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Re: lynx-dev Alert: this client does not contain support for HTTPS urls.


From: Jacob Poon
Subject: Re: lynx-dev Alert: this client does not contain support for HTTPS urls.
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1998 22:40:58 -0400

On Tue, 11 Aug 1998, Doug Kaufman wrote:

> On Tue, 11 Aug 1998, Jacob Poon wrote:
> 
> > Shouldn't Lynx support https via externals (from the lynx.cfg settings),
> > to produce cleaner code without breaking the law?  What I mean is, if Lynx
> > contains only code for handling data via existing https connections, but
> > uses 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? 
> 
> I think that this is what lynx does now via the proxy method. On my
> SunOs account I run lynx with the eassl daemon. This gives https access
> without having any SSL code in lynx itself. The code is available both
> in the US and in the Netherlands, so it should be usable by anyone. In
> the US, I think that the license for the RSAref library restricts its
> use to noncommercial uses. Commercial users would have to buy the
> appropriate license. Outside of the US, there shouldn't be a problem
> (but I am not sure of the situation in Canada). Anyone in the US would
> be required to make sure that their binary was not available to those
> who are not US or Canadian citizens.

[sed script to connect Lynx w/https URL]

Wait, if you can configure current Lynx code to support https URL (via
proxy method), shouldn't that be available in the manual?  Anyway, with
your discovery, here is the analysis of the situation:

Known issues:

- The unpatched Lynx is under GNU Public Licence.
- The unpatched Lynx does not suffer from the problem of US export laws.
- The unpatched Lynx can be configured to support https URL, without
modifying Lynx's source code, via proxy method.

Deductions:

- The SSL is obsolete for proxy method.
- The US export laws cannot possibly bother the unpatched Lynx source
without banning the Lynx sources altogether. 
- It is possible to re-code Lynx to use only externals for all https
support, without fear of US export laws, and make https patch into
history. However, the availability of https connections will depend on the
existence of binary that provides https connections, which Lynx currently
cannot include. 

If I am voting for integrating the https patch by moving all https support
to external (Lynx's external) routine, I am voting for yes right now. 


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