ritzenth@bgsuvax.UUCP (Phil Ritzenthaler) (12/23/87)
I saw this in comp.sys.zenith.z100 and would like to comment on it: >In case you missed the update, Steve Grandi has an excellent Xmodem >for 4.2/4.3 BSD Unix. It is available via standard anonymous FTP from >SIMTEL20 as: > >Filename Type Bytes CRC > >Directory PD2:<UNIX.XMODEM> >XMODEM34.SHAR.1 ASCII 84452 D010H > >The xmodem program implements the Christensen (XMODEM) file transfer >protocol for moving files between 4.2/4.3BSD Unix systems and >microcomputers. The XMODEM/CRC protocol, the MODEM7 batch protocol, >the XMODEM-1K block protocol and the YMODEM batch protocol are all >supported by xmodem. I have been looking for a BETTER xmodem package for our Unix systems. Now that it seems available, it isn't. I think the archives on SIMTEL20 are great . . . If I could only have access to them! There are still some of us in the world that are NOT connected to the Internet (sigh . . .) and therefore have NO access to all of the wonderful things on it (like SIMTEL20 or Columbia (Kermit)). Could some kind soul(?) PLEASE post some of these programs of importance? Look, no flames . . . just frustration . . . Phil Ritzenthaler |USnail: University Computer Services Computer Graphics Research Consultant | 241 Math-Science Bldg. UUCP :.!cbosgd!osu-cis!bgsuvax!ritzenth | Bowling Green State University CSNET: ritzenth@bgsu.edu | Bowling Green, OH 43403-0125 ARPA : ritzenth%bgsu.edu@relay.cs.net | Phone: (419) 372-2102
emike@richp1.UUCP (E. Mike Durbin) (12/29/87)
In article <1482@bgsuvax.UUCP> ritzenth@bgsuvax.UUCP (Phil Ritzenthaler) writes: > I think the archives on SIMTEL20 are great . . . > >If I could only have access to them! There are still some of us in the world >that are NOT connected to the Internet (sigh . . .) and therefore have NO >access to all of the wonderful things on it (like SIMTEL20 or Columbia >(Kermit)). > >Could some kind soul(?) PLEASE post some of these programs of importance? > How about a UUCP server, something like the XSTUFF server for the X Window System patchs, where you send a mail message with a subject line of Subject: SEND this and it does! Please! If SIMTEL20 has gone to the trouble of archiving all this software, could someone else make it available to the UUCP community. (Ideally, this "server" could anonymous FTP anywhere and return a [uuencoded? ARCed? compressed?] UUCP message). Could UUNET do this? Someone? Please? -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ...!cuuxb \ E. M. Durbin !richp1!emike Rich Inc. ...!ihnp4!laidbak!spl1 / Chicago
rsalz@bbn.com (Rich Salz) (12/29/87)
[ It's the Holiday season, time for some bad news. :-] >>Could some kind soul(?) PLEASE post some of these programs of importance? >How about a UUCP server, something like the XSTUFF server for the X Window >System patchs, where you send a mail message with a subject line of > Subject: SEND this >and it does! Note that basically all they send is patches, and if they're using Brian Reid's code to implement the server then there is some very tight load-limiting being done. >Please! If SIMTEL20 has gone to the trouble of archiving all this software, >could someone else make it available to the UUCP community. Well, technically they went to the trouble to make it available to the ARPA community (now the Internet), and not the entire world. At one point they had a mail-based service, but it overloaded their machine (A DEC-20). Also, seismo had a special line in their sendmail.cf to explicitly punt UUCP mail originating from SIMTEL... > (Ideally, this "server" could anonymous FTP anywhere and > return a [uuencoded? ARCed? compressed?] UUCP message). >Could UUNET do this? Someone? Please? You've got a basic misunderstanding here, I think. You can only FTP among sites on the Internet (FTP on a LAN is boring and doesn't count :-). If you can do that, you don't need the server. Or, are you asking that the server know all the archives everywhere, and FTP and pick up the right software from