Re: lynx-dev EXTERNAL: https support? (was too long)

[Jacob Poon]

On Tue, 11 Aug 1998, Philip Webb wrote:

> 980811 Jacob Poon suggested: 
> > Shouldn't Lynx support https via externals (from  lynx.cfg ),
> > to produce cleaner code without breaking the law?
> > ie Lynx would contain only code for handling data
> > via existing https connections,
>                    ^ : surely a typo for `http'
> > but use only a third-party executable to negotiate https connections
> > via an executable configured by Lynx's 'EXTERNAL:' settings,
> > will the Lynx source still be legal and GNU free?
> 
> it should be, since there would be nothing in Lynx itself to offend
> & its ability to call up external programs presumably must be open-ended.

Well, if that's the case, the next step is to integrate the current https
patch in Lynx and leave the 'illegal' code to build the external
executable.

> > it will greatly simplify https support. 
> > users can simply download a compiled binary
>                               ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > to let Lynx go to those places, without recompiling.
> 
> do such programs exist? in binary?

Even if no compiled https application exist, at least that will only
require compiling the external app, not Lynx.  Isn't that the external
feature designed for?  Besides, that will minimize the problems of
maintaining both https patches and the remaining Lynx sources.  In other
words, the https patch has to be done away sooner or later by externals,
when legal problems are resolved.