Steven Grimm <Steven.Grimm@Eng.Sun.COM> (06/01/91)
Submitted-by: Steven Grimm <Steven.Grimm@Eng.Sun.COM> Posting-number: Volume 1, Issue 1 Archive-name: supersrv/part00 Environment: BSD UNIX Tested Environments: IBM-RT running Mach Sun Sparc-1 running SunOS 4.1.1 Ultrix rev 4.1 VAX Sequent Dynix V3.0.17.9 DEC Ultrix 4.1 Sun SunOS 4.1 MIPS RISC/os 4.52 BSD 4.3 BSD 4.3-Tahoe Sun 4/490, SunOS 4.0.3 Dates: Submission Received: Apr 30 1991 Reviews Returned: May 16 1991 Revised Submission Received: May 17 1991 Submission Accepted: May 31 1991 Author's Summary: SuperServer 1.4 is a software package which allows users to offer services to the network without any special programming knowledge or superuser access to a system. In fact, even shell scripts may be offered as network services. SuperServer eases debugging of network applications, and provides a consistent front-end to a variety of programs. The manual page for the "server" program contains a detailed description of the SuperServer system. SuperServer runs under BSD UNIX derivatives, and should compile on any system with Berkeley-style networking calls (socket(), select(), accept(), etc.) Reviewers' Comments: Supersrv is a useful tool to make available services to the network with a user not necessarily being super-user. It is very well written code and its user interface is well defined. Learning how this software works will probably give a person some insight into TCP/IP sockets and client/server architecture. I recommend this software without reservation. This package lets people use their own or each other's programs over the network. The program 'server' installs a server on your machine to accept calls from other machines; your $HOME/.services file specifies which services you are offering (a service can be any executable file). The program 'client' calls a server on your or any other machine: you can list available services or invoke a specific service. There is no simple way to find out which machines offer services, but it is a great way to let your friends and colleagues (or your enemies) use your software and your machine. ... I compiled supersrv on several machines and it appears to work. After setting up a .services file, I called "server" on machine "x" to set up the server. After doing this for several machines on the internet, by calling "client x" I was able in all cases to get the list of services listed in the .services file on "x". For this I have used /bin/cc: in one case, using gcc (version 1.39) gave me a server which would accept connections and hang. Other than this, the software performs very well, and I think it makes the network as a whole much more useful and interesting. All in all, the supersrv package was put together rather well. ... I'd suggest this to someone who needed such a thing .. it's constructed well and doesn't flinch when you try to hit it with something. -- Andrew Patrick acting as Comp.Sources.Reviewed Moderator Department of Communications, Ottawa, CANADA csr@calvin.doc.CA