Source Code 1992 March/Source_Code_CD-ROM_Walnut_Creek_March_1992.iso/usenet/compsrcs/unix/volume13/index13.1

Text File | 1988-09-11 | 11.1 KB | 221 lines

Subject:  v13INF1:  Introduction to comp.sources.unix
Newsgroups: comp.sources.unix,comp.sources.d
Sender: sources
Approved: [e-mail]
Expires: 8 April 1988

Submitted-by: [e-mail] (Rich Salz)
Posting-number: Volume 13, Info 1
Archive-name: index13.1

This is the first of two introductory articles about comp.sources.unix.
This one describes how to submit source to the newsgroup, where the
archive sites are, and how to contact them.  The companion articles lists
all previously-published sources.

I am always looking for suggestions on how to improve the usefulness
of the newsgroup (even "stop vanishing for two months" :-), and can be
contacted as listed below.
            -Rich $alz

--------------------
Subject: Submitting source for publication

Items intended for posting or queries and problem notes should be sent to
uunet!sources.  In Australia, Robert Elz is a "sub-moderator"; people
there can work with him ([e-mail]) to get postings out more easily.

If you want verification of arrival, so say in a cover note, or at the
beginning of your submission, if it is small.  I try to verify that a
program works, and if I can't get it to work, I may hold up posting it
for a couple of days.  Please note that, except in rare cases, source
without documentation and a Makefile will not be published.  The backlog
from receipt to posting varies from one to four weeks depending mostly
on the set of submissions currently in my queue.

--------------------
Subject:  The structure of comp.sources.unix articles

Each posting in comp.sources.unix is called an "issue"; there are roughly 100
issues to a volume.  The division is arbitrary, and has varied greatly in
the past.  There are two types of articles in comp.sources.unix; sources
and "information postings."  They can be distinguished by the subject
line:
    Subject:  v07INF8:  Index for Volume 7 and other info
This first word in the title identifies this as the eighth info posting of
volume seven.  Similarly, the subject line shown below:
    Subject:  v07i081:  Public-domain Unix kernel
identifies this as the 81st source article in Volume 7.  Large sources are
broken up into smaller pieces, and have subject lines that look like
this:
    Subject:  v07i082:  System VI Source Distribution, Part03/08

The first few lines of an article are auxiliary headers that look like this:

    Submitted-by: [e-mail]
    Posting-number: Volume 7, Issue 82
    Archive-name: new-login
The "Submitted by" is the author of the program.  If you have comments about
the sources published in comp.sources.unix, this is the person to contact.
When possible, this address is in domain form, otherwise it is a UUCP bang
path relative to some major site such as "uunet."

The second line repeats the volume/issue information for the aide of NOTES
sites and automatic archiving programs.

The Archive-name is the "official" name of this source in the archive.  Large
postings will have names that look like this:
    Archive-name: patch2/Part01
Please try to use this name when requesting that sources be mailed to you.
Also, note that the "part number" given in the title, and the archive name
given in the auxiliary header need not be identical.


--------------------
Subject: Accessing the archives

The complete archives are fairly large, running between three and four
megabytes per volume, on the average.

There are several active archive sites around the net.  Archive sites in
France and England are being set up, and may be extended to provide full
European coverage; I will post more information as soon as things are
settled.  Thanks to Scott Bradner at Harvard, there will soon be a BITNET
retrieval service available.

When you request something before Volume 6, please make sure to be as
descriptive as possible as articles before then do not have official
names.

Several sites below will send tapes through the mail.  For those sites,
send a 1/2" mag tape WITH RETURN POSTAGE and RETURN MAILER.  Tapes
without postage or mailer will not be returned.  No other methods (COD,
etc.) are available; please don't ask.

Finally, please note that I am Rich $alz, [e-mail]; Rick Adams is
[e-mail], and Rich Kulawiec is [e-mail]; we appreciate
the extra effort to get our names right.

--------------------
Subject: Listing of archive sites in no particular order

1.   Chris Grevstad at Network Research is able to provide tape service in
     a variety of formats, including 1600BPI 9-track or NCR cartridge for
     TAR or CPIO, and ("under extereme duress" :-) VMS 9-track or TK-50
     tape.  He is willing to provide UUCP access by special arrangement in
     either the Oxnard, CA, or the Salt Lake City area.  Contact him at
     nrcvax!chris or via conventional mail at Network Research Corp., 2380
     North Rose Avenue, Oxnard CA 93030.

2.  Peter Collinson at the University of Kent has set up an mail-based server
    for UK sites.  The UK archive resides on ukc's backbone machine. Volumes 7
    and upwards are on-line.  Some issues are missing and efforts are being
    made to make good the lossage.  For reasons of cost access is limited to
    UK users only.  Mail to "info-server@ukc" and supply the lines
        request: comp.sources.unix
        topic: help
        topic: index
    for some help on how to access the files and an index of the files currently
    online. For human help, mail to uknet@ukc.

