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The Unofficial SUPER Gravity Page

Page date: March 07, 2004

Super Gravity is the unofficial version 2.6 of the Gravity usenet news reader that can show complete multi-part binaries and provides numerous enhancements. The developer is Albert Choy (aka Al), formerly of MicroPlanet.

There is now a complete install available for the latest build 2060. See the Downloads for a direct link.

The latest unofficial version is 2.6 build 2060.

• [+] NEW - "Repair URL" command (right click in article pane) allows you to send a wrapped URL to the browser. (works on Message IDs in full header view also) Useage: Highlight the entire URL - right click - select "Repair URL"

• [+] NEW - X-Face support

• [+] NEW - Check box to turn on/off X-Faces Command: View - Global Options - Display - Show X-Faces

• [+] NEW - "Decode to" command overrides the decode directories Command: "Article - Decode to .."

• [+] NEW - "Back to Draft" command sends an article from the Outbox back to the draft folder for re-editing. It is intended to replace the "Back to Editing" button that was in earlier versions

• [-] FIXED - URL highlighting works as it did before. Copying an URL with the mouse does not cause the link to open the browser

• [-] FIXED - Created date in draft message window

• Read changes in previous builds

• Read the Release Notes

• Read changes in changes.txt

WARNING: Database format change! Beginning with build 2056 the database is not backward compatible! You should save a backup! If you want to go back to a previous build, you will have to restore the backup.

LINKS	FEATURES	SCREEN SHOTS	USAGE AND EXAMPLES
	ABOUT	DOWNLOAD	INSTALL INSTRUCTIONS
	WARNINGS	RELEASE NOTES	INSTALL PROBLEMS

8-Bit or Quoted Printable?

Some news readers cannot decode Quoted Printable (QP). You should set Super Gravity to send raw 8-bit, unless you really want to post QP. Note that French news groups use 8-bit settings. If you post to the fr.* groups you should definitely set 8-bit. The settings are located in View - Global Options - Encoding Gravity will set Content-Type and Content-Encoding headers for you.

Previous Builds 2046 - 2057

• Changed - Gravity now accepts y n m g from the List Command (2057) There was a problem with Hamster and gatewayed groups (Gravity did not accept g)
• Gravity sends User-Agent header instead of X-Newsreader, with the version/build number (2057)
• Added commas to the line count (2057)
• Adds settings to link different signatures to any newsgroup (2056)
• Fixes some bugs in the RFC 2047 encoding/decoding
• Adds settings to bypass RFC 2047 encoding and send raw 8 bit (2056) This works like Gravity did before and some groups, such as the french groups, use raw 8 bit. If you don't want to send Quoted Printable you should set the 8 bit settings.
• Fixed the spelling and "Gravity Lite" Bug in 2051 (2056)
• Fixed the Bozo Bin crash
• Adds Source View (2056)
• Added RFC 2047 (ISO-8859-xx) encoding to Subject and From headers if 8 bit characters are used (note: build 2056 fixes a few RC 2047 bugs that were in these older builds)
• Fixed the re-edit draft bug in Build 2046
• Changes in some of the character set tables
• Fixed the manual decode function
• Sends News URLs to Google
• Complete install package available
• Export or append Out Box messages to text files
• Other New FEATURES

FEATURES

Super Gravity Enhancements.

• MIME RFC 2047 encoding/decoding for ISO-8859-xx

• Setting to over ride RFC 2047 and send raw 8 bit characters

• Set different signatures for Newsgroups

• Export or append Out Box messages to text files (build 2046)

• News URLs are sent to Google (build 2043)

• SMTP authentication (build 2036)

• Improved handing of ISO-8859-1 and umlauts in headers (build 2035). [ screenshot ]

• yEnc decoding (build 2034) (decoding only)

• Shows complete multi-part binaries [ 2 screenshots ]

• Quick filter dialogue - To use the new Quick Filter dialogue: Type "/" or "CONTROL Q" (no quotes). To restore your display press the function key "F5" when Gravity has the focus. [ screenshot ]

• A speed meter. It measures the throughput every 5 seconds. The display reports the average speed over the last 60 seconds. [ screenshot ]

• You can copy a filter

You might want to check the unofficial release notes for the latest information, bugs, and fixes.

