Aminet 4/Aminet 4 - November 1994.iso/aminet/comm/net/amifsp.lha/faq.aug.1993

Internet Message Format | 1994-03-15 | 19KB

From alt.comp.fsp Sun Oct 31 12:54:07 1993
Newsgroups: alt.comp.fsp
From: [e-mail] (Andy)
Subject: FAQ IS HERE!!! was Re: How do you connect to an FSP?
Organization: Dept. of Comp. Sci. Soft Center, Ronneby
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1993 09:29:28 GMT
Lines: 541

OK here comes a not so up to date FAQ... But it is seemed to be
needed.

Archive-name: fsp-faq
Last-modified: 19th August 1993
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Frequently Asked Questions about FSP
------------------------------------

*** Please read this before posting to alt.comp.fsp. ***

##########################################################################
### IMPORTANT NOTICE: EVERYONE PLEASE READ THIS!
###
### Joseph Traub is no longer the FSP maintainer, and the site he
### maintained at seismo.soar.cs.cmu.edu no longer runs an FSP daemon.
### Please do NOT mail anyone at CMU about the FSP server -- the admins
### there have complained about the volume of unwanted mail.
###
### If you have questions about FSP, please mail one of the new
### maintainers -- see below for details.
##########################################################################

This is the answers to some of the frequently asked questions about FSP.
It is posted weekly to alt.comp.fsp, alt.answers and news.answers.

This article answers the following questions.

Section 1: Introduction and Help
    Q1.1 What's alt.comp.fsp?  What's FSP?
    Q1.2 Where can I get FSP?
    Q1.3 Help!  I don't understand how to use FSP!
    Q1.4 What are those funny "R" and "I" characters?
    Q1.5 Why should I, as a site admin, run an FSP daemon?

Section 2: FSP software and resources
    Q2.1 Where can I get an FTP-like interface for FSP?
    Q2.2 Where can I get a graphical interface for FSP?
    Q2.3 Where can I get hold of a list of sites?
    Q2.4 Where can I get hold of hundreds of pictures of naked women
         in compromising positions?

Section 3: Technical Issues
    Q3.1 What are the main differences between FSP and FTP?  How
         does FSP work?
    Q3.2 How secure/anonymous is FSP?
    Q3.3 Why not add passwords to FSP?
    Q3.4 So what *does* FSP stand for?

Section 4: Who's who in FSP?
    Q4.1 Who wrote FSP?
    Q4.2 Who helped put this FAQ together?


This FAQ is written and maintained by Pete Bevin ([e-mail])
with help from Phil Richards ([e-mail]).

If you have any comments, suggestion, or additions, send me (Pete) some mail.


Section 1: Introduction and Help

Q1.1: What's alt.comp.fsp?  What's fsp?

    Alt.comp.fsp is a Usenet newsgroup for discussing the FSP file
    transmission protocol.    It was created on Tuesday 4th May 1993
    by Wen-King Su ([e-mail]) after there was no
    objection on alt.config.  Before the newsgroup, there was a
    mailing list (fsp-discussion) for talking about FSP software
    internals.  This newsgroup is for discussion of both writing and
    using the software.

    FSP is a protocol, a bit like FTP (but see below), for moving
    files around.  It's designed for anonymous archives, and has
    protection against server and network overloading.  It doesn't
    use connections, so it can survive things falling over.

    Quote: `FSP is what anonymous FTP *should* be'.


Q1.2: Where can I get FSP from?

    The `official' place for FSP distributions is ftp.germany.eu.net
    (192.76.144.75), in the directory /pub/network/inet/fsp.  It is
    available both by FTP and FSP: the FSP server is on port 2001.
    Another official site is taxus.uib.no (129.177.30.10), which
    only runs an FSP server -- it's on port 9000.  The directory
    on taxus is /fspdist.

    (Note: If you're using Unix, and you don't want to set up a
    server, you might want to get one of the FTP-like clients
    instead -- fspclient, fspcli, or fspsh -- from the same place).

