From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.5 required=5.0 tests=DKIM_INVALID,DKIM_SIGNED, HEADER_FROM_DIFFERENT_DOMAINS,HTML_MESSAGE,MAILING_LIST_MULTI, URIBL_SBL_A autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (minnie.tuhs.org [50.116.15.146]) by inbox.vuxu.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 37D2F276A8 for ; Thu, 16 May 2024 13:51:27 +0200 (CEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [IPv6:::1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id AB0A743673; Thu, 16 May 2024 21:51:25 +1000 (AEST) Received: from mail-vs1-xe2e.google.com (mail-vs1-xe2e.google.com [IPv6:2607:f8b0:4864:20::e2e]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 0AB2F4331D for ; Thu, 16 May 2024 21:51:20 +1000 (AEST) Received: by mail-vs1-xe2e.google.com with SMTP id ada2fe7eead31-47eee2a2a87so2249017137.0 for ; Thu, 16 May 2024 04:51:19 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=ccil.org; s=google; t=1715860278; x=1716465078; darn=tuhs.org; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:in-reply-to:references:mime-version :from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=pzvbroW+ycpBpAwd5svZ0Myl2e/Fz/eKcfL6gwslJD8=; b=oydbtt8aR2lws9W2swD3YhJbHFBxc3KWUh5FyUyKQy+z0VoHcwzbwWj0J+FXJK/jjD KAZaD9pI16ZNLNLfS8rY6ZG/r0/itdAMcnsjvz2aRNwALS6J0v61ESoW141dQkRKGj0F xONTb3i2XtjCqz1DKh8lKvCMXgA5Tc8IwIbrUOPDEJQknkAhhsGdnLhMkeJuOk7HMPDC AmbcwhhepAYrkWqfTI3YAO0S4+mcvGAmR6hc0GpHLRiq2jYyLI2UdvSCniteWQIvVilJ BW4F5CM0hfYxhS+Gw+kiEhbPCOOWbwrwhmoZ29dcAQ+zrrSxrFLElJiwXo/k9OFegdx4 eoKw== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20230601; t=1715860278; x=1716465078; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:in-reply-to:references:mime-version :x-gm-message-state:from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=pzvbroW+ycpBpAwd5svZ0Myl2e/Fz/eKcfL6gwslJD8=; b=U4aCNzhGZ6VZTcADdE6u7ph2dU+hiIxoXsQ3H66SY3Vw1hWZMcIsHxYUiNtY56AlN2 5Z1MFnw9+k7Hmau9/YSZvggV9Eut/IcitU+U4iNVImXwFt3NdsPCPqZUv/h11cpyI3pI Xzkpt8psxFuMcONqo9ETsQ8ZNJzIk3SIA9tgvQRdiJrfkv+P8y9tQ2lGCpyKRKRH2/UE x0IIKlkKlPhOymZFFQlSuVFfQzdSNln0+P6nzTPjv8Qmb1odAHhJUhKnTJVS1EYSgyQl pQIQPFHFhWXcpYLgMp4z/TyXBZWBlHlJcHB5bx7E2s1SK+a0TxCjyQ1D0QYkPtoKN4ny aHrQ== X-Gm-Message-State: AOJu0Yxg5iRAenT+BCzkmI8rxNIPSZ2QtxCVBakqaF/+ZxdqkuEIwktX nDfZ83mWVAu8/JktRO44AfeeaI0vu5rdfgPbNvhMFNgLMR6XvJ+OS/kofRLuoT8e1JhIdicmUv3 k5lYK07OuTeVxtHortToGzMAE05gkZHGEQZ1KyKuynxNzv1MW0EUcBQ== X-Google-Smtp-Source: AGHT+IEK3VHXSaY4UwAOTyX1+m7oA/PkHqHaeHJ1yGQCLj/LoXq3+/f3rBzDttZz5wZcmC1NHES037dhRFLPqfZt6bM= X-Received: by 2002:a05:6102:3585:b0:485:af2b:be14 with SMTP id ada2fe7eead31-485af2bbf37mr1293624137.9.1715860278234; Thu, 16 May 2024 04:51:18 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 References: <202405160651.44G6pi8G018059@freefriends.org> <20240516073351.267351FAE3@orac.inputplus.co.uk> In-Reply-To: <20240516073351.267351FAE3@orac.inputplus.co.uk> From: John Cowan Date: Thu, 16 May 2024 07:51:06 -0400 Message-ID: To: coff@tuhs.org Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="0000000000005e69c3061890da66" Message-ID-Hash: QFD3ABIB43O322QYMQERSCW7Y4MVVQCM X-Message-ID-Hash: QFD3ABIB43O322QYMQERSCW7Y4MVVQCM X-MailFrom: cowan@ccil.org X-Mailman-Rule-Misses: dmarc-mitigation; no-senders; approved; emergency; loop; banned-address; member-moderation; nonmember-moderation; administrivia; implicit-dest; max-recipients; max-size; news-moderation; no-subject; digests; suspicious-header X-Mailman-Version: 3.3.6b1 Precedence: list Subject: [COFF] Re: [TUHS] Re: Be there a "remote diff" utility? List-Id: Computer Old Farts Forum Archived-At: List-Archive: List-Help: List-Owner: List-Post: List-Subscribe: List-Unsubscribe: --0000000000005e69c3061890da66 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable The Newcastle Connection, aka Unix United, was an early experiment in transparent networking: see < https://web.archive.org/web/20160816184205/http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/research= /pubs/articles/papers/399.pdf> for a high-level description. A name of the form "/../host/path" represented a file or device on a remote host in a fully transparent way. This was layered on V7 at the libc level, so that the kernel did not need to be modified (though the shell did, since it was not libc-based at the time). MUNIX was an implementation of the same idea using System V as the underlying system. This appears to be a VHS vs. Betamax battle: NFS was not transparent, but Sun had far more marketing clout. However, the Manchester Connection required a single uid space (as far as I can tell), which may also have been a (perceived) institutional barrier. On Thu, May 16, 2024 at 3:34=E2=80=AFAM Ralph Corderoy wrote: > Hi, > > I've set =E2=80=98mail-followup-to: coff@tuhs.org=E2=80=99. > > > > Every so often I want to compare files on remote machines, but all > > > I can do is to fetch them first (usually into /tmp); I'd like to do > > > something like: > > > > > > rdiff host1:file1 host2:file2 > > > > > > Breathes there such a beast? > > No, nor should there. It would be slain less it beget rcmp, rcomm, > rpaste, ... > > > > Think of it as an extension to the Unix philosophy of "Everything > > > looks like a file"... > > Then make remote files look local as far as their access is concerned. > Ideally at the system-call level. Less ideal, at libc.a. > > > Maybe > > > > diff -u <(ssh host1 cat file1) <(ssh host2 cat file2) > > This is annoyingly noisy if the remote SSH server has sshd_config(5)'s > =E2=80=98Banner=E2=80=99 set which spews the contents of a file before au= thentication, > e.g. the pointless > > This computer system is the property of ... > > Disconnect NOW if you have not been expressly authorised to use this > system. Unauthorised use is a criminal offence under the Computer > Misuse Act 1990. > > Communications on or through ...uk's computer systems may be > monitored or recorded to secure effective system operation and for > other lawful purposes. > > It appears on stderr so doesn't upset the diff but does clutter. > And discarding stderr is too sloppy. > > -- > Cheers, Ralph. > --0000000000005e69c3061890da66 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
The Newcastle Connection, aka Unix United, w= as an early experiment in transparent networking: see <https://web.archive.org/web/20160816184205/http://= www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/research/pubs/articles/papers/399.pdf> for a high-l= evel description.=C2=A0 A name of the form "/../host/path" repres= ented a file or device on a remote host in a fully transparent way.=C2=A0 T= his was layered on V7 at the libc level, so that the kernel did not need to= be modified (though the shell did, since it was not libc-based at the time= ).=C2=A0 MUNIX was an implementation of the same idea using System V as the= underlying system.

