Xref: utzoo comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d:850 news.admin:3314
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!looking!brad
From: brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d,news.admin
Subject: A new proposal for binaries Re: Why are there so many REPOSTS?
Message-ID: <1981@looking.UUCP>
Date: 27 Aug 88 03:57:23 GMT
References: <4699@whuts.UUCP> <1822@microsoft.UUCP>
Reply-To: brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton)
Organization: Looking Glass Software Ltd.
Lines: 33

It's becoming clearer and clearer that the method we use of splitting
binaries into 15 parts and sending them over the net is a colossal waste
of resources.  We get dropped files - different ones in different places,
and constant requests for reposting.

NETNEWS IS NOT A GOOD WAY TO DISTRIBUTE BINARIES.

Some might argue the net isn't a good way, but if it is going to do it,
let's at least do it right.

I believe binary files should be sent in single chunks.  All or nothing.
If the whole file doesn't make it, then none of it should be sent.

The elegant way to do this would be to make sure netnews had the capability
to send binary files up to, say 700K, in length.  Since this is not
going to happen, I propose to write a simple propagation program for binary
files.  Called "rbin" it would be an additional uux command.  It would
take binaries and store them in a spool directory.  It would then do
a simple rebroadcast down the binary net.   Very limited header processing
to avoid loops and classify types would be required.  (Loops would not
exist in the binary net, in theory, but that may be tough to spot in
practice.)

A simple use of the "find" command in the cron would expire the binaries.
Only moderators would post to the binary net.

The binary net would transmit binaries.  No uuencoding.  Just ARC(TM)ed,
compressed tar or raw binaries.  Simple and efficient.  Should take a
few hours to write, if people are willing to set it up.

ARC is a TM of SEA, Inc.
-- 
Brad Templeton, Looking Glass Software Ltd.  --  Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473