RFC Errata
RFC 3977, "Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP)", October 2006
Note: This RFC has been updated by RFC 6048
Source of RFC: nntpext (app)
Errata ID: 2004
Status: Held for Document Update
Type: Technical
Publication Format(s) : TEXT
Reported By: Julien Élie
Date Reported: 2010-01-14
Held for Document Update by: Barry Leiba
Date Held: 2012-05-12
Throughout the document, when it says:
(a) Section 6.2.1.1 about ARTICLE:
Third form (current article number used)
220 n message-id Article follows (multi-line)
412 No newsgroup selected
420 Current article number is invalid
(b) Section 6.2.1.2, last paragraph about ARTICLE:
If the argument is a message-id and no such article exists, a 430
response MUST be returned. If the argument is a number or is omitted
and the currently selected newsgroup is invalid, a 412 response MUST
be returned. If the argument is a number and that article does not
exist in the currently selected newsgroup, a 423 response MUST be
returned. If the argument is omitted and the current article number
is invalid, a 420 response MUST be returned.
(c) Section 6.2.2.1 about HEAD:
Third form (current article number used)
221 n message-id Headers follow (multi-line)
412 No newsgroup selected
420 Current article number is invalid
(d) Section 6.2.3.1 about BODY:
Third form (current article number used)
222 n message-id Body follows (multi-line)
412 No newsgroup selected
420 Current article number is invalid
(e) Section 6.2.4.1 about STAT:
Third form (current article number used)
223 n message-id Article exists
412 No newsgroup selected
420 Current article number is invalid
(f) Section 8.3.1 about OVER:
Third form (current article number used)
224 Overview information follows (multi-line)
412 No newsgroup selected
420 Current article number is invalid
(g) Section 8.3.2, last paragraph about OVER:
If the argument is a message-id and no such article exists, a 430
response MUST be returned. If the argument is a range or is omitted
and the currently selected newsgroup is invalid, a 412 response MUST
be returned. If the argument is a range and no articles in that
number range exist in the currently selected newsgroup, including the
case where the second number is less than the first one, a 423
response MUST be returned. If the argument is omitted and the
current article number is invalid, a 420 response MUST be returned.
(h) Section 8.5.1 about HDR:
Third form (current article number used)
225 Headers follow (multi-line)
412 No newsgroup selected
420 Current article number is invalid
(i) Section 8.5.2, antepenultimate paragraph about HDR:
If the second argument is a message-id and no such article exists, a
430 response MUST be returned. If the second argument is a range or
is omitted and the currently selected newsgroup is invalid, a 412
response MUST be returned. If the second argument is a range and no
articles in that number range exist in the currently selected
newsgroup, including the case where the second number is less than
the first one, a 423 response MUST be returned. If the second
argument is omitted and the current article number is invalid, a 420
response MUST be returned.
It should say:
(a) Section 6.2.1.1 about ARTICLE:
Third form (current article number used)
220 n message-id Article follows (multi-line)
412 No newsgroup selected
420 Current article number is invalid
| 423 No article with that number
(b) Section 6.2.1.2, last paragraph about ARTICLE:
If the argument is a message-id and no such article exists, a 430
response MUST be returned. If the argument is a number or is omitted,
and the currently selected newsgroup is invalid, a 412 response MUST
be returned. If the argument is a number or is omitted, and that
article does not exist in the currently selected newsgroup, a 423
response MUST be returned. If the argument is omitted and the currently
selected newsgroup is valid but the current article number is invalid,
a 420 response MUST be returned.
(c) Section 6.2.2.1 about HEAD:
Third form (current article number used)
221 n message-id Headers follow (multi-line)
412 No newsgroup selected
420 Current article number is invalid
| 423 No article with that number
(d) Section 6.2.3.1 about BODY:
Third form (current article number used)
222 n message-id Body follows (multi-line)
412 No newsgroup selected
420 Current article number is invalid
| 423 No article with that number
(e) Section 6.2.4.1 about STAT:
Third form (current article number used)
223 n message-id Article exists
412 No newsgroup selected
420 Current article number is invalid
| 423 No article with that number
(f) Section 8.3.1 about OVER:
Third form (current article number used)
224 Overview information follows (multi-line)
412 No newsgroup selected
420 Current article number is invalid
| 423 No article with that number
(g) Section 8.3.2, last paragraph about OVER:
If the argument is a message-id and no such article exists, a 430
response MUST be returned. If the argument is a range or is omitted,
and the currently selected newsgroup is invalid, a 412 response MUST
be returned. If the argument is a range or is omitted, and no articles
in that number range exist in the currently selected newsgroup, including
the case where the second number is less than the first one, a 423
response MUST be returned. If the argument is omitted and the currently
selected newsgroup is valid but the current article number is invalid,
a 420 response MUST be returned.
(h) Section 8.5.1 about HDR:
Third form (current article number used)
225 Headers follow (multi-line)
412 No newsgroup selected
420 Current article number is invalid
| 423 No article with that number
(i) Section 8.5.2, antepenultimate paragraph about HDR:
If the second argument is a message-id and no such article exists, a
430 response MUST be returned. If the second argument is a range or
is omitted, and the currently selected newsgroup is invalid, a 412
response MUST be returned. If the second argument is a range or is
omitted, and no articles in that number range exist in the currently
selected newsgroup, including the case where the second number is less
than the first one, a 423 response MUST be returned. If the second
argument is omitted and the currently selected newsgroup is valid but
the current article number is invalid, a 420 response MUST be returned.
Notes:
RFC 3977 does not define the response code to answer when the third form of ARTICLE, BODY, HDR, HEAD, OVER, and STAT is used while the current article number is valid but does not exist. It is in fact 423: this response code is used by the NNTP reference implementation, as well as major widely used current implementations like INN.
All these commands define that when the argument (or the second argument for HDR) is omitted, the current article number is used.
If 420 is used instead of 423 for that case, RFC 3977 becomes inconsistent regarding the notion of an "invalid current article number", specially for the NEXT and LAST commands. That's why the 423 response code needs to be sent when the current article number is valid but does not exist.
Note that this erratum also takes into account the previously reported erratum 1524.
--VERIFIER NOTES--
Section 6.2.1.2 paragraph 6 says "a previously valid article number
MAY become invalid if the article has been removed". Therefore the correct
response in the situation being addressed would be 420, not 423.
This could be a case that might be considered if the document is updated, but certainly it's not a simple error in the document.