Jonathan Gift wrote: > > On Sun, Dec 17, 2000 at 08:08:18PM -0600, will trillich wrote: > > > > try > > apt-setup > > or if you don't have that, > > apt-get install base-config > > which provides it. it lets you select, first of all, > > which method (http/ftp) to use. > > > > my sources.list resembles this: > > > > deb http://security.debian.org potato/updates main contrib non-free > > deb http://ftp.digex.net/debian/ stable main non-free contrib > > # deb-src http://ftp.digex.net/debian/ stable main non-free contrib > > deb http://non-us.debian.org/debian-non-US stable/non-US main contrib > > non-free > > Thanks for the info. > > > apparently ftp was designed for nosing around, checking out > > directory listings, downloading a file, maybe another, moving on > > to another directory... whereas http was designed for "here's > > that file you asked for" thus making http quicker, > > protocol-wise. > > It's just that a while ago I had heard the opposite, that http was for > looking around and so slower. Maybe things have changed.
my first impression was the same. but when you think about it -- you web browser asks you what address to look up. you give it the full address; if the server redirects the browser, it's the server's responsibility to do so correctly -- at any rate, every image the http protocol inlines into your web pages, are all specified in advance. each one is merely "gimme file path/to/item!" ftp on the other hand -- if you've ever used ftp from the command line or even via a web browser -- ftp ftp.somewhere.org.tld >user: nobody >password: somethingelse careful, we'll track everything you do! ls <files files files> cd /path ls <files files files> cd subpath ls <files files files> image get some-file-or-other once the transfer starts, they should be about the same, but there's lots of overhead for ftp. (okay, i'm exaggerating; if you know exactly which file to ftp in advance, you can skip all the LS and CD, but there's still some extra finagling that HTTP doesn't need.) -- mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.dontUthink.com/