kip@arcadia.mi.us (Kip DeGraaf) (08/19/90)
Is anyone out there interested in seeing another archive site start up? I've been asked to find out. The configuration would start out as 4 gigabytes devoted to public domain software and archives of the major source and binary groups. Depending on the interests and needs of the net community, this would grow. The initial interface would be via ftp, but mail server and uucp are possibilities. I've also been asked to find out if archive servers/sites in general cause problems for network adminstrators. Do sites like Simtel20 and wuarchive.wustl.edu (just to name two) cause heavy network loads that adminstrators would rather not see. Please send all replies and questions to stroup@cs.wmich.edu
mfc@medoc.ec.bull.fr (Matt.Caprile) (08/30/90)
In article <70@arcadia.mi.us> you write: > >Is anyone out there interested in seeing another archive site start up? > >I've been asked to find out. The configuration would start out as 4 >gigabytes devoted to public domain software and archives of the major >source and binary groups. Depending on the interests and needs of >the net community, this would grow. The initial interface would be >via ftp, but mail server and uucp are possibilities. > >I've also been asked to find out if archive servers/sites in general cause >problems for network adminstrators. Do sites like Simtel20 and >wuarchive.wustl.edu (just to name two) cause heavy network loads that >adminstrators would rather not see. I don't have any facts on load statistics I think that it would be a good idea to add another archive server, the more the merrier. IMHO, the biggest plus would be a server that kept the most up-to-date version of stuff, but this implies ALOT more work than just collecting stuff. a few ideas: a. mail & BFTP (Batch File Transfer Protocol) & uucp archive servers are less prevalent, and more needed [in my opinion]. Especially those that accept a request via mail for REMOTE files, does a Batch ftp transfer a 3 AM, and mails the reply back (uuencoding the file if necessary) b. the net could stand a bit of "order out of the chaos". - There are numerous ftp sites with duplicate entries, etc. It is impossible to tell from the date of the file if it is recent or not, since it might have been ftp'd recently (uploaded), even though the version is a few years old. - It would be nice if an effort was made on a particular archive server to keep an up-to-date version of "packages". This would entail (among other things): + trying to contact the author(s) of packages to find out what the most recent version is, and only carrying that one. + to get a list of "packages" to carry, a good place to start would be the anon-ftp list that is mailed out about every month. + a good "organisation" on disk. I prefer organisation by type of product: pub usenet games telecomm mail network / | | | \ comp.sources.sun moria uucp sendmail KA9Q comp.sources.unix hack kermit elm VMTP comp.sources.x zmodem mush - - - just my two cents worth.... matt caprile -- Matt.Caprile@ec.bull.fr (or {uunet!}inria!ec.bull.fr!Matt.Caprile) Bull S.A. 1, rue de Provence phone : +33 76 39 77 52 B.P. 208 fax : +33 76 39 75 18 38432 Echirolles CEDEX telex : 980 648 F FRANCE