Re: Nvu

[web400@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

> > Of course, it'll only work if the i5/OS FTP server is set to Unix 
> > directory format, and namefmt 1 by default, but it'll be a good test.
>
> Which would be an acceptable requirement--especially for a utility that
> doesn't specifically understand OS/400.

I can understand why you'd need that if the utilityu doesn't understand 
OS/400, but I'd prefer not to make a change that affects every user FTP on 
my system so that I can experiment with Nvu. :)

With my patch, Nvu sets the NAMEFMT and LISTFMT immediately after the SYST 
command determines that it's logging in to an OS/400 server, so I don't 
have to change my FTP server config.

[SNIP errors from configure script]
> So now we enter the "open source maze" again. Now I have to find and
> install GLIB and libIDL (and whatever dependencies they have) and go
> again.

Yes, that's a pain, I get frustrated by that, too.  Though, I have that 
pain with commercial software as well... too many dependencies can lead to 
a lot of hassle, for sure. But, stuff based on GNU software (read: Linux 
stuff) seems particularly bad.

> As a test I changed the text of the TCP error messages I mentioned in
> my previous append to replace "OS/400" wit "UNIX" and guess what?
> Successful connection. However the upload fails with "501 Unknown
> extension in database file name"

Nvu seems to interpret all of the directory names you supply as 
relative to your initial directory on the FTP server.  By default, the 
initial directory is set to *CURLIB which is the user's current library 
from their user profile.  The problem is that if my initial library is 
"SCOTT" then Nvu starts all directory names with /QSYS.LIB/SCOTT.LIB which 
causes everything to be treated as a database table.

One easy workaround is:
 CHGFTPA CURDIR(*HOMEDIR)

But, of course, that puts me back to having to make a change that affects 
all users.  So in the patch I created for Nvu, I also had it set my CWD to 
the IFS root after it sets the NAMEFMT and LISTFMT.  This way, the 
directory names are all relative to root, which I think would be more 
intuitive to an OS/400 user.

Anyway, if you haven't, you might try my patch at the following link
  http://www.scottklement.com/tools/nvu_os400.diff