🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <458@mahendo.Jpl.Nasa.Gov>, Greg Earle (earle@mahendo.JPL.NASA.GOV)
posted a definitive statement of the patch level of Larry Wall's "patch" (from
Larry's machine via FTP):

> 221 devvax.Jpl.Nasa.Gov closing connection
> mahendo:2:20 % patch -v
> $Header: patch.c,v 2.0.1.6 88/06/22 20:46:39 lwall Locked $
> Patch level: 12
> mahendo:2:21 %

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a note reminding all who haven't read the
documentation in "patch" or in any of the updates that Larry has an
automated email server which will mail you anything you need.  I wasn't
able to be positive about its functionality at the time, because I hadn't
received a reply.

A few days after I posted about it, I received the dreaded "nobody home"
message one sometimes gets from the mail system:

>     After 5 days (97 hours), your message has not yet been
> fully delivered.  Attempts to deliver the message will continue
> for 2 more days.  No further action is required by you.
> 
>     Delivery attempts are still pending for the following address(es):
> 
>         lwall@jpl-devvax.jpl.nasa.gov (host: jpl-devvax.jpl.nasa.gov)
>                                       (queue: smtp-ns)
> 
>     Problems usually are due to service interruptions at the receiving
> machine.  Less often, they are caused by the communication system.

  [ etc. ]

But, a few days later, patch #12 showed up.  Included in it was the
message:

    > From: Larry <lwall@devvax.jpl.nasa.gov>
    > Message-Id: <8905171900.AA16093@devvax.Jpl.Nasa.Gov>
    > To: stever@videovax.tv.Tek.com
    > Subject: patch version 2.0 patch #12
    > Status: RO
    > 
==> > [The latest patch for patch version 2.0 is #12.]          <==
    > 
    > mailpatch speaking for lwall
    > 
    > System: patch version 2.0
    > Patch #: 12

So, if you want patches for patch, or any of Larry Wall's other programs,
read the sources and patches you already have, find out how to send for
updates, and get them!  All it takes is a minute.

Just a word about the controversy over patches and updates.  The group
I am part of (the Measurement Systems Business Unit of Tektronix' Television
Division) has a couple of products from a well-known manufacturer.  One is
entirely software; the other is hardware that requires software to operate.
In each case, we have paid for software update services.  In each case,
we have had great difficulty actually getting what we paid for.

In the case of the software product, we received no updates over the period
of a year and no notification that our update service was expiring.  When
we called to ask about it, we were told that they were unable to send us
the updates we had paid for because they didn't have a person's name in
their data base.  They did have everything needed to get a letter to us,
as well as a phone number they could have called, but they didn't bother!

We did (almost nine months late) receive the update information and paid
for another year of software update service.  We have heard nothing from
them for 18 months. . .  As soon as I have a week which I can spend on the
phone, I will chase them down again, because one of the updates we received
at the end of the first hassle works, but the more recent one doesn't.

The hardware/software product also has periodic updates.  When we had a
problem with the hardware, we sent it to be repaired.  They assured us
we did *not* have the update service for it, which was why we were two
software versions behind.  When we provided them with a copy of the
purchase order, they dug about a bit and discovered that, lo and behold!,
we did indeed have the software update service!  (It should be noted that
in this case, they had sent us 5 or 6 updates before losing track of us.)

Why do we keep buying from such screwed-up outfits?  We don't have much
choice if we want to concentrate on our primary goal, which is building
the world's finest television test and measurement equipment.  But
what a contrast with the software Larry Wall and others provide us
for free!!!

When the first version of Perl was released, I created a simple program
which crashed Perl.  I mailed the information to Larry, and had an answer
within 72 hours.  Last week, Zoo version 2.01 looped on a truncated archive,
attempting to unpack the same file 50,000 times.  I emailed a note about
it to Rahul Dhesi, and received a reply the same day.

Please, please, please!!  The quality of the software available over the
net is astoundingly high!  Furthermore, the level of support is much
better than that found with commercially-available (and very expensive)
software.  Rather than whining that what is given you for free isn't
perfect, count your blessings!  And if you can't use it, ignore it.  Go
spend kilobucks for a commercial product, instead. . .

					Steve Rice

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