Re: lynx-dev Lynx problems

[David Combs]

> From address@hidden Wed Apr 29 10:47:28 1998
> To: address@hidden
> Subject: Re: lynx-dev Lynx problems
> 
> >>>>> "JP" == Jacob Poon <address@hidden> writes:
> 
> [Lynx 2.7.2 tries to display binary file retrieved by ftp]
> 
> JP> This bring to me one question.  Shouldn't Lynx at least ask the
> JP> user first before handling an unidentified URL before assuming
> JP> text/plain?  Or do I have to adjust .Mailcap and .mime.types and
> JP> lynx.cfg before I can change Lynx's disastarous default behaviour,
> JP> _especially on FTP access_?
> 
> You can change it in your lynx.cfg, as well.
> 
> How is Lynx supposed to know the file type of an ftp file?  Ftp
> doesn't know from MIME.  It might well be better to offer something
> like "D)ownload, V)iew, or C)ancel" on ftp URLs, but remember that you
> have to do that /for all ftp URLs/ in all circumstances.  Really, you
> ought to use an ftp client for fetching ftp files for which you know
> the location, or at worst wget.


Maybe lynx should have a unix-like "file" command, that downloads
the first small part of a file, and tries to figure out what
it is, ie binary, postscript, html, etc.

Or if you give it a strange extension, it can ASK you "want me
to try to figure out what kind of thing it is?"