[comp.unix.sysv386] System V/386 groff distribution

mhoffos@janus.mtroyal.ab.ca (01/13/91)

In article <6877@crash.cts.com>, jca@pnet01.cts.com (John C. Archambeau) writes:
> mauro@netcom.UUCP (Mauro DePalma) writes:
>> So far I received 3 mail messages which pretty much condemn my actions
>> and 7 which applaud them.
> 
> Make that four.
Add my vote to the applause.

> 
>> I know very well that it is expensive to receive news; I also cannot
>> individually e-mail this distribution. There was a need for it judging
>> from the number of articles posted asking for a 'working' groff
>>
>>   I knew that I wouldn't make everyone happy, I don't even try.
> 
> Instead of cluttering the discussion with it, you could have said it was
> available for anonymous ftp on a site.  That would have made a majority of the
> people here happy.
> 
>      // JCA
> 
>  /*
>  **--------------------------------------------------------------------------*
>  ** Flames  : /dev/null                     | What to buy?
>  ** ARPANET : crash!pnet01!jca@nosc.mil     | EISA or MCA?
>  ** INTERNET: jca@pnet01.cts.com            | When will the bus wars end?
>  ** UUCP    : {nosc ucsd hplabs!hp-sdd}!crash!pnet01!jca
>  **--------------------------------------------------------------------------*
>  */


Just as a matter of record, FTP sites are just about *non-existent* in Canada
(relative to the number of computer sites here; as an aside how many of you
know that Calgary has more computers/CPUs per capita than any other city in the
world?) due to the overwhelming costs in maintaining the lines etc.  Perhaps 
there should be a site that has both FTP and dial-in access (uunet is
prohibitively expensive for most human beings).

Mike Hoffos
--
mhoffos@janus.mtroyal.ab.ca
(MRC is a community college in Calgary)

Disclaimer:	Mount Royal College doesn't speak for me, and I *certainly*
		don't speak for them.

jca@pnet01.cts.com (John C. Archambeau) (01/14/91)

mhoffos@janus.mtroyal.ab.ca writes:
>Just as a matter of record, FTP sites are just about *non-existent* in Canada
>(relative to the number of computer sites here; as an aside how many of you
>know that Calgary has more computers/CPUs per capita than any other city in the
>world?) due to the overwhelming costs in maintaining the lines etc.  Perhaps 
>there should be a site that has both FTP and dial-in access (uunet is
>prohibitively expensive for most human beings).

Then use the BITFTP server bitftp@pucc.princeton.edu.  It'll get it for you,
uuencode it and break it up into mail managable sized uuencoded chunks.

All you need to access BITFTP is a UUCP connection.  Simple.  I'll buy
ignorance cluttering up the net once.

     // JCA

 /*
 **--------------------------------------------------------------------------*
 ** Flames  : /dev/null                     | What to buy?
 ** ARPANET : crash!pnet01!jca@nosc.mil     | EISA or MCA?
 ** INTERNET: jca@pnet01.cts.com            | When will the bus wars end?
 ** UUCP    : {nosc ucsd hplabs!hp-sdd}!crash!pnet01!jca
 **--------------------------------------------------------------------------*
 */

luis@mavrick.UUCP (luis basto) (01/14/91)

In article <1991Jan13.010710.4714@janus.mtroyal.ab.ca>, mhoffos@janus.mtroyal.ab.ca writes:
> In article <6877@crash.cts.com>, jca@pnet01.cts.com (John C. Archambeau) writes:
> > mauro@netcom.UUCP (Mauro DePalma) writes:
> >> So far I received 3 mail messages which pretty much condemn my actions
> >> and 7 which applaud them.
> > 
> > Make that four.
> Add my vote to the applause.

Add one more vote to the applause.

Risking the possibility of being flamed, may I suggest an alternative to
posting programs in this group?

Is there any reason why they cannot be posted to comp.unix.sources or even
alt.sources? Now, someone may want to post binaries since they are compatible
across most 386 Unixes which would disqualify them in the sources groups.
The volume may not be enough yet but someday we can have a
comp.unix.sources.sysix86 or comp.binaries.unix.sysix86. This ought to cover
the 486, 586, etc.

