Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!snorkelwacker!apple!limbo!taylor
From: taylor@limbo.Intuitive.Com (Dave Taylor)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: Re: pathalias
Message-ID: <728@limbo.Intuitive.Com>
Date: 3 May 90 08:54:10 GMT
References: <296@zircon.UUCP>
Reply-To: taylor@limbo.Intuitive.Com (Dave Taylor)
Organization: Intuitive Systems, Mountain View, CA: +1 (415) 966-1151
Lines: 57

Earlier in this group, David Barts commented:

> When is HP-UX going to get a halfway decent version of pathalias
> (one that understands angle brackets and the FAST symbolic cost)?

No offense, David, but I wouldn't expect HP to supply or support the
pathalias program at all.  Think about it; while you (and I) might
be stuck in the UUCP only universe, we're really more typical of
the PC Unix shops than the larger installations.  HP-UX is not at
all aimed at our needs.  So why should HP supply/support pathalias?

It's true that HP has a mutually beneficial agreement to offer SCO
Xenix on their Vectra line, but having the continuing misfortune 
of having to work within Xenix, it has a LOT bigger problems than
whether or not pathalias is included.

Frankly, last I heard, pathalias was a public domain-ish software
package that you could glean from just about any common FTP site
(or even from the Interex 9000/CSL perhaps?).  If it really has 
the limitations you refer to, perhaps the solution is as simple as 
you obtaining a more recent version and re-installing it on your 
machine??

As an informative caveat, I am priviledged enough to have a very
smart network hub as my primary UUCP connection, so not only do I
have high speed and high quality connectivity with email (I have
experienced trans-continental responses of under ten minutes!)
but I don't have to worry about resolving complex UUCP addresses;
instead I just hand them all to my resolver site.  While the 
connection being via UUCP might be a bit unusual, note that HP *does* 
strongly support the "dumb client/smart server" model with their 
networking and connectivity tools...

Perhaps fundamentally the problem you face is that you need to
improve your own UUCP connectivity?

> BTW, if you haven't replied to my posting on the screen saver in
> X11, DON'T.  (For some odd reason, I thought the man page for `X'
> would describe the program `X' [now why would I think that? :-)],
> instead of the `xserver' page documenting `X').

Well, if we're going to start looking at how horribly the Unix
man pages are organized, then we really can get off the ground
complaining! :-)  The downside is that it is widely believed in
the industry that the HP-UX man pages are among the best that
you can get.  Indeed, I have heard of people using other versions
of Unix and having their HP-UX documentation adjacent to the machine
due to its dramatically higher quality and more intelligent layout.

Kind of hard to believe given that it's all so confusing and
awkward, but that's just another part of the fun of Unix.

						-- Dave Taylor
Intuitive Systems
Mountain View, California

taylor@limbo.intuitive.com    or   {uunet!}{decwrl,apple}!limbo!taylor