    The latest versions are:

        Unix, VMS:    fsp.271.tar.Z
        OS/2:        fsp2-03b.zip
        MS-DOS:     pcfsp104.zip

    The Unix version is the `original', and was originally written
    by Wen-King Su: Joseph Traub took over for a while, and Phil
    Richards and Pete Bevin maintain it now.  The same distribution
    contains patches by Sven Pechler to make it run on VMS.  Larkin
    Lowrey wrote the OS/2 version, and Lindsey Smith wrote the MS-DOS
    version.  Email addresses are at the end.


Q1.3: Help!  I don't understand how to use FSP!

    If you're already familiar with FTP, you might want to use one
    of the FTP-like clients instead, or even a graphical interface.
    See the answers to questions 2.1 and 2.2 below for details of
    how to get them.

    The following tutorial is adapted from an article in
    alt.comp.fsp by David DeSimone <[e-mail]>.

    The original FSP seems to have been designed for use with csh
    aliases, so if you use csh, try these aliases in your .cshrc:

    # FSP aliases:
    alias fcat   '(set noglob; exec fcatcmd \!*)'
    alias fcd    'setenv FSP_DIR `(set noglob; exec fcdcmd \!*)`'
    alias fget   '(set noglob; exec fgetcmd \!*)'
    alias fgrab  '(set noglob; exec fgrabcmd \!*)'
    alias fls    '(set noglob; exec flscmd -F \!*)'
    alias fll    '(set noglob; exec flscmd -l \!*)'
    alias fpro   '(set noglob; exec fprocmd \!*)'
    alias fpwd   'echo "$FSP_HOST ($FSP_PORT): $FSP_DIR"'
    alias frm    '(set noglob; exec frmcmd \!*)'
    alias frmdir '(set noglob; exec frmdircmd \!*)'
    alias fhost  'set fsp_host=(\!*); source ~/bin/fhost; unset fsp_host'

    The last alias, "fhost", is my own invention, and the ~/bin/fhost
    file looks like this:

    #!/bin/csh
    #
    # Since this script sets environment variables, it really needs
    # to be source'd rather than executed.  Thus the following alias
    # should be used:
    #
    # alias fhost 'set fsp_host=(\!*); source ~/.bin/fhost; unset fsp_host'
    #

    if ( $#fsp_host > 0 ) then

        setenv FSP_HOST $fsp_host[1]

        if ( $#fsp_host > 1 ) then
        setenv FSP_PORT $fsp_host[2]
        else
        setenv FSP_PORT 21
        endif

        if ( $#fsp_host > 2 ) then
        setenv FSP_DIR $fsp_host[3]
        else
        setenv FSP_DIR /
        endif

    endif

    if ( $?FSP_HOST ) then
        echo "$FSP_HOST ($FSP_PORT): $FSP_DIR"
    endif

    This alias lets you "connect" to a host quickly and easily.  For
    instance, to start out I give the following command:

    % fhost wuarchive.wustl.edu
    wuarchive.wustl.edu (21): /

    The "fhost" command tells me where I'm connected, on what port,
    and in what directory.

    Since all "fhost" does is set up some environemnt variables, we
    aren't REALLY connected.  To find out if the site is responding,
    just do a quick "fls":

    % fls
    README        etc/        mirrors2/    pub/
    README.NFS    graphics/    mirrors3/    systems/
    bin/        info/        mirrors4/    techreports/
    decus/        languages/    multimedia/    usenet/
    doc/        lost+found/    packages/    vendorware/
    edu/        mirrors/    private/

    Looks like we're up and running!  Navigating with FSP is now
    just like using the local filesystem, except the commands have
    "f" in front of them.  For instance:

