Subject: Re: Proposal for new utility in base: bin/nc
To: None <tech-userlevel@NetBSD.ORG>
From: Eric Gillespie, Jr. <epg@pretzelnet.org>
List: tech-userlevel
Date: 10/12/2001 09:18:58
Simon Burge <simonb@wasabisystems.com> writes:
> I did download your program and had a look at it. It looks
> handy for some circumstances, but _I_ personally don't see
> the need for it in the base system. Without examples, I
> can't see any advantage to using nc over using ftp (and in
It's one of those last-ditch oh-shit-the-system's-fucked tools.
It's also useful as a general network testing and debugging
tool. It belongs in the same place as ping.
> fact anything I can think of seems harder using nc since
> you need to actively set up something on the listener side
> each time you want to use it).
Not so. nc doesn't implement some kind of protocol; you're not
trying to talk to an nc server. It opens TCP connections of any
kind. It's not a file transfer program.
> That said, you've said you've volunteered to add the other
> netcat features and it certainly looks like your program
Sure, if people really want them. I'd rather keep it small and
simple and get it into the base system though :).
--
Eric Gillespie, Jr.
mailto:epg@pretzelnet.org <*> jabber:pretzelgod@jabber.org
"This movie sure is gory!"
"Yeah, but that's one cute pig."