Re: Definition of "packet"

[Jacob Nevins <jacobn+secsh%chiark.greenend.org.uk@localhost>]

I wrote:
> I assume that you're referring to the parameter in the
> SSH_MSG_CHANNEL_OPEN packet.
  [...]
> I agree this is not absolutely clear.
> 
> I think, given the context, that I'd expect it to refer to the maximum
> amount of actual channel data in a packet (i.e., the maximum length of
> the `data' field, not including the string length, in the
> SSH_MSG_CHANNEL_DATA packet), and similar for related types of packet. I
> think this is your option `a'.
> 
> PuTTY at least appears to agree with this.

>From my brief reading of the source, OpenSSH (4.2p1) also appears to
take this interpretation.

> If there's consensus on this, can we get a note into the RFC before it's
> published?

How about the following change to secsh-connect 5.1, which makes the
'maximum packet size' language match that used for 'initial window
size'?:

                          The 'maximum packet size' specifies the
   maximum number of bytes of channel data that may be sent to the
   sender in a single SSH packet.