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Date:      Tue, 18 Jun 1996 01:06:13 +0400 (MSD)
From:      =?KOI8-R?Q?=E1=CE=C4=D2=C5=CA_=FE=C5=D2=CE=CF=D7?= (aka Andrey A. Chernov, Black Mage) <ache@astral.msk.su>
To:        peter@spinner.dialix.com (Peter Wemm)
Cc:        CVS-committers@freefall.freebsd.org, cvs-all@freefall.freebsd.org, cvs-usrbin@freefall.freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: cvs commit: src/usr.bin/w w.c
Message-ID:  <199606172106.BAA00916@astral.msk.su>
In-Reply-To: <199606172017.EAA02442@spinner.DIALix.COM> from "Peter Wemm" at "Jun 18, 96 04:17:32 am"

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> hstake   A04 28800/ARQ:ppp     2:53AM    50 -tserv
> I think it's pretty obvious when a hostname is invalid..  I'm not arguing 
> about the conversion to IP addresses, I just dont like the new error 
> messages when something slips through.

As I said in previous message, I agree here. I already remove error
message, it will be no surprises in that case.

> No, it's a different case..  With 'route' and 'netstat' etc, the program 
> starts off with an IP address and converts it to a hostname, and the -n 
> flag disables the conversion and causes it to be displayed in it's natural 
> form.  If anything, the traditional meaning of "-n" means "no nameserver 
> lookups", which is opposite of what you've done.  Now, 'w -n' causes the 
> nameserver to be referenced! :-(

Netstat man says just about numeric form (like w man) and nothing about
nameserver.
Lets not follow somehow obsoleted tradition but looks from user point of view:
he want ether names or numeric addresses and can know nothing about
nameserver lookups
Now about w changes exactly: if you don't run nameserver, you'll have
numeric adresses in your utmp instead of names. If numeric address
already present, w does't refer to nameserver, just print it.

> (I think I should go and add a leading ":" to the entry that our modem 
> pool monitoring software stores there since there seems to be a 
> convention.. screen puts in things like ":ttyp6:S.0".  If this indeed is 
> the "rule", then a mention should be made in the utmp man page...)

All programs I see do it in that way, expect, maybe xterm:

> (I realise you're still working on it, but it's still not quite compatable 
> with xterm.. X11 can have a $DISPLAY of "unix:0.0")

personally I never see such entry in utmp. Are you talking about
$DISPLAY only or you saw it in utmp too?

> Incidently, how long has it been since the last round of discussion about 
> the utmp/wtmp record size?  I personally would like the default utmp/wtmp 
> record size changed so that usernames are increased from 8 characters to 
> either 12 or 16, and a new field added to store an IP address, and the pid 
> of the session (allowing easier tracking of user processes from utmp 
> records)..

Few methods available here:
1) Increase ut_host to MAXHOSTNAMELEN.
It will be most safest way, all programs must be recompiled only
(and not rewritted). Size utmp/wtmp/lastlog increases :-(
2) Always store IP address in different field instead of hostname
(some OS do it). All programs must be rewritted :-(

-- 
Andrey A. Chernov        : And I rest so composedly,  /Now, in my bed,
ache@astral.msk.su       : That any beholder  /Might fancy me dead -
http://dt.demos.su/~ache : Might start at beholding me,  /Thinking me dead.
RELCOM Team,FreeBSD Team :         E.A.Poe         From "For Annie" 1849



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