Article View: gnu.utils.bug
Article #888comps/complaints/problems with GNU finger
From: James Ralston Crawford
Date: Fri, 09 Oct 1992 19:16
Date: Fri, 09 Oct 1992 19:16
63 lines
2698 bytes
2698 bytes
obtained from: prep.ai.mit.edu
version: 1.35
hardware: Sun-4/670MP, Sun-4/50, Sun-4/40
OS: SunOS 4.1.2 (on all machines)
C compiler: gcc -O2 (on all machines)
Summary: configuring is easy. Make process has some bugs.
Installing is a nightmare. Once installed, though, it works like a
charm.
In the installation instructions, put the instructions for
changing config.h and fingerpaths.h BEFORE you tell them to run
configure.
The `configure` step is rather convenient.
Make runs into problems. You're assuming X11 include files
are in something like /usr/X11R5/include. This is wrong for most
systems. Either ask, or figure it out. You're also assuming certain
X header files are there that *aren't* there. (At least not for
X11R5.) Had to leave out the X11 stuff. Other than that, make was
smooth.
Make server blows up. First of all, in src/.fingerdir, you
quote (") the directory. The shell doesn't evaluate this, and ends up
testing (and trying to mkdir) \"/usr/local/whatever\".
Make server doesn't do anything to /etc/services.
Make server doesn't do anything to /etc/inetd.conf
Make server doesn't do anything to /etc/rc* to add the
fingerd.
Ditto for make client.
Not only does the automation fail, YOU DO NOT SAY WHAT NEEDS
TO BE MODIFIED IN EACH OF THESE FILES. I figured out what to put in
each file, but I suspect a lot of people wouldn't. Spell it out, in
big letters.
I had to go in and create all of the files that had to be in
finderd myself. I had to figure out what to create from
fingerpaths.h.
Don't put fingerd in bindir; put it in etcdir. There's no
reason to "leave it out in the open" for everyone to bang on.
Say in the docs that fingerd only runs on the SERVER. This is
becomes obvious if you try to start it on a client, but it's unclear
without doing this.
What does TTYLOCFILE do?
Regards,
James
--
James Ralston Crawford \ Advanced Technology Lab The
qralston@cislabs.pitt.edu \ qralston@pittvms.bitnet Phantom
"Pitiful creature of darkness \ What kind of life have you known" - of the
"God give me courage to show you \ You are not alone" Opera
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Newsgroups: gnu.utils.bug Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!sparky!uunet!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!cis.ohio-state.edu!cislabs.pitt.EDU!qralston From: qralston@cislabs.pitt.EDU (James Ralston Crawford) Subject: comps/complaints/problems with GNU finger Message-ID: <9210100316.AA02645@phantom.cislabs.pitt.edu> Sender: gnulists@ai.mit.edu Organization: GNUs Not Usenet Distribution: gnu Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 19:16:06 GMT Approved: bug-gnu-utils@prep.ai.mit.edu Lines: 64