SCO TCP/IP for Unix V/386

[Tom Ivar Helbekkmo]

colin at tenset.UUCP (Colin Manning) writes:

>We have just installed TCP/IP (release 1.1.0 Lachman Ass. version)
>for SCO Unix System V/386 v3.2.

>I am experiencing various problems including:

>- it seems to messg up your hard disk requiring fsck's about once a week. 

Known bug, according to the documentation.  Won't damage existing
files, again acc. to doc.

>- it seems to lose data on tcp connections (e.g telnet in, cat a large file - 
>  you seem to consistantly lose chunks of the file, especially at the end).
>- every so often you have to reboot because you cant make a connection to
>  the machine even though it is idle, no one is logged in etc etc

This looks like you need to go through the "streams" part of the OS
customizer, and up the default values a bit.  As root (su will do), do:

# crash
> strstat

and you'll see which parameters need increasing.  The TCP/IP
installation doesn't leave all of these large enough by far for normal
use, so if you haven't started customizing, do it.  This is a cyclic
procedure; you raise the ones that are failing, then run for a couple
of days and inspect again.

>- ftp server has significant differences from the RFC specification.
>  E.g the NLST command returns directory names aswell as filenames, a
>  STOR command does not overwrite a file when it should do, ...

Don't use the ftp server on an SCO V/386 system with TCP/IP 1.1.0
unless you absolutely have to.  It works, but there are *serious* bugs
that make it an ugly security hole.  I've sent SCO email about this and
other problems -- but I certainly won't do it again, as I was told off
for not going through "normal channels" with my complaint.

>- time server does not seem to work. Enable line in inetd.conf to turn it 
>  on and it ignores received requests.

Yeah, that's another problem.  Some daemons have to be privileged in
order to work (of course), but when you just start them from RC
scripts, they're run *without login authentication*, and will fail.
The workaround is to start them with explicit su commands.  Look at
the executable; if it's suid some user or other, explicitly run it
with su to that user.  If not, run it with an su root.  HOWEVER:  Make
sure you test the daemon well afterwards, as new problems may be
created this way.  An example:  Starting the ftp daemon with an su
root will make the "normal" security problems disappear, but will
create even worse ones!

>Incidentally everything else in SCO Unix has worked fine for us and on
>the whole seems pretty robust. Its just the tcp we are having problems with.

Same here -- the system looks pretty good.  Now, if they could only
get the TCP/IP development kit out onto the market, I'd be happy.  We
bought this box specifically in order to develop and use TCP/IP based
applications (servers etc), and after trying for several months to get
hold of the TCP/IP dev.sys, I'm now beginning to feel like
acknowledging my mistake and dumping SCO.  Anyone got good ideas as to
what Unix version I ought to use instead on a 386 box?

-tih
-- 
Tom Ivar Helbekkmo, NHH, Bergen, Norway.  Telephone: +47-5-959205
tih at barsoom.nhh.no, thelbekk at norunit.bitnet, edb_tom at debet.nhh.no