Re: fixhrefgz unnecessary when fixing web-browsers in the correct wayR
On Sun, 29 Jun 1997, Jim Pick wrote:
>We shouldn't be changing the way browsers work.
That is what I have been saying all the way...
>Most browsers follow the HTTP/1.0 or 1.1 standard - including Netscape -
>and I don't think it's smart to develop a "debian-specific" HTTP
>protocol extension -- that's what you are suggesting, in essence.
No I was just thinking the position taken by others to the bitter end.
>I really only see two possible outcomes to this debate:
>
> 1) Store HTML files uncompressed and don't munge the links
> - all web browsers will work, no web server required
> - wasteful of disk space (particularily for large
> documentation packages, like the Java JDK docs,
> or info-style "books") - note that these types of
> documents tend to be monolithic, so they could be
> put into separate optional documentation packages
> - the system administrator could use a compressed
> filesystem like e2compr to conserve disk space
That would definitely be best.
> 2) Store HTML files compressed and munge the links with a tool
> like fixhrefgz
> - Lynx and Netscape work with no web server required (I think)
> - other web browsers will work, if they use a web server
> such as boa, or a web server and dwww
> - currently, at least on my system, not a single documentation
> package with .html.gz files has had the links fixed so that
> it works when browsing directly from the filesystem (and I
> maintain two of those packages, oops - even worse the jdk1.1
> docs have compressed and uncompressed files - arrrgh)
> - it's extra work for the developers, and error prone too
> - I think Lars was advocating this, and I was too
This wont work as we already have said again and again. You are modifying
the HTTP protocol with this and creating a new .html.gz extension in
essence. And sometimes the web browser will get those files compressed and
sometimes not.
>Christoph seems to be advocating:
>
> 3) Store HTML files compressed, and don't munge the links
> - Lynx (and others) might work without a web server if they
> were modified
> - Netscape wouldn't work without a web server
> - other web browsers will work, if they use a web server
> such as boa, or a web server and dwww
I only advocated this as a compromise. I am for #1. And I would go further
and abolish all compression everywhere. Compression should only be done if
its transparent for all apps (e2compr or zlib?). I have seen so many
broken packages because of manpage compression etc etc. The clean solution
would be to stop this once and for all.
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