You sure Frank actually reads this echo ?

FM> Yep, exactly same symptom (but I haven't tried your workaround).
FM> To my mind, *my* workaround (not zipping the indexes into the QWK)
FM> strongly suggests PKT2QWK as the culprit, 'cos MESSAGES is OK but
FM> the indexes aren't.

RS> Yes, but it doesnt explain why processing the individual archive files
RS> of PKTs each in their own run does not. THATs the bit of evidence which
RS> made me think that PKTJOIN was the more likely culprit. Atleast in my case.

PE> Was your case just after you became a point?

Nope, it was a while ago, but not that early on.

PE> My system was in dire straits at that time, and I was sending out
PE> invalid packets.

They looked ok and InspectA didnt object to them either. And that doesnt
explain why processing individual archive files of PKTs per run instead
of the more usual 2 or 3 per run did work fine.

OTOH it wouldnt surprise me at all if you were producing dud PKTs that
a situation which processed the dud PKT last of a set of PKTs would
work, and when that dud PKT ended up with other PKTs after it resulted
in a combined PKT which resulted in a dud QWK. Or various variations on
that theme.

PE> PKTJOIN would have produced invalid packets too, via the GIGO logic
PE> I include in all my programs.

Yep, which would indeed then be adequately described as a PKTJOIN bug or
defect.

FM> Sure, but I think the problem is in PKT2QWK.

RS> Without much evidence tho.

FM> The indexes are fucked but MESSAGES are OK.

RS> That doesnt prove a damned thing about it being a bug in PKT2QWK.

FM> The indexes are created by PKT2QWK.

RS> Using info which it gets elsewhere. So whatever affects that info
RS> it uses, can be the cause of the dud NDX too.

PE> Using info that PKT2QWK read.  The packets themselves don't have
PE> ANY index data in there.

Sure, I know that. But a blemish in the combined PKT could easily be
what triggers PKT2QWK to stuff up its NDXs.

PE> That means PKTJOIN is let off the hook completely.

Nope.

FM> Therefore PKT2QWK is fucked

RS> Nope.

FM> (either internally or because it's grabbing some stuff I've left
FM> lying around). That's my evidence.

RS> Its useless.

PE> Frank's analysis is perfectly correct.

Nope. You can chant this mantra as much as you like Paul, wont make it
come true tho.

--- PQWK202