USENIX Board Studies UUCP

[H.Shrikumar{shri@ncst.in}]

In article <1989Nov24.042806.23926 at wolves.uucp> ggw at wolves.UUCP (Gregory G. Woo
dbury) writes:

>	A full implementation of a PD or Freely Redistributable uucp-like
>exchange system would make a lot of sense - borrow what is good from both
>the socket and streams worlds, and provide it as a service.  Allow for
>changing the window or packet length, or even other base protocols (like
>xmodem or even kermit ;-) and it would be a wonder.  I would possibly
>rip uucp out of (some) of my systems and install that!
>
>-- 
>Gregory G. Woodbury

 This problem which binary-only sites face is very real today, as has been
said before. This might happen again, were technology to confront us with
another new medium (After all 'g' protocol *was* at one time optimised for
telephone lines of the time, and then 'simplified' for real needs of the
time when E-mail and News did not bog them.)

 Time to plug my favorite idea....

 The "Pgxftg" "Ug" negotation in UUCP is a very nice feature. This can be
retained. Soon after a protocol is negotiated, a file "proto.g" must be
exec-ed.

 Now specify some interface spec. for this module, (spool area etc.) and 
let it do whatever to get it across ... (simple ack-timeout, or windowing
or dynamic negotiation with copmpression or ...).

 Newer protocols can be added by just writing code for a "proto.?". Binary
only sites will also be able to add their own protocols for any special
requirements withing house (UUCP over AMTOR/ARQ anyone?).

 The USENIX efforts for a modem-efficient protocol can implemented as such
a module within this specification.

-- shrikumar ( shri at ccs1.cs.umass.edu, shri at ncst.in )