ABOUT

!! Thanks Al !!

Gravity is freeware. You are free to use Gravity with no strings attached, and Gravity comes with no advertisements or banners. After MicroPlanet ceased operations Al graciously donated his own time to provide numerous enhancements and bug fixes. You are under no obligation to do so, but if you are able, please consider sending a donation to Al's PayPal Link

Screen Shots

1. ISO-8859-1 header handling (build 2035) (12.1 KB)
2. Complete binaries - full Screen Shot (28.1 KB)
3. Complete binaries - partial Screen Shot (10.6 KB)
4. Quick Filter Dialogue and Speed Meter

WARNINGS AND ISSUES

Please understand that these are un-official versions. Download and use at your own risk. These are not official releases. MicroPlanet no longer supports Gravity, but copyright and licensing still apply. There is no guarantee that Al or anyone will continue to fix bugs or further develop these versions. Please read the issues before downloading.

Super Gravity Version 2.6 is widely used and should not be any less stable than earlier official releases. I have not received reports of problems different from the official versions since the "Super" series started. At this time (3/07/04) there have been more than 120,000 download attempts. I personally have not had any problems with Windows 98 SE, P III 933, 256M RAM. I also test on Win2k Pro. But check the release notes for bug updates.

Warning! When using a Complete_Binaries filter, Gravity's rules do not 'see' the total lines count. The 'lines' rule condition applies to individual articles. Example: If you make a rule to delete articles less than 50,000 lines in size you will delete all of your articles!

• Gravity's online Help has not been updated to include the Super Gravity features or changes. It may never be updated.

• Be careful when using line numbers with rules. Rules do not see the total line counts with complete binaries. The rule condition continues to apply to the individual article lines.

• FIXED in Build 2046! Manual decode does not always work. You should still be able to force a manual decode for single part binaries that are posted as a series with subject lines like 4/57. However, you cannot apply the trick of decoding the first xxx parts of an mpg. Subsequent versions may or may not fix this.

• You can make the Complete Binaries filter act more like Agent's by selecting "Include entire thread if any article matches filter" when you create a filters to show unread complete articles. (otherwise, if your first part is read and others are available the binary may not show up as complete).

• Al told me he threads by message ID only (strict threading). I sometimes thread by subject and ID and haven't had much trouble. With strict threading (by ID only) you may find some threads with the same subject broken apart.

• There are no icons showing the complete binaries. You don't need them, the Complete Binaries filter only shows complete binaries. But you may also see smaller single part binaries and small text posts.

DOWNLOAD

Which file(s) to download?

Case 1: If you do not have Gravity installed on your system and are installing for the first time download the setup program. Unzip and run the installer. After installation set Gravity to post 8-bit (Read more)

Download setup2060.zip - 2.42 MB

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Case 2: You have Gravity 2.3 or 2.5 installed on your system, or you are currently using Super Gravity:

Download super2060.zip - 1.11 MB (executable only)

If you are upgrading from Version 2.5 or a build before 2046 you should check that you have the registry fix for proper URL recognition.

Also note the database change. Builds 2052 and higher share a common database format that is not compatible with earlier versions. You should backup your database in case you want to go back.

Alternate Download Locations Super Gravity Version 2.6 Download Servers
Download Directories (all versions)
Speckz.com	Speckz HTTP (preferred server)
Freeshell Directory	Freeshell HTTP
ProHosting	ProHosting HTTP
View a list of changes in changes.txt
If your browser tries to open the zip files rather than download the files: Right click on one of the links and select "save target as .." or " save link as .."

INSTALLATION

1. If you downloaded the full install - unzip the install program and run it. If the install is successful you are finished. You should set Gravity to post 8-bit. Follow this link for more information.

2. If you are not using the new installer you MUST have Gravity version 2.3, 2.5, or 2.6 installed before using Super Gravity.

   The file named gravity.exe in the Super Gravity zip files named superxxxx.zip is not an installation program. It is a replacement for the gravity.exe file in your current Gravity program directory. You must extract the file and put it in the directory manually.

   To install Super Gravity 2.6 on top of version 2.5 or to update an existing Super Gravity build, download super20xx.zip, extract the file named gravity.exe and place it in your Gravity program directory, replacing the current executable.

