To those of you out there that are using (or plan to use) httpd, lynx,
gopher, or the other new net-toys floating around these days, I would
like to make a suggestion/request:
 
I'd like to try and make the porting and software distribution procedures
a bit more "formal".  While we have made a giant step forward by getting
these applications running on the 3000, we are NOT getting back into the
distribution channel.  As a result, we have "the real things" and "the
jazz things".
 
This was fine initially, but using httpd as an example:
 
* the jazz version is (or at least was) "internalized" such that the
  source is bound to an included BSD library (code and source).  I would
  prefer to have a "clean" one that uses the /bsd stuff now available on
  jazz.  No sense dragging around multiple copies of the /bsd code.
 
* the jazz version is 1.3 - but 1.4 is out now, as well as the Apache httpd
  service (based on NCSA 1.3 but optimized).  Aside from running diffs on
  the code and hoping for the best, another port would almost have to start
  from scratch.  We need to get the MPE-mods back into the distribution.
 
* Even on MPE, several people have "tweaked" the jazz version; for example
  Stan's background launcher and enhanced logging switches.  I have heard
  Robelle has tweaked lynx considerably as well.  We should get together on
  some of these things (and others).
 
Any thoughts/feedback from the readership?  From the guilty parties?  :-)
 
[\] Jeff Kell, [log in to unmask]