Re: ISC will likely be shutting down FTP access to ftp.isc.org soon (https will remain)

Hi Dan, and all,

If/when this happens I'd likely also make a quick post to a few other
network operator places, and suggestions as to where to do so are welcome.

Maybe <https://www.big-8.org/> to start with?  I see references to <ftp://ftp.isc.org/> when searching in their web site.
Also, senders of control articles should update their X-Info header fields if they mention the FTP server.

We do not have a specific date yet (this depends on specific
feedback from the community), but on the order of a month or two
sounds reasonable.  If any software, such as INN, ships with the
"ftp" protocol baked-in, this gives enough time for people to put
out new releases and docs that point at the change, or at least add
the change to their README's, and the like.

As for INN, I have just done the work, and updated the actsyncd and simpleftp programs to support HTTP(S).
Here are the steps to do for news admins.
A/ If actsyncd is not used at all, or used but with the NNTP protocol to get the active file of another news server, then there's nothing to do. This will go on working.
B/ If actsyncd is used with the following actsync.cfg parameters:
   host=ftp.isc.org
   ftppath=/pub/usenet/CONFIG/active.gz
Then there is something to change.  Here are some possibilities.
1/ The fastest would be to keep FTP but against another server which would go on providing up to date active files on FTP.  I don't know whether there are.  If you know one, just update host and ftppath accordingly.
2/ You can install a version of INN generated after 2024-10-07 (INN 2.7.3, snapshot, etc.).  Then just update your installation and change the above parameters in actsync.cfg to:
   host=downloads.isc.org
   path=/pub/usenet/CONFIG/active.gz
   protocol=https
That's all, it should normally work out of the box.  If that's not the case, read on (you may miss the wget package).
3/ You have wget installed, or can install it.  Then you have to:
a/ replace your <pathbin>/actsyncd program by this one:
  https://raw.githubusercontent.com/InterNetNews/inn/refs/heads/main/backends/actsyncd.in
with its first and second lines changed to match the first and second lines of your current actsyncd program.  Then rename actsyncd.in to actsyncd.
b/ open <pathlib>/innshellvars and go to the line where GETFTP is defined:
   GETFTP="/usr/bin/wget"
Install wget if not already installed, and put its path in GETFTP.  Then add a second line below to finally have something like:
   GETFTP="/usr/bin/wget"
   GETHTTP="/usr/bin/wget"
c/ update actsync.cfg like it was done in 2/.  That's it.
4/ So... you don't have wget and cannot install it.  Then you have to:
a/ replace your <pathlib>/simpleftp program by this one:
  https://raw.githubusercontent.com/InterNetNews/inn/refs/heads/main/scripts/simpleftp.in
with its first line changed to match the first line of your current simpleftp program.  Then rename simpleftp.in to simpleftp.
b/ open <pathlib>/innshellvars and go to the line where GETFTP is defined:
   GETFTP="/usr/bin/simpleftp"
You may see ncftpget or ncftp instead of simpleftp.  You can then keep the GETFTP line with that program.  But you'll need simpleftp in GETHTTP.  Add a second line below to finally have something like:
   GETFTP="/usr/bin/simpleftp"
   GETHTTP="/usr/bin/simpleftp"
c/ update actsync.cfg like it was done in 2/.
d/ update actsyncd like it was done in 3/a.
e/ if you have at least Perl 5.14.0 (released in 2011), then simpleftp should work out of the box because the HTTP::Tiny module it uses has been a Perl core module since that version.  If you have an older Perl version, then you need installing HTTP::Tiny from CPAN.  It just requires at least Perl 5.6.0 which you already have because otherwise INN won't be working either.
I think all the use cases are covered.  I bet most people fall in A/ and for the few ones in B/, probably B/1 will be possible.  B/3 and B/4 are most complex cases, and maybe nobody currently falls in these categories, but were it the case, the instructions are above :)
--
Julien ÉLIE
« Whenever you set out to do something, something else must be done
   first. » (Murphy's Fourth Corollary)