I've gotten far enough along with the Tops-20 finger server that I
thought it would be a good idea to capture some of the common
assumptions and requirements into a DECnet finger specification document
of a sorts. The current working version can be found at:
_VENTI2::DECNET-FINGER-SPECIFICATION.TXT_.
I emphasize /WORKING VERSION/ as I have been working with (a very
patient) Johnny to run tests, and chase down documentation bugs, gaps,
inaccuracies and other delusions. It's an active work in progress.
In particular, the limits of certain connections field are based what is
documented in the January 1980 version of the TOPS-20 DECnet-20
Programmer's Guide and Operations Manual, Order Number AA-5091A-TM.
This is quite old as it is based on Tops-20 version 4 and Tops-20 DECnet
version 2. However, it is what I had handy and what I remember coding
to, back in the day. Connection parameters are partially specified as
attributes and are as follows:
* ;*USERID*:/userid/ where /userid/ consists of 1 to 16 contiguous
alphanumeric ASCII characters (including the hyphen, dollar sign,
and underscore) identifying the source task. _Example_: ;USERID:ALIBABA
* ;*PASSWORD*:/password/ where /password/ consists of 1 to a
contiguous alphanumeric ASCII characters (including the hyphen,
dollar sign, and underscore) required by the target task to validate
the connection. _Example_: ;PASSWORD:SESAME
* *;CHARGE*:/acctno/ where /acctno/ consists of 1 to 16 contiguous
alphanumeric ASCII characters (including the hyphen, dollar sign,
and underscore) representing the source task's account
identification. _Example_: ;CHARGE:ACCT-13C
* *;DATA*:/userdata/ where /userdata/ consists of 1 to 16 contiguous
alphanumeric ASCII characters (including the hyphen, dollar sign,
and underscore) representing user data. _Example_: ;DATA:THIS-IS-A-TEST
I've since found out that I'm *wrong* about USERID, and that it actually
allows up to 39 characters and have tested this.
What specification has these field definitions and limits? I'd like to
look at it before I go digging into Tops-20 and, of course, fixing the
finger server.