--
Luis Basto
Work: (512) 823-1893
Usenet: ...!cs.utexas.edu!mavrick!luis

james@bigtex.cactus.org (James Van Artsdalen) (01/14/91)

In <1991Jan13.010710.4714@janus.mtroyal.ab.ca>, mhoffos@janus.mtroyal.ab.ca
	wrote:

> Just as a matter of record, FTP sites are just about *non-existent*
> in Canada due to the overwhelming costs in maintaining the lines
> etc.

Somehow, news and mail arrive in Canada.  Whatever transport mechanism
does this is also capable of retrieving groff.

> Perhaps there should be a site that has both FTP and dial-in access
> (uunet is prohibitively expensive for most human beings).

uunet is *cheap*.  How much do you think a posting of that type costs?
Hint: for every site that gets news long distance, each such site
individually paid more than it would cost you to call uunet and
retrieve groff.

There are a number of sites that keep such things for anonymous uucp.
Ohio State comes to mind, and bigtex keeps a complete set of GNU
tools.
-- 
James R. Van Artsdalen          james@bigtex.cactus.org   "Live Free or Die"
Dell Computer Co    9505 Arboretum Blvd Austin TX 78759         512-338-8789

sl@van-bc.wimsey.bc.ca (Stuart Lynne) (01/14/91)

In article <1991Jan13.010710.4714@janus.mtroyal.ab.ca> mhoffos@janus.mtroyal.ab.ca writes:
>Just as a matter of record, FTP sites are just about *non-existent* in Canada
>(relative to the number of computer sites here; as an aside how many of you
>know that Calgary has more computers/CPUs per capita than any other city in the
>world?) due to the overwhelming costs in maintaining the lines etc.  Perhaps 
>there should be a site that has both FTP and dial-in access (uunet is
>prohibitively expensive for most human beings).


File: READ.ME.FIRST @ ftp.wimsey.bc.ca

Wimsey.BC.CA ACCESS POLICY


We try to maintain a repository of popular software here and make
it available with Anonymous FTP and guest login.  Please respect
our privacy and don't make any attempts to circumvent any security 
arrangements.  This repository is made available as a service to
you, not to us.


Internet access:

	FTP	ftp.wimsey.bc.ca

	Login as user "anonymous", use any password.
	Some restrictions apply.

	Our network access is via 9600 bps PPP/VJ, please be patient. 

Dialup Access:

	PEP	604-939-4782
	2400	604-939-4756

	UUCP	login:	nuucp	passwd:	nuucp
	guest	login:	guest	passwd:	guest

	The guest login supports downloading with sz(1), which
	supports the XMODEM, YMODEM and ZMODEM protocols.

	Note that uucp requests should be directed to the ftp directory:

		uucp van-bc\!~ftp/pub/afile .


Wimsey.BC.CA Management <maint@wimsey.bc.ca> (91/01/13)

-- 
Stuart Lynne	S&L Investments Ltd.
		...!van-bc!sl 604-937-7532(voice)     	sl@wimsey.bc.ca 

fortin@zap.uucp (Denis Fortin) (01/14/91)

In article <6888@crash.cts.com> jca@pnet01.cts.com (John C. Archambeau) writes:
>mhoffos@janus.mtroyal.ab.ca writes:
>>Just as a matter of record, FTP sites are just about *non-existent* in Canada
>
>Then use the BITFTP server bitftp@pucc.princeton.edu.  It'll get it for you,
>uuencode it and break it up into mail managable sized uuencoded chunks.

But keep in mind that doing humongus "bitftp" transfers when you are a
uucp site without a direct link to uunet might be seriously
anti-social!

Specifically, if the return path from princeton to you goes through a
long distance phone call to uunet and then not directly to you
(something like ...!uunet!some-site!...!you), then the poor folks at
"some-site" are going to end up footing the bill for your access to the
bitftp stuff (and are likely to end up cutting the link eventually).