   If you get a "missing _gravmon.dll" error, it usually means that you are trying to run Super Gravity without having version 2.3, 2.5, or 2.6 installed.

   Notes
   
   

   • Rename or make a backup of gravity.exe in the Gravity program folder so that you can revert back to your current version if you want to. (Be aware that the database saved by Build 2056 is not backward compatible with previous versions)

   • To restore your previous version simply replace gravity.exe with the original file (see, I told you to backup).

   NOTE: You don't really need to replace gravity.exe. There can be several Gravity executables in the program directory. You can rename the executables and make shortcuts to each. The only minor problem that arises is that Gravity won't be able to find the help file. But you can specify that manually.

   INSTALL PROBLEMS

   • Make sure you are not trying to run Super Gravity "gravity.exe" in the super20xx.zip file as an install program - read the instructions again

   • Win2K and WinXP - You may not be able to install Gravity in the default "C:\Program Files\Gravity" location unless you have administrator rights. But you should be able to install to another directory. The main thing is that you have write permission for the directory.

   • Win2K and WinXP - On some systems the installer will not run. You might get it to run by setting the compatibility mode to an older windows version. I think you can right click the executable and set the mode.

     There is an optionally-installed application bundled with Windows XP. This application is referred to as the "Windows Compatibility Engine" and provides for compatibility with older - 16 bit - applications. If you elected not to install the compatibility program with XP Gravity may not install.

   • ZoneAlarm or other firewall applications will warn you that Gravity has changed - well it has, so ignore the warnings and give Gravity permission.

   • If you are trying to run the old Version 2.5 installer, it may hang at the splash screen. Usually running the Version 2.3 installer works.

   • I have reports from Windows ME users that they get a "missing _gravmon.dll" issue. First make sure you understood the installation instructions. This usually happens because you do not have Version 2.3, 2.5, or 2.6 installed. If that fails read this for a possible solution.

USAGE

To view complete binaries:

1. Set Gravity to thread by message ID only in "Global Options" - "Display" (Actually, I quit doing this and thread by ID and subject).

2. Create a filter. The name MUST begin with "Complete_Binaries" (without the quotes).

3. You can add other conditions to the filter and create more filters but you MUST always start the filter name with "Complete_Binaries." You can create as many complete binary filters as you wish.

4. Switch to one of your "Complete_Binaries" filters

You can create more than one filter and combine the usual filtering functions like read/unread sorting, etc. And all of your old filters should work exactly as before.

When viewing the thread display with one of your new "Complete_Binaries" filters, the 'Lines" column will now show the sum of all parts. You can even sort on the lines column. Cool ... eh?

Quick Filter

To use the new Quick Filter dialogue: Type "/" or "CONTROL Q" (no quotes). To restore your display press the function key "F5" when Gravity has the focus. Note that canceling retains the search string. Killing the dialogue clears the string.

EXAMPLES

Remember that the only requirement is to use "Complete_Binaries" as the prefix for your filter name. Then you can mix and match the other filter conditions. Also, you may get better effects in groups that contain multi-part posts if you select "Include entire thread if any article matches filter" when you create your filter. Sometimes this doesn't help in groups that are primarily single posts.

  EXAMPLE 1: For multi-part groups

    Filter: 'Complete_Binaries-Unread'

    check "include entire thread"

  EXAMPLE 2: Show All complete binaries

    Filter: 'Complete_Binaries'

    This filter should show all complete articles


  EXAMPLE 3: You want to show only the larger binaries
             while filtering out small stuff.

    Filter: 'Complete_Binaries-large'

    Unread articles
    And
       (
       Lines > 200
       )

  EXAMPLE 4: You want to see only complete .mpg or .avi movie files
             and not include rar or split files

    Filter:  Complete_Binaries-mpg

    Start with "All articles"
    Hit the "Advanced" button and enter this as a regular expression

	Subject contains reg. expr. "\.(avi|mpg)[^\.]"

These are simple, of course you can set up any number of conditions. After using the filters for a while I find my favorite is to use Example 1 and then click the subject heading to sort various ways, or use the Quick Filter.

To keep the database small, after I have browsed the group, I switch to a complete binaries filter and hit CONTROL A (select all) and DELETE. This gets rid of all the complete ones but leaves the incompletes in case more parts come in. Then I manually compact.

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