.\" @(#)setnewshost.1 9.2 88/01/19 Copyright 1987 Sun Micro
.TH SETNEWSHOST 1  "11 March 1987"
.SH NAME
setnewshost \- generate a string for the NEWSSERVER environment variable
.SH SYNOPSIS
\fBsetnewshost\fP \fIhostname\fP
.IX setnewshost#(1) "" "\fLsetnewshost\fP(1) \(em set NEWSSERVER environment"
.IX "contacting the server" setnewshost#(1) "" "\fLsetnewshost\fP(1) \(em set NEWSSERVER environment"
.SH DESCRIPTION
.I setnewshost
generates and prints the proper value of the NEWSSERVER
.IX "contacting the server" NEWSSERVER&# "" \fLNEWSSERVER\fP
environment variable for the given \fIhostname\fP.
If NEWSSERVER is set then NeWS clients will attempt to connect to the server
it points to rather than the local host.
.LP
The format of the NEWSSERVER environment variable is as follows:
.sp
	\fIdecimal-address\fP\fB . \fP\fIport#\fP\fB ; \fP\fIhostname\fP
.sp
For example, if the host called ``paper'' has address 192.98.34.118, the
NEWSSERVER variable should be set to ``3227656822.2000;paper'' so that
NeWS clients will connect to the NeWS server on ``paper''.
\%\fIsetnewshost\fP simply calculates this string and sends it to standard
output.  This is not its most convenient form, however.
C-shell users can define the following alias:

.RS .5i
alias snh 'setenv NEWSSERVER `setnewshost \\!*`'
.RE

and System V Bourne Shell users can define the following function:

.RS .5i
snh () {
    NEWSSERVER=`setnewshost $*`
    export NEWSSERVER
.br
}
.RE

Both forms let you simply type `\fBsnh\fP \fIhostname\fP'
to set the NEWSSERVER environment variable automatically.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
psh(1)
.LP
.I "NeWS Manual"
.SH BUGS
The host table entry must have exactly the following format:
\fBa.b.c.d\fP\fI<tab>\fP\fBhostname\fP.

If you use the \fBsnh\fP alias or shell function, and the hostname you give is
unknown, or you give too many or too few arguments, the NEWSSERVER variable
will be trashed.