Anyway, a service like "bitftp" is *extremely* useful for ftp-less
sites, so please don't abuse it: if you're going to use it make sure
you're aware who is paying for the transfer and make sure that they
don't mind!  (Remember: just because they don't mind feeding you
megabytes of news (which they *also* use), doesn't mean they won't
mind paying for the transfer of 187238 gigabytes of archives from
alt.sex.pictures that are being transfered via mail for your *own*
personal use!)
-- 
Denis Fortin, DMR Group Inc, (514) 877-3301 (All of these opinions are my own)
fortin@zap.uucp   uunet!sobeco!zap!fortin   fortin%zap@larry.mcrcim.mcgill.edu

mpd@anomaly.sbs.com (Michael P. Deignan) (01/19/91)

jca@pnet01.cts.com (John C. Archambeau) writes:

>Then use the BITFTP server bitftp@pucc.princeton.edu.  It'll get it for you,
>uuencode it and break it up into mail managable sized uuencoded chunks.

Wrong. Many times, neighboring UUCP sites which have to pay for their uunet
connection, etc., intercept archive server requests and return them to you
with an explanation as to why they will not forward your request. Thus, unless
you are directly connected, or have a "clear" path, you cannot use the FTP
server.

MD
-- 
--  Michael P. Deignan                      / Sex is hereditary. If your 
--  Domain: mpd@anomaly.sbs.com            /  parents never had it, chances 
--    UUCP: ...!uunet!rayssd!anomaly!mpd  /   are you won't either...
-- Telebit: +1 401 455 0347              /

mpd@anomaly.sbs.com (Michael P. Deignan) (01/19/91)

james@bigtex.cactus.org (James Van Artsdalen) writes:

>uunet is *cheap*.  How much do you think a posting of that type costs?

UUNET at $0.40/minute @ their 900 # is *NOT* cheap.

MD
-- 
--  Michael P. Deignan                      / Sex is hereditary. If your 
--  Domain: mpd@anomaly.sbs.com            /  parents never had it, chances 
--    UUCP: ...!uunet!rayssd!anomaly!mpd  /   are you won't either...
-- Telebit: +1 401 455 0347              /

woods@eci386.uucp (Greg A. Woods) (02/08/91)

In article <6888@crash.cts.com> jca@pnet01.cts.com (John C. Archambeau) writes:
> mhoffos@janus.mtroyal.ab.ca writes:
> >Just as a matter of record, FTP sites are just about *non-existent* in Canada
> >(relative to the number of computer sites here; as an aside how many of you
> >know that Calgary has more computers/CPUs per capita than any other city in the
> >world?) due to the overwhelming costs in maintaining the lines etc.  Perhaps 
> >there should be a site that has both FTP and dial-in access (uunet is
> >prohibitively expensive for most human beings).
> 
> Then use the BITFTP server bitftp@pucc.princeton.edu.  It'll get it for you,
> uuencode it and break it up into mail managable sized uuencoded chunks.
> 
> All you need to access BITFTP is a UUCP connection.  Simple.  I'll buy
> ignorance cluttering up the net once.

PLEASE!  DO NOT ABUSE BITFTP!

Either buy the UUNET tapes, or find a local archive!

Internet connections into Canada are very expensive, and are paid for
by the public.  Abuse will lead to total cut-off, and if you think
UUNET is expensive for dial-up access, just wait 'til you see how
expensive a similar Canadian service would be (which is why it's hard
to justify a Canadian service when the American equivalent is cheaper).

We don't *need* FTP!  What we need is more co-operation in making
existing and potential archives available.

Get together with your friends and pay for one set of UUNET tapes, or
one call to UUNET, and spread the cost of your "free" software around.
-- 
							Greg A. Woods
woods@{eci386,gate,robohack,ontmoh,tmsoft}.UUCP		ECI and UniForum Canada
+1-416-443-1734 [h]  +1-416-595-5425 [w]  VE3TCP	Toronto, Ontario CANADA
Political speech and writing are largely the defense of the indefensible-ORWELL