the right source? Ouch! Who could maintain such a database? It's an impossible task. Finally, we come to the big question: who pays? Sure, I suppose uunet could bring up Brian's archive-server, but all it would take is for one or two people -- say in Canada, California, and England -- to all say "send me hack and xtrek" and bang! lots of people would get pretty annoyed: all those people along the way who paid good long-distance money to send you sources they have no interest in. I'm not saying everyone's a Scrooge, and that no one wants to help out a friend. I am just pointing out how easy it is for a system to get overused, if not abused, so greatly that it becomes too expensive to maintain. I speak from the experience of watching several archives (csnet, Reid's, and a former mail-based mod.sources archive) and helping out with others (the comp.sources.unix archive sites, e.g.). What can be done? Not much, but here's a couple of points. Forget about any chance of a free ride. Hoard all the software you find, always, and remember the other guy: post announcements of what you have and make it available. Set up a public-access Unix machine or BBS and see if you can make arrangements with SIMTEL to get a copy, under the promise that you'll always make the archives freely available to anyone who calls you. Wait for the Usenix software tape, which will contain about 20Meg of the net.sources, comp.sources.unix, mod.sources, comp.sources.misc, and other random things like X. /rich $alz, moderator of comp.sources.unix -- For comp.sources.unix stuff, mail to sources@uunet.uu.net.
mason@tmsoft.UUCP (Dave Mason) (12/30/87)
In article <41@richp1.UUCP> emike@richp1.UUCP (E. Mike Durbin) writes: >In article <1482@bgsuvax.UUCP> ritzenth@bgsuvax.UUCP (Phil Ritzenthaler) writes: >> I think the archives on SIMTEL20 are great . . . >>If I could only have access to them! There are still some of us in the world >>that are NOT connected to the Internet (sigh . . .) and therefore have NO >>access to all of the wonderful things on it (like SIMTEL20 or Columbia >Could UUNET do this? Someone? Please? My understanding is that uunet will do something like this. *IF* you connect DIRECTLY to them. The net isn't free (nor fixed-cost), and sending this volume of data over other people's phone lines definitely fits in the category of anti-social. ../Dave
gnu@hoptoad.uucp (John Gilmore) (12/30/87)
> >Please! If SIMTEL20 has gone to the trouble of archiving all this software, > >could someone else make it available to the UUCP community. The management at SIMTEL20 is investigating the use of "gnuucp" on their (TOPS-20) machine to offer archive access to uucp sites by direct phone call to New Mexico. (They are definitely NOT on PC Pursuit!) Don't joggle their elbows though; I'm sure that if and when it works, you'll hear about it! -- {pyramid,ptsfa,amdahl,sun,ihnp4}!hoptoad!gnu gnu@toad.com I forsee a day when there are two kinds of C compilers: standard ones and useful ones ... just like Pascal and Fortran. Are we making progress yet? -- ASC:GUTHERY%slb-test.csnet
w8sdz@brl-smoke.ARPA (Keith B. Petersen ) (01/09/88)
[Note: In the following discussion, if you are not on BITNET
substitute the address LISTSERV@CICGE.RPI.EDU for the address shown.]
Help information for the PDGET command
*****************************************************************
Selected portions of the SIMTEL20 public domain software archives
are available via a file server at RPICICGE.BITNET. At present the
collections include the following directories:
PD1:<CPM.*> -- The Info-CPM archive (CP/M machines)
PD1:<SIGM.*> -- The SIG/M User Group archive (CP/M machines)
PD1:<MISC.*> -- The Miscellaneous archives
PD1:<MSDOS.*> -- The IBM-PC/MSDOS archives
PD1:<PC-BLUE.*> -- The PC-Blue User Group archive (MSDOS machines)
Planned:
PD:<CPMUG.*> -- The CP/M User Group archive.
Any of the files in these collections are available from the file
server LISTSERV@RPICICGE.BITNET. The server responds to two commands.
