[Users] Invalid article range error when checking for new messages in comp.lang.clos

[Paolo Amoroso]

I use Claws Mail 4.2.0 on Linux Mint 22 Cinnamon as a Usenet newsreader
with an Eternal September account. When I check for new messages in
comp.lang.clos I get the error "invalid article range: 2 - 1" from the
news.eternal-september.org server. This is the full log of a session in
which the issue occurred:

* Account 'Eternal September': Connecting to NNTP server:
news.eternal-september.org:563...
[2025-01-19 10:46:09] NNTP< 200 news.eternal-september.org
InterNetNews NNRP server INN 2.8.0 (20241228 snapshot) ready (posting
ok)
[2025-01-19 10:46:09] NNTP> MODE READER
[2025-01-19 10:46:09] NNTP< 200 news.eternal-september.org
InterNetNews NNRP server INN 2.8.0 (20241228 snapshot) ready (posting
ok)
[2025-01-19 10:46:10] NNTP< Authentication succeeded
[2025-01-19 10:46:10] NNTP> GROUP comp.lang.clos
[2025-01-19 10:46:10] NNTP< 211 0 2 1 comp.lang.clos
** invalid article range: 2 - 1
[2025-01-19 10:46:10] NNTP> GROUP comp.lang.lisp
[2025-01-19 10:46:10] NNTP< 211 482 71724 73233 comp.lang.lisp
[2025-01-19 10:46:10] NNTP> GROUP comp.os.cpm
[2025-01-19 10:46:10] NNTP< 211 44 18703 18746 comp.os.cpm
[2025-01-19 10:46:10] NNTP> GROUP comp.sys.xerox
[2025-01-19 10:46:10] NNTP< 211 2 137 138 comp.sys.xerox
[2025-01-19 10:46:10] NNTP> GROUP it.comp.retrocomputing
[2025-01-19 10:46:10] NNTP< 211 108 48813 54597 it.comp.retrocomputing
[2025-01-19 10:47:10] NNTP> DATE
[2025-01-19 10:47:10] NNTP< 111 20250119094710
[2025-01-19 10:48:10] NNTP> DATE
[2025-01-19 10:48:10] NNTP< 111 20250119094810

I reported the issue to Wolfgang Weyand of Eternal September and he said
this is a client bug as per RFC 3977:

[2025-01-19 10:46:10] NNTP> GROUP comp.lang.clos
[2025-01-19 10:46:10] NNTP< 211 0 2 1 comp.lang.clos

211     Reply code
0       This means that there are no article
2       Low water mark
1       High water mark

   ________________________________________________________________________
 /
| If the group is empty, one of the following three situations will
|   occur.  Clients MUST accept all three cases; servers MUST NOT
|   represent an empty group in any other way.
|
|   o  The high water mark will be one less than the low water mark, and
|      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|      the estimated article count will be zero.  Servers SHOULD use this
|      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|      method to show an empty group.  This is the only time that the
|      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|      high water mark can be less than the low water mark.
|      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|
|   o  All three numbers will be zero.
|
|   o  The high water mark is greater than or equal to the low water
|      mark.  The estimated article count might be zero or non-zero; if
|      it is non-zero, the same requirements apply as for a non-empty
|      group.
 \-------------------------------------------------------------------------

https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc3977#section-6.1.1.2

Does the issue occur also in versions later than 4.2.0?

Thanks,


Paolo