Re: Next server release ...
Marc VanHeyningen (mvanheyn@cs.indiana.edu)
Wed, 21 Jul 1993 09:24:11 -0500
Thus wrote: Nathan Torkington
>How about a decompression system ... when stat() fails on ``file'',
>look for ``file.gz'' and ``file.z'' and ``file.Z'' and ``file.f'',
>etc, and decompress as needed. That way once I have an area static, I
>can gzip the lot and save on diskspace (no, whatever makes you think
>that I'm referring to the thesaurus and CIA world-fact-book? :-).
>
>If the client says they know about x-gzip or whatever the MIME
>incantation is for ``I've got decompression nous'', then the
>decompression doesn't have to be performed. Sound reasonable? If you
>think so, write your name and your idea of this week's mystery guest
>on the back of an envelope and send to .... No wait, if you like the
>idea, implement it and send it to CERN.
Last I heard, how precisely to incorporate compression into MIME
wasn't well defined (hence all the x-types.) Dunno how soon that'll
change.
It seems likely to me that you'll want to wait on using such a feature
much until the majority of users can receive compressed files directly
(i.e. xmosaic goes HTTP/1.0) unless your server has little disk space
and tons of free CPU.
- Marc
--
Marc VanHeyningen mvanheyn@cs.indiana.edu MIME, RIPEM & HTTP spoken here