[gopher] Re: Problem with SiMpLeMaChInEs

[JumpJet Mailbox <jumpjetinfo@xxxxxxxxx>]

Testing indicates that software expecting to see gopher on Port 70 will NOT 
translate to another port.  
   
  BROWSERS:
   
  Bobcat for DOS will fail
  Lynx for DOS will fail
  Internet Explorer will NOT see your server, and will either give an error 
message (if attaching to a sub-directory) or crash the browser if connecting to 
the root directory. 
  Older versions of Lynx for Windows will fail [but upgrading to the newest 
version will work].
  Older versions of Firefox will fail [but upgrading to the newest version will 
work].
  The MSNTV (WebTV) browser will fail.
   
  GOPHER CLIENTS:
   
  Documentation indicates the Acorn Risk OS client will fail.
  Documentation indicates the Atari MiNT client will fail.
  Documentation indicates the IBM CMS mainframe clients will fail.
  Documentation indicates the VAX mainframe client will fail.
  The MOO object will fail
  The AmigaOS client will fail.
  The OS/2 client will fail.
  All the Windows 3.1 clients tested so far have failed.
  All the DOS clients tested so far have failed.
   
  I have not tested either the Commodore 64 client, Macintosh clients, the NeXT 
client, or the Unix clients.  
   
  A while ago when SiMpLe MaChInEs was operating on Port 70, there was no 
problem with any of the above software connecting.  Moving your server off of 
Port 70 for a "preceived" security concern is preventing a large chunk of 
software and potential users (especially in non-US countries where older 
equipment dominates) from reaching your Server.  Whether any of us like it or 
not, much software is "Hard Coded" to expect Gopher on Port 70.  
   
  Note that JumpJet has always operated on Port 70, and there has never been 
any security breaches because of its using Port 70.  I urge you to switch back. 
 
SiMpLe MaChInEs <simple@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
  JumpJet Mailbox wrote:

> Yes, testing has confirmed that it is indeed a Port 70 issue. This is
> now preventing computer platforms using either Windows or Pure DOS (and
> I suspect Atari, Acorn, and Amiga) from accessing your Server.

Well, I'm not so sure it's a Winderz problem. I just pulled Simple up
on Firefox-2.0.0.5 on XP-Pro/SP2 without any issues. Below are the
browser specifics:

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.5)
Gecko/20070713 Firefox/2.0.0.5

I don't have any other Windows versions to test. Maybe it's a Windows
Firewall issue, though I don't have any unusual exceptions in mine.

>
> Is there any vital reason why you had to move the server away from
> Port 70, and is there any compelling reason why you could not return it
> to Port 70?

I'd rather not use a privileged port because the server then needs to be
run by root and is possibly more susceptible to security breaches. I
think this is a pretty common strategy with other network services, ie.
NATing 80 to 8000 for web servers.

-Jeff





       
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