Re: OpenSRS API Question

[inbox]

Chris,

Almost forgot,

Like you Colin has also provided me the details I requested, so please go easy on him. ;-)

Thank you *BOTH*, and all others who have provided help via theses post and also by direct email!

I really do appreciate it!

Charles

PS. That does not mean I've got this sucker working yet! 8-o


On Wed, 15 Jan 2003 13:54:22 -0500
"Chris R Chapman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

I've communicated with Charles directly and understand what he needs-- and
his frustration.

And *COMPLET* mean just that!

1) Present the message being made of the server, and provide it as a
text file

These are provided in the API spec.

Technically, yes, but that's just for the XCP message itself. Charles is
driving at what happens _before_ the XCP is sent, ie the handshaking and
preamble messages as per Appendix C. These aren't provided in the API as
examples-- however, if you're comfortable with PERL, these can be easily
discerned from the API instructions.

2) Show all messages used for any interlocks, and provide as a text file

I don't know what you mean by this.

I've already addressed this above.

3) Provide the packets after encryption as files. Thus I have a an
incremental baseline from which I can verify my code.

You want a TCP dump of the encrypted data? That is simply absurd.

Well, yes it is absurd. But it's not really what he wants.

First, the paranoid among us will think you are going to try and
reverse-hack our encryption keys. Second, if you honestly claim to be
able to understand Blowfish encrypted TCP packets, but can't understand
the OpenSRS API specifications ... well ... I for one don't buy it.

You're right, you are paranoid. As per the latter, the API manual is, to be
blunt, a work in progress. There are numerous errors and omissions, and if
I ever wrote something like that for a client, I'd lose my advance and have
to re-write it on my own dime. While not a concern for Charles, I hasten to
add that the quality of the PERL scripts also leaves a hell of a lot to be
desired.

I'm sending to you, not cc'ing the list, the XML dump of a domain lookup
(generated using the PHP class, but that's irrelevant). That, plus some
reading of the API specs, should be more than enough for you to get
started ... especially if you've been "programming micro compunters
since [you] purchased a
TRS-80 back in 1976".

Condescension isn't necessary here-- Charles is just trying to make the
point that he's not a complete neophyte. His frustration is one I share
about the API documentation-- it is poorly written with spotty examples, and
if you're not completely comfortable with PERL, you're SOL.

Give the guy a break! All of us have been at the bottom end of a learning
curve at one time or another, and will probably continue to be throughout
our careers.

Chris R Chapman.