Number: 1556

Date: 28-Jun-84 13':44':24

Submitter: Sannella.PA

Source: Sheil.pa

Subject: Create non-kludgy way for user to specify a lisp device for access via FTPSRV

Assigned To: 

Attn: vanMelle

Status: Open

In/By: 

Problem Type: Design - Impl

Impact: Moderate

Difficulty: Moderate

Frequency: Everytime

Priority: Perhaps

System: Communications

Subsystem: Lisp Servers

Machine: 

Disk: 

Lisp Version: 

Source Files: 

Microcode Version: 

Memory Size: 

File Server: 

Server Software Version: 

Disposition: 

Description: '
Date': 12 Jun 84 17':23 PDT'
From': Sheil.pa'
Subject': Info - how do device names nest in filenames'
To': lispsupport'
'
Boeing asks if it is possible for a user to specify a device on a machine for access via FTPSRV., i.,e. if DLion FOO is running FTPSRV, how does one request the file ALPHA on disk volume MUMBLE on FOO?'
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{foo}{MUMBLE}alpha?'
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i.e. how do device names nest in filenames?'
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Beau'
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PS': I need a direct answer to pass out via the sales rep.'
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-----'
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Date': 12 Jun 84 19':45 PDT'
From': JonL.pa'
Subject': Re': Info - how do device names nest in filenames'
In-reply-to': Sheil.pa''s message of 12 Jun 84 17':23 PDT'
To': Sheil.pa'
cc': lispsupport.pa'
'
There''s an unfortunate confusion, that apparently we''re stuck with now.  The  notation {FOO} refers to HOST FOO, rather than DEVICE FOO; it would have been appropriate for various volumes (and partitions) on a single host to have been distinguished by different device names (rather than by pseudo-host names).'
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But sigh, hindsight . . . '
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-- JonL --'
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-----'
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Date': 13 Jun 84 10':44 PDT'
From': Sheil.pa'
Subject': Re': Info - how do device names nest in filenames'
In-reply-to': JonL.pa''s message of 12 Jun 84 19':45 PDT'
To': JonL.pa'
cc': lispsupport.pa'
'
It was my design decision to do it that way, and I don''t think it''s unfortunate.'
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But there has to be a syntax for subdevices or subhosts. My question was, what is it.'
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Beau'
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-----'
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Date': 13 Jun 84 12':02 PDT'
From': vanMelle.pa'
Subject': Re': Info - how do device names nest in filenames'
In-reply-to': Sannella.PA''s message of 12 Jun 84 17':44':02 PDT (Tuesday)'
To': Sheil, LispSupport.PA'
cc': vanMelle.PA'
'
The answer is "not very nicely".  With the current software, it is safest to say they don''t.  This is one of the many reasons Larry and I wanted very much to have DlionFs have a single device, {DSK}, and have separate volumes be top-level directories in that device.'
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The design for how to do it, more as a kludge than a thought out design, was to have the local host be specified as a device rather than host.  E.g., you''d ask for {MANGO}MUMBLE':FOO.TXT to get FOO.TXT on MANGO''s MUMBLE volume.  This works only partially in the current implementation of FTPSERVER (the filenames that come back omit the device field).  I could finish it if it''s important.'
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Meanwhile, as a compromise, the FTPSERVER code has a parameter \SFTP.DEFAULT.HOST (shouldn''t have been named with a backslash, I suppose) that tells the Ftp server what it should consider its local device to be.  This var is initially DSK, but you can change it to MUMBLE if you want your server to serve files from {MUMBLE} instead of {DSK}.'
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Sigh.  It''s great to have half-baked AAAI hacks released as supported software...'
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	Bill'
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-----'
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Date': 13 Jun 84 15':05 PDT'
From': JonL.pa'
Subject': Re': Info - how do device names nest in filenames'
In-reply-to': Sheil.pa''s message of 13 Jun 84 10':44 PDT'
To': Sheil.pa'
cc': JonL.pa, lispsupport.pa'
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Gleep, well there''s one for "foot in mouth".'
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But seriously, where does the notion of a sub-host arise?  I don''t think that is a well-formed concept, given that "host" means something like "registered CPU, with accoutrements".'
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What has been generalized into "sub" classes is DIRECTORY structures, and even DEVICEs; but the {...} notation is independent of the DEVICE notation, which seems to have fallen into disuse in Interlisp-D.'
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By the bye, do you have a copy of your original question, mailed 12-Jun-84 17':23 PDT ?  A blitz of errors, either dorado hardware  or the elusive "clobbered array freelist" but, caused me to lose several messages.  If you do, could you forward it to me?'
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-- JonL --'
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Workaround: 

Test Case: 

Edit-By: vanMelle

Edit-Date: 12-Jul-84 14':40':08