    % fcd /systems/amiga/incoming
    directory mode: (owner: some other machine)(delete: NO)(create: NO)
    % fls
    AT3D-Demo.bad        devel/            utils/
    AT3D-Demo.readme    fish/            wb30/
    AT3D.lha        games/            z_newfiles_Jul01
    Amiga.help        gfx/            z_newfiles_Jul02
    DAKDUNGN.LZH        hardware/        z_newfiles_Jul03
    DAKDUNGN.README     imagine/        z_newfiles_Jul04
    DP_Desc_June.run    ls-lR.incoming        z_newfiles_Jun25
        README.UPLOADER     ls-lR.incoming.Z    z_newfiles_Jun26
        TREE            misc/            z_newfiles_Jun27
        archive/        mods/            z_newfiles_Jun28
    audio/            news/            z_newfiles_Jun29
    cam_list.zoo        patch/            z_newfiles_Jun30
    comm/            programming/
    demos/            text/

    Other nice commands like "fcat filename" let me see what's out
    there, or for larger files, "fcat filename | less" is very
    effective.

    Once I see a nice file that I want copied to my local system, I
    just give the "fget filename" command and away it goes.  Usually
    I type "fget filename &" which throws the transfer request into
    the background.  Then I can immediately go off and "fcd" to some
    other directory and look for more files to grab, "fcat"-ing the
    README files and such.


Q1.4 What are those funny "R" and "I" characters?

    When FSP doesn't get any response from the server, it keeps on
    sending requests.  The first time it retries, it prints an "R",
    (meaning "Retry"), and the second, third, and subsequent times,
    it prints an "I".  You might also see an "E", which means "error":
    FSP got a packet, but it was corrupted for some reason.

    Fspclient does it slightly differently: it starts by printing
    "r" and "R" characters, and then uses "-\|/" characters to draw
    a spinning bar.  As Phil Richards (the author) says, `I quite
    often see spinning bars, but usually only after the fifth pint'.


Q1.5 Why should I, as a site admin, run an FSP daemon?

    Because it's one more way people can access your site, and it
    won't cost you much extra load on the machine.  The FSP daemon
    never forks, so it won't increase your load average by more than
    one.  FSP doesn't add much to the network load either, and you
    can limit the amount of data the daemon will send out (eg, to
    2.5k/sec).

    FSP allows comprehensive logging, running off inetd, README
    files per directory, banning on per-host or per-network basis,
    reverse naming and read-only sites.  The only thing anonymous
    FTP gives that FSP doesn't is having the user type in an email
    address, and of course, this can easily be faked.  FSP logs give
    the user's hostname, which is harder to fake.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Section 2: FSP software and resources

Q2.1 Where can I get an FTP-like interface for FSP?

    The interface I use is Phil Richards' ([e-mail])
    fspclient.  The latest version (still pre-alpha, but more
    reliable than your average beta release) is fspclient.0.0-h.
    You can get it by FTP from ftp.robots.ox.ac.uk as
    /pub/ox.src/fspclient.0.0-h+.tar.Z .

    Another interface to use is Nicolai Langfeldt's 'fspcli'.  It
    has a ftp like interface and more.  It is in the release
    directory on ftp.germany, and it has also been posted on
    alt.sources.  Another nice thing about it is that it's a
    small(ish) perl script rather than a large compiled executable,
    and it's not alpha OR beta.  Presently the latest version is 1.2

    Ove Ruben R Olsen ([e-mail]) has written a client quite
    similar to Nicolai's, but even smaller.  It is available in
    the fspsh directory on taxus.uib.no/9000 (see below).

    Note that if you want to use either of the last two clients,
    you'll have to have the Perl language installed.  You can get
    the latest version by FTP from prep.ai.mit.edu in
    /pub/gnu/perl*, or by FSP from wuarchive (see below) in
    /mirrors/gnu/perl*.


Q2.2 Where can I get a graphical interface for FSP?

    Andy Doherty <[e-mail]> has written an xview
    client for the X Window System.  It is available from
    ftp.germany as `fsptool-1.3.tar.Z'.  Like fspcli and fspshell,
    it acts as an interface to the standard FSP shell commands,
    rather than rewriting them itself.

