despite the "posting ok" >>greeter, "Force authentication" is needed (the actual wording may vary >>depending on the newsreader).

* see https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3977#section-3.2.1.1 for details.

I read through the example dialogues. Thank you.

My current active file with trn settings has two defunct servers
commented out in which authentication was required but I didn't force authentication, news.albasani.net and a private server. Now albasani
requred authentication to post. Without receiving "posting ok", the
newsreader offered user/pass during greeting dialogue if I'm understanding
you.

I found any number of defunct servers commented out that required authentication for which I forced authentication. At least in my
experience of using various servers in more recent years, it's been more
common than not.

This is not my original active file.
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

Thus spake "Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com>

My current active file with trn settings has two defunct servers
commented out in which authentication was required but I didn't force authentication, news.albasani.net and a private server. Now albasani
requred authentication to post. Without receiving "posting ok", the newsreader offered user/pass during greeting dialogue if I'm understanding you.

Albasani /always/ required a username and password, hence it never sent
the "posting ok" greeter and newsreader always sent the credentials. The
user name for read-only access was "readonly", the password was
"readonly", too.
--
-f-a|U-e-u-+ rCo -a-a-|-+-+|U
https://www.eternal-september.org
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: news.software.nntp

Ray Banana <rayban@raybanana.net> wrote:

Thus spake "Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com>

My current active file with trn settings has two defunct servers
commented out in which authentication was required but I didn't force >>authentication, news.albasani.net and a private server. Now albasani >>requred authentication to post. Without receiving "posting ok", the >>newsreader offered user/pass during greeting dialogue if I'm understanding >>you.

Albasani /always/ required a username and password, hence it never sent
the "posting ok" greeter and newsreader always sent the credentials. The
user name for read-only access was "readonly", the password was
"readonly", too.

Thanks
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2