jeff@cjsa.WA.COM (C. Jeffery Small) (10/22/88)
We are running the HDB version of uucp and friends on our 3B1/UNIX-PC. I just discovered a serious problem which I was hoping some of you (who also run this version of the software) could verify. When specifying the source-file component of a uucp request, uucp complains with the error message "illegal syntax <path>" if the source-file path contains more than one machine_name in the specification. What is particularly confusing about this is that the destination-file path does not exhibit this restriction! Some examples should make this clearer. Assume that you are connected to "mach1" which has the file "/usr/spool/uucppublic/M1". Also assume that "mach1" is connected to "mach2" which has the file "/usr/spool/uucppublic/M2". Finally, assume that your machine contains the file "/usr/spool/uucppublic/XX" The following commands all work: uucp ~uucp/XX mach1!~uucp/XX # (send local file to mach1) uucp ~uucp/XX mach1!mach2!~uucp/XX # (send local file to mach2) uucp mach1!~uucp/M1 ~uucp/M1 # (pickup file from mach1) But the following command results in the uucp error message: uucp mach1!mach2!~uucp/M2 ~uucp/M2 # (pickup file from mach2) There appears to be a bug in the uucp command which doesn't allow it to process source-file specifications properly. Note that this problem does not occur if you use the standard supplied uucp - only the HDB version. Since AT&T has not elected to support this product, the Hotline doesn't even want to discuss this problem. So my question: Can anyone else running HDB verify this problem, and short of removing HDB from the system, is there a workaround for retrieving files with multiple machine hops? Thanks for any insights. -- Jeffery Small (206) 485-5596 uw-beaver!uw-nsr!uw-warp C. Jeffery Small and Associates !cjsa!jeff 19112 152nd Ave NE - Woodinville, WA 98072 uunet!nwnexus
andy@rbdc.UUCP (Andy Pitts) (10/23/88)
In article <137@cjsa.WA.COM> jeff@cjsa.WA.COM (C. Jeffery Small) writes: >We are running the HDB version of uucp and friends on our 3B1/UNIX-PC. I >just discovered a serious problem which I was hoping some of you (who also >run this version of the software) could verify. > >[...] >But the following command results in the uucp error message: > > uucp mach1!mach2!~uucp/M2 ~uucp/M2 # (pickup file from mach2) > > I have not tried this, but I have had other attempts to forward files through an intermediate system fail. The manual page for HDB warns that file forwarding is not compatible with earlier versions of uucp. I would check and see if all the systems you are trying to access are using HDB. If not, you might try something really strange like: uux mach1!uucp mach2!~uucp/M2 \(yoursys!~uucp/M2\) Of course mach1 must allow your system to execute uucp in its Permissions file. -- Andy Pitts andy@rbdc.UUCP : "The giant Gorf was hit in one eye by a stone, bakerst!rbdc!andy : and that eye turned inward so that it looked kd4nc!gladys!rbdc!andy : into his mind and he died of what he saw there." pacbell!gladys!rbdc!andy : --_The Forgotten Beast of Eld_, McKillip--
jbm@uncle.UUCP (John B. Milton) (10/24/88)
In article <137@cjsa.WA.COM> jeff@cjsa.WA.COM (C. Jeffery Small) writes: ... >But the following command results in the uucp error message: > > uucp mach1!mach2!~uucp/M2 ~uucp/M2 # (pickup file from mach2) Just a guess -------------^---------^ You may be having local shell ~ interpretation problems. Try absolute. John -- John Bly Milton IV, jbm@uncle.UUCP, n8emr!uncle!jbm@osu-cis.cis.ohio-state.edu home (614) 294-4823, work (614) 764-4272; Send vi tricks, I'm making a manual
jeff@cjsa.WA.COM (Jeffery Small) (10/26/88)
This is a summary followup to my previous posting requesting help in getting HDB uucp to allow multi-hop specifications in the source-file path description. First of all, thanks to everyone who responded. The bottom line is: 1: Although this was not directly related to the problem, many people pointed out that multi-hop uucp requests are going to fail unless you have permission to execute uucp on the remote machines. It's good to keep this in mind. 2: The manual page for the original uucp distributed with OS 3.51 and earlier states that multi-hop specifications are allowed and the Hotline verified that this does indeed work. I point this out for those who thought this was impossible or not documented. 3: For those who suggested I RTFM, I must point out that there was no documentation supplied with the HDB distribution for the unix-pc. Since there is nothing I would like better, if there is there a kind soul who has the HDB man pages and would be willing to send me a (photo or electronic) copy, please drop me a note so we could make the appropriate arrangements. 4: So, is the HDB uucp behavior a bug or a feature? I contacted Peter Honeyman and his reply was: > "this is not a bug, it was a conscious decision on the part of dan, > ber, and myself." Case closed! ... well almost. While I can understand the real-world limitations of multi-hop uucp requests and the reasons for the mods during the rewrite of uucp, there are some cases where it does make sense to allow this behavior. For example, I have a string of secure unix-pc machines, all with rs232 connections to one-another. Since I allow uucp command permission between these machines, it seems reasonable that I be able to make requests for file copy from any machine to any other machine. You are now prohibited from doing this [directly]. 5: And finally, is there a workaround? "Use mail" was suggested a number of times and a thanks to Brant Cheikes, who offered the following idea: > "I suspect that the proper thing to do is construct a uux command > that executes a uucp command on the remote system to uucp the desired > file to the local host, and then once that file has arrived, uucp's it > on the the desired destination. It's probably going to look crufty, > but it will probably work if all the intervening Permissions are set > right (and the remote system includes "uucp" in its COMMANDS line of > the Permissions file). So that's the whole story. Thanks again to everyone who contributed to my better understanding of what was going on. -- Jeffery Small (206) 485-5596 uw-beaver!uw-nsr!uw-warp C. Jeffery Small and Associates !cjsa!jeff 19112 152nd Ave NE - Woodinville, WA 98072 uunet!nwnexus