Re: LYNX-DEV Lynx bug -- relative paths in FTP

[Klaus Weide]

On 4 Nov 1996, Hrvoje Niksic wrote:

> I have found Lynx having problems when I specify a relative directory
> in FTP.  E.g. when trying to retrieve URL
> ftp://hniksic:address@hidden/c/
> 
> lynx logs in to the server, and tries to CWD to /c, which is not
> compliant with RFC1738.  The relevant excerpt from the trace log
> follows:
> 
> HTParse: aName:ftp://hniksic:address@hidden:21/c   relatedName:
> 1
> HTParse: result:/c
> HTFTP: UnEscaped /c
>   Tx: RETR /c
>     Rx: 550 /c: No such file OR directory.
>   Tx: CWD /c
>     Rx: 550 /c: No such file or directory.
> 
> According to RFC1738, the default paths should be relative by default,
> and absolute if otherwise stated.  So the result from HTParse should
> have been `c', not `/c'.
> 
> Here is the exact quote from RFC1738:  [snipped - kw]
 
That is a known (let's be neutral and say) property of Lynx and is
documented; see your local lynx_help directory, or
   Linkname: URL Schemes Supported in Lynx
        URL:
          http://www.nyu.edu/pages/wsn/subir/lynx/2.6/lynx_help/lynx_url_
          support.html

So far this deviation from the RFC in unix versions (and the inconsistency
between unix and VMS versions) has always been explained by referring to
a decision made by one of the original Lynx authors, eons ago... and the
Lynx code has kept faithful to that decison (for unix).

Maybe it is time for a change, but then you have to be prepared to argue
why such a change would not negatively affect users who may be relying
on the current (non-RFC-conforming) behavior (taking into account that
there already is a way to specify what you want, see references above).
And someone would have to volunteer to make all the necessary changes,
in a consistent manner.

   Klaus


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