This appears= =C2=A0to be a VHS vs. Betamax battle: NFS was not transparent, but Sun had = far more marketing clout.=C2=A0 However, the Manchester Connection required= =C2=A0a single uid space (as far as I can tell), which may also have been a= (perceived) institutional barrier.

On Thu, May 16, 2024 at 3:34=E2=80= =AFAM Ralph Corderoy <ralph@inp= utplus.co.uk> wrote:
Hi,

I've set =E2=80=98mail-followup-to: coff@tuhs.org=E2=80=99.

> > Every so often I want to compare files on remote machines, but al= l
> > I can do is to fetch them first (usually into /tmp); I'd like= to do
> > something like:
> >
> >=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0rdiff host1:file1 host2:file2
> >
> > Breathes there such a beast?

No, nor should there.=C2=A0 It would be slain less it beget rcmp, rcomm, rpaste, ...

> > Think of it as an extension to the Unix philosophy of "Every= thing
> > looks like a file"...

Then make remote files look local as far as their access is concerned.
Ideally at the system-call level.=C2=A0 Less ideal, at libc.a.

> Maybe
>
>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0diff -u <(ssh host1 cat file1) <(ssh host2 ca= t file2)

This is annoyingly noisy if the remote SSH server has sshd_config(5)'s<= br> =E2=80=98Banner=E2=80=99 set which spews the contents of a file before auth= entication,
e.g. the pointless

=C2=A0 =C2=A0 This computer system is the property of ...

=C2=A0 =C2=A0 Disconnect NOW if you have not been expressly authorised to u= se this
=C2=A0 =C2=A0 system.=C2=A0 Unauthorised use is a criminal offence under th= e Computer
=C2=A0 =C2=A0 Misuse Act 1990.

=C2=A0 =C2=A0 Communications on or through ...uk's computer systems may= be
=C2=A0 =C2=A0 monitored or recorded to secure effective system operation an= d for
=C2=A0 =C2=A0 other lawful purposes.

It appears on stderr so doesn't upset the diff but does clutter.
And discarding stderr is too sloppy.

--
Cheers, Ralph.
--0000000000005e69c3061890da66--