Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!rex!ames!sgi!shinobu!odin!ramoth.esd.sgi.com!msc
From: msc@ramoth.esd.sgi.com (Mark Callow)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi
Subject: Re: Binary Programs on Info-Iris
Message-ID: <1990Sep24.190428.28475@odin.corp.sgi.com>
Date: 24 Sep 90 19:04:28 GMT
References: <9009201522.AA00565@> <1990Sep21.175208.266@odin.corp.sgi.com> <6451@castle.ed.ac.uk>
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Reply-To: msc@sgi.com
Organization: Silicon Graphics Inc., Entry Systems Division
Lines: 33

In article <6451@castle.ed.ac.uk>, matthew@castle.ed.ac.uk (M White) writes:
|> Very useful Mark, however, the code does not do much on some systems.
|> When run on our 4D/220 GTXB (IRIX 3.2) it eats CPU time with nothing
|> appearing on the screen. I have two points :
|> 
|> 1) Binaries should not be posted to the net: I have been slated by
|> workmates, quite rightly, for attempting to run Pauls program on our
|> machine.  The net is not secure and running binaries straight off it
|> (even if the appear to come from sgi) is not a good idea. 

Paul has posted considerably more than the Electropaint program you are
complaining about.  (Incidently that wasn't Paul's program, and it doesn't
work on systems not running 3.3.)  Most of his postings are filters for
translating to and from various foreign image file formats and they all work.

Which would you rather have, nothing or binaries?  In some cases a binary
is the only way we could distribute something because of, for example,
use of a library that is not widely available or whose source is proprietary.

|> 
|> 2) SGI personnel, of all people, should provide at least SOME
|> instructions with code. If you have not seen a uuencoded file before, it
|> is not obvious what should be done with it. It should not be necessary
|> for net-time to be spent with queries such as Lance's above.
|> 

Yes some simple instructions would help.

--
From the TARDIS of Mark Callow
msc@ramoth.sgi.com, ...{ames,decwrl}!sgi!msc
"There is much virtue in a window.  It is to a human being as a frame is to
a painting, as a proscenium to a play.  It strongly defines its content."