Replies in echomail areas through Synchronet's NNTP server include
"All" in the To: field. I had assumed this was standard behavior
for SBBS, similar to the old NNTP-FTN gateways. (However, the REPLY
kludge appears to be functioning correctly, allowing messages to be
properly threaded.)
After reviewing the source code of nntpservice.js, I discovered a
function named getReferenceTo. If I'm not mistaken, this function
should return the recipient's name, but it defaults to "All" when a
recipient isn't found.
Could it be that this function isn't working as intended?
If a recipient isn't found, "All" seems like a sensible default. Are
you saying the failure to find a recipient is a bug? Feel free to play
with it and offer up a patch if you have one.
I've been playing a bit and here's a patch. Edit nntpservice.js (line 107 in revision 1.2, or line 111 in current 1.3) and change:
var hdr2 = mb.get_msg_header(hdr.reply_id);
to:
var hdr2 = mb.get_msg_header(hdr.reply_id + '');
There may be another way, but this seems to work.
I've been playing a bit and here's a patch. Edit nntpservice.js
(line 107 in revision 1.2, or line 111 in current 1.3) and change:
var hdr2 = mb.get_msg_header(hdr.reply_id);
to:
var hdr2 = mb.get_msg_header(hdr.reply_id + '');
There may be another way, but this seems to work.
That change would just change (force) hdr.reply_id to be a string. It
should already be a string, so that change should do nothing.
That change would just change (force) hdr.reply_id to be a string. It should already be a string, so that change should do nothing.
However, hdr.reply_id is not a string, but an object (a string object).
And
then, mb.get_msg_header() doesn't find anything and returns null.
I guess that something has to be fixed elsewhere (I am not familiar with Synchronet's code), but my quick patch doesn't break anything and it works for now: replies in echomail via NNTP have "To: recipient" instead of "To: All".
This is a reply to a message from Accession in the SYNCHRONET echomail area, sent via Thunderbird on the NNTP server of a Synchronet-based BBS. The message will likely be posted to the echo with recipient "To: All" instead of "To: Accession"
You were correct. It came through addressed to "All".
I guess that something has to be fixed elsewhere (I am not familiar with Synchronet's code), but my quick patch doesn't break anything and it works for now: replies in echomail via NNTP have "To: recipient" instead of "To: All".
I'll look into it more.
I just wrote and executed a quick test and the msg header reply_id
property does appear to be a string, as expected:
var msgbase = new MsgBase("test");
if(!msgbase.open())
exit();
var hdr = msgbase.get_msg_header(27);
print(typeof hdr.reply_id);
when run, prints 'string'.
This is a reply to a message from Accession in the SYNCHRONET
echomail area, sent via Thunderbird on the NNTP server of a
Synchronet-based BBS. The message will likely be posted to the
echo with recipient "To: All" instead of "To: Accession"
You were correct. It came through addressed to "All".
Another reply, but now with the patch I posted (thanks for testing,
Angel).
12 Nov 2025 23:21, you wrote to me:
I just wrote and executed a quick test and the msg header reply_id property does appear to be a string, as expected:
var msgbase = new MsgBase("test");
if(!msgbase.open())
exit();
var hdr = msgbase.get_msg_header(27);
print(typeof hdr.reply_id);
when run, prints 'string'.
Ok, in that script nothing happens to hdr after loading from the MSGbase. But in nntpservice.js, before being passed to function getReferenceTo, it is processed by function parse_news_header (in newsutil.js). It seems hdr.reply_id is then an array of string (typeof "object"). I think it happens here:
hdr.reply_id = data.match(/<[^\<]*>$/);
Interesting! Could you share how to do that in TB?
Here is a message posted with Thunderbird with the "X-Comment-To"
field filled in.
This is the only way I could do it with TB, and while it's not super friendly (you'll forget to do it sometimes, probably), it works:
Settings > Config Editor
- Search for 'mail.compose.other.header', edit it and put
"X-Comment-To" without quotes.
When you write/reply to a message, in the header there it says
"Followup-To >>", hit the ">>" drop down menu, and "X-Comment-To"
will be an option to select now. Then, fill it in with who you're
writing the message to (yes, manually).
When you write/reply to a message, in the header there it says
"Followup-To >>", hit the ">>" drop down menu, and "X-Comment-
To" will be an option to select now. Then, fill it in with who
you're writing the message to (yes, manually).
Thank you.
This can still be useful even if the "To: All" issue has been fixed> in SBBS's NNTP server. You can use it this to change the defaultI am also keeping the config editor mod in place, for this very reason. However, it's now much easier to reply and not have to worry about filling in the name you're replying to manually every time. Now, you only have to do it if you're forcing it to someone else, or as you said, want to direct a /new/ message to someone besides "All".
recipient to another one (or to set one when posting a new message),
just like when you write "to: some one" in the first line of the
message text in JamNNTPd.
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