Subj : XML
To   : andrew clarke
From : Frank Vest
Date : Sun Jan 05 2003 03:04 am

On (05 Jan 03) andrew clarke wrote to Frank Vest...

Hello andrew,

 > There's nothing wrong with the SLF Nodelist. The problem is the
 > implementing of IP. That was not done right to begin with. :(

 ac> It can be fixed.  :-)

Agreed.

 > With PSTN, each mailer is expected to be able to transfer mail at
 > least at FTS-1 (x-modem?).

 ac> Xmodem with TeLink extensions.

I guess. I've always heard FTS-1 and xmodem. Point is, this is the
minimum required for PSTN. Each PSTN mailer must support at least
this.

 > With IP, there is no minimum required transfer method. This means that
 > each protocol (binkp, telnet and such) has to have a flag in the
 > Nodelist.

 ac> Are there any other common IP protocols other than BinkP & Telnet (ie.
 ac> FTS-1 over Vmodem or equivalent)?

I have no idea. I wouldn't call binkp or telnet common in the respect
of "to every IP mailer", but they seem to be the most common used for
IP transfer of Fidonet mail.

 > To "fix" this, a means needs to be made for IP mailers to determine
 > the protocol to use during the/a connection. IOW, my IP mailer
 > contacts your IP mailer and figures out what protocol to use. A
 > minimum protocol would also be needed which all IP mailers use.

 ac> You may as well make BinkP the minimum protocol.

It really doesn't matter to me what protocol is the minimum. The point
is that Fidonet needs a minimum required IP protocol for connecting
that each IP mailer can use. Other protocols can be implemented in the
mailers as well, but each would at least be able to do the minimum.

The next step would be to figure out how to negotiate the transfer
protocol upon connection. There is a conversation going on in
FTSC_PUBLIC about using a "finger daemon" to determine what protocols
are available at each connection and then starting the proper software
to use the protocol.

With a minimum IP protocol and a way to negotiate what protocol to
use, IP mailers would have the same "power" as PSTN mailers and
Fidonet could do away with the "I" flags. Simply list a flag to
indicate IP capabilities and the domain or IP address to use.

Regards,

Frank

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/flv
http://biseonline.com/r19

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