/PDDIR requests a directory listing of files available in an archive,
and /PDGET requests a file from an archive. The file server accepts
commands in both interactive messages or RFC822-style mail. (On
VM and MVS Bitnet hosts, TELL LISTSERV AT RPICICGE... can be used to
send an interactive message. Other Bitnet systems may have similar
facilities. People on non-Bitnet systems must use the mail interface,
and must insure that the From: header represents a valid return path.)
****Note: The server actually responds to many, many other commands,
but none of them have anything to do with the archives.
The two commands have the following form:
/PDGET <format> simtel.filename < ( encoding >
/PDDIR simtel.pattern
The <...> mark things that are optional.
* "simtel.filename" specifies the name of a file to be delivered to the
user. Names are usually of the form "PD:<dir.subdir>name.type"
* "simtel.pattern" specifies a search pattern used in generating a
directory listing. The form of the pattern is like the filename
mentioned above, but asterisks (*) may be used freely in the
subdir, name, and type parts as wild cards (but not in the dir field.)
* "format" specifies the method of transmission to be used:
NETDATA -- suitable for transfer to Bitnet hosts that can accept
files in IBM Netdata format.
PUNCH -- suitable for transfer to Bitnet hosts that can accept
files but cannot decode the Netdata format. Files
are sent as 80-byte card-images.
MAIL -- suitable for transfer to hosts that can accept only
mail or are accessible to Bitnet only through gateways.
Large files sent via mail are split into several
smaller files that the recipient must reassemble.
If the format is omitted, NETDATA is assumed for Bitnet hosts
and MAIL for all others.
* "encoding" specifies any special encoding of the file data:
ASIS -- suitable for hosts that can receive binary data. The
file is sent exactly as it is stored on my system:
CP/M sector images, binary mostly. ASIS may be used
only with format NETDATA.
UUENCODE -- suitable for hosts that cannot receive binary data.
The file is sent uuencoded.
TRANSLATE -- suitable for any host, but only when the file actually
represents readable text. The file is translated into
character data format.
If the encoding is omitted, files are sent ASIS if the transmission
format is NETDATA, and UUENCODEd otherwise.
/PDDIR Examples:
================
(1) The user is looking for the ARC programs.
/PDDIR PD:<MSDOS.*>ARC*.*
(2) The user wants a listing of the full MSDOS collection.
/PDDIR PD:<MSDOS>
/PDGET Examples:
================
In each of the following examples the user wants the -FILES.DOC file to
examine on his host and the PKX35A35.EXE file to download to his micro,
both from the MSDOS collection. Note that none of the examples have a
closing parenthesis!
(1) The user is on an IBM host directly connected to Bitnet:
/PDGET NETDATA PD:<MSDOS.STARTER>-FILES.DOC (TRANSLATE
/PDGET NETDATA PD:<MSDOS.ARC-LBR>PKX35A35.EXE
(2) The user is on a non-IBM host directly connected to Bitnet and can
receive Netdata files:
/PDGET NETDATA PD:<MSDOS.STARTER>-FILES.DOC (TRANSLATE
/PDGET NETDATA PD:<MSDOS.ARC-LBR>PKX35A35.EXE (UUE
(3) The user is on a non-IBM host directly connected to Bitnet and can
receive punch files:
/PDGET PUNCH PD:<MSDOS.STARTER>-FILES.DOC (TRANSLATE
/PDGET PUNCH PD:<MSDOS.ARC-LBR>PKX35A35.EXE (UUE
(4) The user is on some host somewhere:
/PDGET MAIL PD:<MSDOS.STARTER>-FILES.DOC (TRANSLATE
/PDGET MAIL PD:<MSDOS.ARC-LBR>PKX35A35.EXE (UUE
--
Keith Petersen
Arpa: W8SDZ@SIMTEL20.ARPA
Uucp: {bellcore,decwrl,harvard,lll-crg,ucbvax,uw-beaver}!simtel20.arpa!w8sdz
GEnie: W8SDZ