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From: bryan@terminator.cc.umich.edu (Bryan Beecher)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip.domains
Subject: HINFO record consistency
Message-ID: <1990Nov27.234016.21510@terminator.cc.umich.edu>
Date: 27 Nov 90 23:40:16 GMT
Sender: usenet@terminator.cc.umich.edu (usenet news)
Organization: U of Michigan, ITD Research Systems
Lines: 22

One problem with trying to use HINFO records for anything useful (at least
on an inter-domain level) is that there isn't very much consistency between
what various hostmasters place in them.  Some are fairly generic like
"SUN" "UNIX" while others are more specific "Sun-3/50" "SunOS 3.5".

Is there any semi-agreed upon convention for putting stuff in HINFOs?
Is there a list of "proper" CPUs and OSs?  (There is a list at the NIC
that's useful for HOSTS.TXT entries, but if I remember correctly, it's
missing things that some people might like to have like Macs, PCs,
Xterminals and other things.)

If there isn't a convention or list already, I'd like to volunteer to
assemble a list of CPUs and OSs suitable for use in HINFO records.
Then if we can keep this list in well-known spots on the Internet,
it might be possible to get people to use it and get some standardization.
And then maybe HINFO records could be used for something worthwhile.

Please post your comments on this; potential list entries should be
simply mailed to me, and I'll start compiling this list.
--
Bryan Beecher, U-M Information Technology Division  (+1 313 747 4050)
Domain:	bryan@terminator.cc.umich.edu  Path: mailrus!terminator!bryan