Text 8703, 100 rader
Skriven 2006-12-19 23:55:00 av Maurice Kinal
     Kommentar till en text av Ross Cassell
Ärende: here again
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 MSGID: 1:140/13.1 4588831a
 TZUTC: 0000
 REPLY: 1:123/456 458879c5
 CHRS: IBMPC 2
 CODEPAGE: 437
 TID: hpt/lnx 1.4.0-sta 09-04-05
Hey Ross!

Dec 19 18:30 06, Ross Cassell wrote to Maurice Kinal:

 RC> But in a binary file, all the software needs is to get the number of 
 RC> records, each message being a record, then wham bam seek that 
 RC> record..

Same with text but sure let us go with your idea and see where that ends up. 
So where in the current FTN raw pkt structure is that information?  I would be
inclined to think it *should* be in the pkt header.  Is it?  All I see in there
is stuff I already know beforehand (could easily be in the site's
configuration) and/or stuff that is repeated over and over albiet in a
different form.  I see nothing there to indicate anything about what is
actually within that particular archive.  Do you?

 RC> There are utilities that can dump a message base to text file, not to 
 RC> mention you can manually do so with your reader.

Right.  Not an issue really but I'd prefer if local archives were stored in a
format that allows for more readily reformattting suitable to the client, in
this case me and what I normally use for editting.  I've done it before for
local Fido reading/writing and now use that basis for email which has liberated
that aspect from FAR more bloated 'regular' email client apps.  I imagine it
wouldn't be too difficult to make that web based if that mattered and call it a
forum.  Definetly doable but to be honest I probably wouldn't use it unless I
could do it offline.  That is why I prefer point setups in Fido and my original
plan was to revert back to the previous scheme.  However I haven't seen much
reason to lately as this works okay and I doubt jumping through that hoop again
will alter the course of Fido in general.  I honestly wish it could but I have
very serious reservations about it all.  Don't you?

 RC> What are the features and benifits of using text files, other than 
 RC> grep, awk et al?

Need I say more then what you just said?  Oh yeah!!!  You forgot vi and sed. 
Also either gzip or bzip2 compression along with the equivalent grep, etc. for
operating on compressed text files.  Yeah that would work for me.

 RC> Also same format used for netmail attach mailers such as 
 RC> frontdoor/intermail.

I've never used those but have seen that in the past.  The few attachments I've
done lately was easily accomplished by catting the proper information to the
targetted .hlo file for a binkd based file transfer to a particular node. 
Using ftp would have been simpler but the person in question seems to want to
do it the harder slower way.  What can I say?  It was successful and he didn't
complain about it so all concerned benefitted from the procedure.

 RC> I think my jamnntpd setup is a good answer for the end user/non-sysop 
 RC> type, those who dont want to have to sift through the normal schtuff 
 RC> a BBS imposes, not to mention keeping archivers and such on hand.

I've heard many claim that JAM is better then Squish.  I've never used it so I
have no opinion.  I think text would be easier to display on web forums via a
cgi-type script (looking at php again :::shudder:::) but perhaps a sql database
might be preferred by most web dweebs these daze.  I like text.

 RC> Those with a always on internet connection, can sit there and 
 RC> literally get there messages online as instantly as you or I can 
 RC> using msged/golded accessing a local message base.

Right.  Understood.  Not an issue to me personally.

 RC> Have you looked at or played with the perl hooks in hpt?

Not yet.  Might be something there worth at least a look.  I was hoping to jump
back on the microperl path soon as the last time I played with it I managed to
figure out how to replace some of the desirable perl modules with onboard
system's tools via a shell wrapper.  Looked to have some very interesting
possibilities without all the normal bloat.

 RC> Sorry Maurice I dont control the internet.

I never thought you did.

 RC> The BBS in question runs under windows, maybe windows was 
 RC> discriminating against Wayne for running linux, a Bill Gates 
 RC> conspiracy of sorts, you think?

Probably.  Sure that works for me.

 MK>> Sure.  Is that what your Windows users use?  ;-)

 RC> apt-get worked nicely.

On Windows?  I didn't know Debian was supplying MS ports?!?!?!?!  Does Bill
Gates know about this?  ;-)

Life is good,
Maurice

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