Re: ID: Proxy autoconfig

   Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 12:35:00 -0800 (PST)
   From: "David W. Morris" <dwm@xpasc.com>

   I think the default should be up to the client publisher. I would
   recommend that once the user has manually altered setting, either those
   setting persist or the user should be asked if the settings are temporary.

I agree.

However, note that automagic configuration has the ideal that a network
administrator should be able configure one server machine and then
not have to touch the clients.

When people at my school screwed the routing so that the machines
behind the firewall could talk to the mail server, but not outside
machines, I changed about three teacher's machines manually.  Those teachers
didn't have a clue what a proxy is; and it would be no easier for them
to tell the browser to use automagic setup than it is for them to
say to use 204.130.130.62 port 80.

   In the context of Netscape 3.0, the user has three proxy choices:
      1.  No
      2.  Manual ... which allows mix and match
      3.  PAC URL

   The shipping default is NO proxy. I would expect that the new protocol
   would either replace #3 or add a #4 and I would guess that the install
   script would include an autoconfig option and either select #1 or #4 but
   I mention these only to put in context the ID as I read it with how it
   might be used. I don't see any need for the RFC which might result from
   this dealing with how individual implementations might be seen by the
   user except as setting the context for understanding the protocol.

Agreed.

I personally would rahter see dhcp used instead of dns I think.
But I need to read the dhcp spec before I comment furthur...

Received on Thursday, 27 March 1997 13:57:05 UTC