3.  Ron Heiby has set up access for the archives.  If there is enough interest,
    I will post his full note, but for now I am just giving the summary info.
    The machine is "mcdch1" which has a single 1200bps modem at 1-312-576-7902.
    Send an initial carraige return, then log in with the name "pduucp" and
    password "public".  This will not work from 8am to 6pm Chicago time Monday
    through Friday, so we can get our real work done.  The first thing you
    will want to do is pick up the detailed instructions and a list of what
    is available.
        uucp mcdch1!~/howto.snarf !~/MYNAME/
        uucp mcdch1!~/directory !~/MYNAME/
    Do not use full pathnames or wildcards; they will not work.
    The Systems file entry for doing this looks something like:
    (For HoneyDanBer UUCP (BNU) users.  Combine into a single line.)
        mcdch1 Wk1800-0730,Sa,Su ACU 1200 3125767902
            "" \r\c in:--in: pduucp word: public
    This is not an official service of Motorola and may be discontinued at
    any time.  The contents of the comp.sources.unix archive have been donated
    by the submitters of the files to the Usenet comp.sources.unix moderator
    for free availability throughout the community.  Motorola assumes no
    responsibility for the contents of these files, including the suitability
    for their use in any application on any hardware.  (Some of the material,
    for example is known not to run on systems sold by Motorola.)  Any questions
    about suitability, problems with the software or documentation, or anything
    else related to the contents of the files should be directed to the persons
    who submitted the material originally (usually the authors).

4.  Pyramid Technology maintains a general user-contributed-software archive,
    including comp.sources.unix and comp.sources.games. Source modules are
    arranged both topically and by volume/issue number. New UUCP connections
    are welcome, although sites outside Northern California will be harrassed
    about why they haven't yet signed up for UUNet. Pyramid will also make
    tapes on a *very* limited basis for people willing to stop by during off
    hours and wait while the tape is written.  This is being managed by Rick
    Preston with Carl Gutekunst kibitzing.  Contact [e-mail] for
    more information.

5.  Bill Wisner (killer!billw) is building a comp.sources.unix archive that
    will be available to the general public via anonymous UUCP.  Interested
    parties may contact him to obtain a uucp login and password.  There are
    no restrictions on the amount of material transferred as long as it's
    your dime (killer is reachable through PC pursuit).  If you contact
    Bill in advance he can arrange to make portions of the archive cpio'd
    or compress'd for easier copying.

6.   Robert Elz ([e-mail]) keeps sources in different ways depending onU
     his available disk space; contact him for more info.

7.   Thos Sumner at UCSF will respond to requests for material, but cannot
     promise an ongoing commitment.  Anyone requesting material via mail
     should supply a path from ucbvax.  Anyone requesting tape should
     contact me first.  Contact him at [e-mail], or
     ucbvax!ucsfcgl!cca.UCSF!thos

8.   Michael Squires (sir-alan!mikes) of the Department of Political
     Science at Allegheny College has established an anonymous UUCP
     account that contains almost everything he has from mod.sources,
     net.sources, comp.sources.unix, and comp.sources.misc.  The following
     entry should work:
         sir-alan Any ACU 2400 18143336728 login:--login:--login: pdsrc
     The modem is a Paradyne FDX 2400 which handles baud rate switching
     itself; 300/1200/2400 is supported. There is no access limit,
     although this will probably change.  The collection is not complete;
     a subject/filename listing can be found in the file
     /usr/spool/pdsrc/all.subjects.  Mike recently got a new disk and a
     full tape of the archives, so everything will be available shortly.
     Mike can be reached at:  Department of Political Science, Allegheny
     College, Meadville PA 16335.

8.   Rick Adams ([e-mail]) provides archive access to those on the
     Internet.  Access is available directly via anonymous FTP; look in
     ~ftp/comp.sources.unix/volumeN.  Rick and I have managed to work out
     an arrangement so that these archives are always current -- right as
     the sources are published.  UUNET subscribes can also UUCP missing
     files directly.

10.  Internet sites may also retrieve archives from j.cc.purdue.edu via
     anonymous ftp.  The archive is in the directory
     ~ftp/news/comp/sources/unix/volumeX.  Due to disk space
     considerations, many of the sources are compressed; these may be
     recognized by the ".Z" suffix.  If you don't have compress & friends,
     they are in ~ftp/pub/compress.shar for the taking.  This is being
     managed by Rich Kulawiec (Wombat), pucc-j!rsk, [e-mail].
     If your host tables don't grok "j.cc.purdue.edu", try
     "purdue-asc.arpa".  They would appreciate it if you would avoid large
     file transfers in the middle of the day.  [Rick also points out that
     the FTP'able archies also contain mod.amiga, a bunch of kermit
     sources, news 2.11, rn 4.3, nntp, and whatever else happens to be in
     ~ftp/pub at the moment.]

11.  The CSNET CIC has been doing a fair amount of work to bring their
     automated retrieval up-to-speed, and are awaing more disk space to
     get the newer sources.  Send a request for "mod.sources" with the
     topics "help" and "index" to the Info-Server, or or contact
     [e-mail].

At the present time, I do not have ready access to the archives, nor
the support of my employer to do this.  Please don't ask me for missing
issues, unless you are sure you are reporting a net-wide problem of
propogation.