lynx-dev RFC959 non-compliance in Lynx hangs the client

[Gregory A Lundberg]

The WU-FTPD Development Group is in beta test for version 2.6.0 of the
WU-FTPD daemon.

One change in this version improves RFC compliance on the server side.  In
particular, what we're doing is enforcing a clean shutdown of the data
connection prior to sending the 2xx Transfer Complete message on the FTP
control channel.  This change was made in support of non-compliant FTP
clients which take receipt of the 2xx Transfer Complete message literally.
Since this message is sent via the control connection, even though it is
sent by the server after the final data has been sent via the data
connection, there is no guarentee it will arrive at the client host after
the last data-connection packet.

To date, we have found only two FTP clients which have a problem with this
change.  Obviously, Lynx is one of them.

When a Lynx user attempts to connect to a version 2.6.0 WU-FTPD server, the
client hangs obtaining the initial directory listing.  This may be observed
on our primary distribution site, ftp.wu-ftpd.org

At this point, I have not debugged a Lynx FTP session.  I intend to do so
within the next day or so.  If you would like my analyis of where Lynx is
failing, please let me know.

-- 

Gregory A Lundberg              WU-FTPD Development Group
1441 Elmdale Drive              address@hidden
Kettering, OH 45409-1615 USA    1-800-809-2195

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