Re: lynx-dev what kind of files lynx can transfer?

[pg]

In a recent note, David Woolley said:

> Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2001 22:22:46 +0000 (GMT)
> 
> > RFC 1738 specifies URL handling by the client that avoids such
> > mapping.  Unfortunately, the Big Two flout RFC 1738 here, and
> 
> I consider the awkward, step by step, directory changing to be such
> a mapping.  FTP makes no pretence that it understands the structure
> at all. 
> 
RFC 1738 handles this.  If you wish to change the directory in a
single step, simply encode the slashes as %2F.

I am very biased to the RFC here.  I deal regularly with some
FTP servers for which either '/' is utterly prohibited in a path,
or for which at least some paths are accessible only via paths
with no '/'.  The RFC allows me to access any file on those
servers.  The Big Two won't because they disobey it; in essence
the client is pretending to understand the server's structure.

> > Lynx goes with the flow unless the server identifies itself as VAX.
> 
> The flow includes some clients that seem to try and back up the
> current directory on a persistent connection, which doesn't work
> when there are symbolic links or the initial directory isn't
> the effective root (depending on whether they try ../ or / prefixes).
> I hope lynx doesn't do this.
> 
RFC 1738 specifies that paths should begin at the default home
directory for address@hidden, as supported by FTP.  I.e. the URL

    ftp://address@hidden/file

should retrieve the same file as:

    ftp HOST
    user USER
    get file

unfortunately, the Big two implement the equivalent of:

    ftp HOST
    user USER
    cd /               # Illegal on some systems!
    get file

or, in RFC1738 parlance:

    ftp://address@hidden/%2F/file

-- gil
-- 
StorageTek
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