From: Chris Wedgwood <chris@cybernet.co.nz>
Date: Fri, 27 Sep 1996 22:46:59 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: ssh - How widely used?
Message-ID: <199609271206.AAA02796@cybernet.co.nz>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


:From: martin hamilton <M.T.Hamilton@lboro.ac.uk>
:To: cypherpunks@toad.com
:cc: ssh@clinet.fi
:Subject: Re: ssh - How widely used?
:
:On Thu, 26 Sep 1996, Adam Shostack wrote:
:
:> 	Theres a windows version, mac is under vauge development.  SSH
:> is pretty cool, but the code base is somewhat messy, and its shows
:> signs of its origins in things like systems calls not having their
:> return values checked.
:
:Shame it costs $$$, though I appreciate that Tatu needs to eat... ;-) 
:
:Perhaps Cedomir Igaly could be persuaded to release the source code to the
:Windows port he did ?  Anyone else interested in getting a little group
:together to hack on this ?  (under GPL or BSD style copyright)
:
:Martin

I have a hackery botch job that I have done to make ssh run in a Windows NT
console session (untested under '95, but should work). The trouble is it
contains a mix of commercial code (which I do not own and cannot distribute)
and GNU code. Thus, I can use it myself - but not distribute it.

I was speaking to someone yesterday about this, as I was at one stage
thinking I may get the code cleaned up as much as possible (ie. only contain
GNU code) and release it to the masses to play with. Eventually it might
turn out to be something of use...

Doing this would, perhaps, undermine Datafellows and Tatu somewhat. As
someone who writes code to put food on the table, I wouldn't really feel
comfortable doing this. Tatu has spent a whole heap of time on this, doing
so wouldn't be fair this early. A freely available, albeit with no guarantee
or support and fewer features version of ssh would surely effect sales to a
reasonable extent?

I would recommend people buy the product. If you fell it too expensive, then
complain to datafellows about this. Eventually the make take some notice of
these complaints, or have alternate pricing structures that make the product
more attractive for your needs. IMO its not terribly expensive.




Chris

P.S. (Any replies to this please cc to me of ssh@clinet.fi as I don't read
     CP very often)