    Note that to use this package, you will need the xview libraries:
    if you're using a Sun workstation, you're OK: otherwise, you may
    have to get and compile them yourself.

    If you're an OS/2 user, you can use the OS/2 client by Albert
    Crosby <[e-mail]>.  It wraps around the OS/2 FSP
    software (see above), and also requires RexxMenu and RxU.  It
    can read a list of files in the standard FSP host listing
    format, and uses RexxMenu's point-and-click interface.


Q2.3 Where can I get hold of a list of sites?

    There is a list, maintained by <[e-mail]>,
    which you can get hold of by fsp from ftp.Germany.EU.net (port
    2001):/pub/lists/fsp-servers.  Various other people produce
    lists as well: have a look around!

    You are encouraged to post site information to alt.comp.fsp, and
    if you post in the format below, most people will be able to
    slurp your list straight into their front-end programs.  There's
    an unofficial standard for the format, which you can find on taxus
    in the file "fsplist.std".

    In the meantime, here's a list to get you going.

    128.52.46.11      21   alpha   / # GNU Alpha releases
    158.125.220.8      21   genie   / # small UK site
    192.76.144.75      2001 germany / # big German archive
    fsp.luth.se      6969 luth    / # Top of Europe
    131.215.131.148   21   mosaic  / # BSD386/Usenet
    134.109.132.2      21   pyrrhus / # OS2, linux, simtel, etc.
    146.169.2.1      21   src     / # big UK site
    129.177.30.10      9000 taxus   / # fspadm, fsp-shell tools
    131.155.140.128   21   terra   / # big Netherlands site
    18.172.1.2      21   tsx     / # linux
    fsp.warwick.ac.uk 21   warwick / # Computer Underground Digest
    128.252.135.4      21   wu      / # everything you ever wanted


Q2.4 Where can I get hold of hundreds of pictures of naked women in
     compromising positions?

    Don't ask me, I only edit the FAQ :-)

    Seriously, FSP has a reputation of being for "crooks and
    perverts".  If you know any good sites carrying illegal
    material, then do them a favour and keep them to yourself.
    Posting them won't make you any friends.

    If someone posts a list of sites, and you didn't want them to,
    please don't publicly flame them.  It doesn't endear you to
    anyone.  If you must put them right, send email.  Thank you.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


Section 3: Technical Issues

Q3.1 What are the main differences between FSP and FTP?  How does FSP work?

    From the user's point of view, the differences are not that
    great, except that some of the more annoying features of FTP
    are gone.  Here are the main differences.

        a. The protocol can stand things going down: if the
        server or the network falls over in the middle of a
        transfer, you can just wait until it comes back up.
        You don't have to reconnect, and even better, if the
        server went down 90% through grabbing a file, you can
        continue from where you left off.

        b. The protocol doesn't need a username or password.
        You just throw packets at the server.  You don't have
        to identify yourself (though you're not completely
        anonymous -- see below).

        c. It's harder to kill off a site with an FSP server
        than with an FTP server.  The FSP daemon is designed to
        be as lightweight as possible:    it doesn't fork off any
        sub-processes, and it takes steps to limit the amount
        of traffic it handles.

        d. The user interface is completely different.    The
        interface that comes with the package consists of
        eleven commands that you can call from the shell.  In
        effect, your shell is providing all the nice functions
        like command line editing.  This makes the interface
        much more versatile than FTP's.  (See below for how to
        get an FTP-like interface, though).

        e. FSP is a bit slower than FTP.  This is a feature,
        not a bug.  The point is to keep the communication
        lightweight, and not to flood the net.

    From the programmer's point of view, fsp is a complete rewrite.

        a. Instead of TCP sockets, it uses datagrams to
        communicate, so that the connection doesn't break on a
        flaky line.

        b. FTP works by opening a port, and then asking the
        server to send a file to it.  FSP uses the same port
        all the time for communication, and asks for segments
        of a file.  So you can start off a transfer half way
        through a file, if you really want to.

        c. The server tries to make sure you don't ask for
        packets too quickly.  Each packet it sends out has a
        random identification number, which the client must
        return on the next request.  (If the client loses the
        number, it must wait a few seconds before the server
        accepts another packet from it).  Therefore, the client
        has to wait for an answer to each request before it
        sends out the next one.


