Distribution of KA9Q code

[Jay "you ignorant splut!" Maynard]

For those of you who were asking how to get the KA9Q TCP/IP package:

karn at ka9q.bellcore.com (Phil Karn) writes:
For some time, I've been getting mail of the form "I want a copy of your
code but I can't FTP from here".  Lately these requests have reached a fever
pitch.

It has gotten to the point where I simply have no choice but to put my foot
down and say that I can't honor any more such requests.  Figuring out how to
get a large binary file to somebody through a jury-rigged chain of UUCP
sites and/or FOOBARNET mail gateways is extremely time-consuming and tedious.
I'm sure people would rather have me spend my time coding!

Furthermore, shipping large files like the KA9Q TCP/IP sources through the
mail gateways that do exist to other networks is, in my opinion, abusing the
hospitality of the gateway operators. In most (if not all) cases, these
paths use dialup phone links, with the gateway operators footing their own
phone bills in order to provide a courtesy to others.

If you cannot access the anonymous FTP directories on flash.bellcore.com or
louie.udel.edu, I suggest the following alternative ways to obtain the code:

1. If you are at a university, commercial or governmental institution that
has an internal computer network, jump up and down until you convince your
management that you should join the Internet. With the development of the
NSFNET backbone and the regional networks, Internet connectivity is now
available to almost any organization doing research or development, not just
those with DoD contracts. The Internet is so incredibly useful for so many
things that it is becoming at least as essential as telephone service for an
awful lot of people.

2. If you cannot get on the Internet, find a friend who *is* on the net and
get them to fetch the code for you.  I encourage people to set up informal
"networks" to distribute copies of my code to their friends, as long as the
use is non-commercial. You may ship disks around, use bulletin boards or do
direct phone or packet radio transfers; your choice. I strongly encourage
those with Internet access to make current copies of the code available to
others, e.g., by public access UUCP a la N3EUA's or WB3FFV's UNIX systems.
Given the time it takes to send the stuff even at 2400 baud, I'm sure these
two systems could use some help in sharing the load.

3. If all else fails, wait until the new releases are announced as being
available through the TAPR office on floppy. You will have to wait a while,
as TAPR prefers to deal only with "official" releases, not the "snapshots"
of development code I've been regularly putting out for testing.

The only exception I will make to my rule of staying out of the code
distribution business is for people who have already proven themselves as
contributors to the coding effort. For these relatively few people I am
willing to prepare and mail floppies when necessary, but because of the time
and expense I am simply unable to do this for everyone who asks.

Thanks for your understanding.

Phil Karn, KA9Q


-- 
Jay Maynard, EMT-P, K5ZC, PP-ASEL   | Never ascribe to malice that which can
uucp:        uunet!nuchat!   (eieio)| adequately be explained by stupidity.
    hoptoad!academ!uhnix1!splut!jay +----------------------------------------
{killer,bellcore}!texbell!          | "Less great!" "Tastes filling!"