Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!mcsun!i2unix!ctr!nicb From: nicb@ctr@italy.eu.net (Nicola Bernardini) Newsgroups: comp.sources.d Subject: Re: "But _I_ can't FTP..." Re: shared X systems available Keywords: shX; XMX; ftp; uucp Message-ID: <1991Jan15.182718.1292@ctr@italy.eu.net> Date: 15 Jan 91 18:27:18 GMT References: <151@intrbas.UUCP> <1991Jan14.075202.13259@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG> Reply-To: nicb@ctr.UUCP (Nicola Bernardini) Organization: Centro Tempo Reale, Firenze Lines: 58 In article <1991Jan14.075202.13259@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG> xanthian@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG (Kent Paul Dolan) writes: >In comp.groupware article <151@intrbas.UUCP> >kenn@intrbas.uucp (Kenneth G. Goutal) writes: > >> At least one site in this newsgroup -- my guess is that there are >> actually an unholy number of us -- cannot get things via FTP, >> anonymous or otherwise. Could someone undertake to make the sources >> available by some other means? Perhaps in one of the comp...sources >> newsgroups? > >One of the better kept secrets on the net appears to be the ability of >_anyone_ who can use email to retrieve stuff from FTP sites. > >Princeton University Computer Center runs a pro bono email<->ftp server. > >..... > >This is by no means a facile interface, since it seems impossible, for >example, to ask directly for a full directory of a site's ftp archives, > >..... > >Big files are sent in pieces, binary files are sent uuencoded, and so >the usual skills used to deal with large posted archives are also needed >to deal with bitftp emailed files. > >The server is bandwidth limited, and services small requests ahead of >large ones, and it would be much nicer if there were several such >servers scattered about the net to lessen the single point email >bottleneck, but it does work. > >Clumsy as it is, it beats all hollow pestering the net to do the work >for you. The thing is, I tried bitftp@pucc asking for abc (25 files) and after a month I am still with the two files it sent me (right away, I must say). >Of course, this could all be avoided if the sites that provide anonymous >ftp server access provided anonymous UUCP server access to the same >archives, since the latter does not require a direct link, merely any >link at all. Yes, this would definitely be infinitely better. ------------------------------------------ Nicola Bernardini - nicb%ctr@italy.eu.net Centro Tempo Reale Villa Strozzi Via Pisana, 77 50143 Firenze I T A L I A Tel. ++3955/702444 Fax. ++3955/717712 -- ------------------------------------------ Nicola Bernardini - nicb%ctr@italy.eu.net Centro Tempo Reale Villa Strozzi