Q3.2 How secure/anonymous is FSP?

    By default, the FSP daemon keeps logs of transactions, along
    with their site names.    An FSP administrator could use this to
    find out who you are, with a reasonable degree of certainty.

    In short, FSP gives you no more privacy than anonymous FTP.
    Anyone who tells you different has a less devious mind than most
    FSP admins I know.

    Why not make FSP more anonymous?  Well, it's impossible to make
    a protocol with complete anonymity, since at some point, the
    remote site will have to send a file back to you, and it needs
    at least an address to send it to.

    If you really need privacy, you can encrypt any files you make
    available, and only give out the decryption password to a select
    few.  But of course, you have to trust them to keep the password
    safe.


Q3.3 Why not add passwords to FSP?

    (Thanks to Joseph Traub for the material for this section)

    1. They don't add much security.  If you use one password for
       the whole site, then you might just as well set up the site
       and only tell a few people its port number.    That's no more
       or less secure than using a password.  Besides, it's easier
       just to set up the server only to respond to certain hosts.

    2. Any other password system is likely to be a big lose on
       efficiency, since you'll have to check every single packet.

    3. The main use of server passwords appears to be so that people
       can move pirated software around, and the authors don't want
       to add code to support that.

    To quote Joseph Traub, the ex-FSP maintainer:

        If you really want to do passworded file transfer, grab
        a copy of the ftpd source code (which is also on my
        server) and modify it to a) use a higher port number
        (Yes virginia, you CAN specify port numbers to most ftp
        clients) and b) to read a file other than /etc/password
        to look up user information.

        This capability does NOT belong in FSP because it gets
        away from the concept of lightweight simple file
        transfers.

    And to quote Phil Richards, one of the current FSP maintainers:

        I agree.

    Just for added emphasis, the other FSP maintainer adds:

        Me too :-)


Q3.4 So what *does* FSP stand for?

    As of 12th August 1993, FSP stands for `File Service Protocol'.
    Thanks to [e-mail] (Michael Grubb) for the words, and
    Wen-King for the initials.

    Other suggestions were:

        File Slurping Protocol
        Flaky Stream Protocol
        FTP's Sexier Partner


---------------------------------------------------------------------------


Section 4: Who's Who?

Q4.1: Who writes and maintains FSP software?

    Wen-King Su ([e-mail]) wrote the original Unix
    version (versions 1.0 to 2.6.4).

    Joseph Traub (was [e-mail]) was maintainer from Dec
    1992 to July 1993 (versions 2.6.5 to 2.7.1).

    The current maintainers are Phil Richards ([e-mail])
    and Pete Bevin ([e-mail]).  Phil is also the maintainer
    of fspclient, an FTP-like interface for FSP.

    Sven Pechler ([e-mail]) wrote and maintains a VMS
    version.  OS/2 is handled by Larkin Lowrey ([e-mail]),
    and Lindsey Smith, of the MS-DOS rewrite is [e-mail].


Q4.2 Who helped put this FAQ together?


    The following people have contributed to the FAQ.  Thanks very
    much to all of them.

        Pete Bevin <[e-mail]>
        Tony Brannigan <[e-mail]>
        Maurizio Codogno <[e-mail]>
        David DeSimone <[e-mail]>
        Ian Dickinson <[e-mail]>
        Andy Doherty <[e-mail]>
        Jan Nicolai Langfeldt <[e-mail]>
        Ove Ruben R Olsen <[e-mail]>
        Lutz Prechelt <[e-mail]>
        Phil Richards <[e-mail]>
        Lindsey Smith <[e-mail]>
        Wen-King Su <[e-mail]>
        Joseph Traub <[e-mail]>