From: fad@turing.think.com (Franklin A Davis)
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.wais
Subject: Re: Are WaisStation and ARA compatible?
Date: 24 Jul 92 21:24:19 GMT
	<CKD.92Jul19230551@loiosh.eff.org> <FAD.92Jul21105414@turing.think.com>
	<1992Jul22.121208.7266@scott.skidmore.edu>
Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation
NNTP-Posting-Host: turing.think.com
In-reply-to: ldg@scott.skidmore.edu's message of Wed, 22 Jul 1992 12:12:08 GMT

In article <1992Jul22.121208.7266@scott.skidmore.edu> ldg@scott.skidmore.edu (Leo D. Geoffrion) writes:

   In article <FAD.92Jul21105414@turing.think.com> fad@turing.think.com (Franklin A Davis) writes:
   >   ldg> == ldg  <ldg@skidmore.edu> 
   >    ldg> So far, all MacTCP applications (NCSA Telnet, Gopher, TheNews,
   >    ldg> Eudora) work fine, but WAISStation 0.62 fails with the error
   >    ldg> message "configuration error -- unable to access remote
   >    ldg> databases".  

   >It's probably an error configuring MacTCP on the remote machine.  It's
   >tricky to get everything right: the zone, subnet, class, domain server,
   >etc.  Get a netexpert to help.

   Unfortunately, I am the closest thing to a local netexpert -- any
   volunteers to help as an outside expert?  I'm fairly proficient with
   MacTCP, having done the initial campus installations and supervised
   its installation on dozens of computers across campus that connect via
   an assortment of Gatorboxes and ethertalk/CAP configurations.  We have
   no Shiva/Kinetics FastPaths.

   MacTCP is set to obtain its addressing from the server (Gatorbox).
   This is the identical arrangement as used in our offices.  It works
   fine for other apps such as Telnet, Gopher, and TheNews.  Given the
   instantaneous nature of the WAISStation error message, I doubt if it's
   any sort of timeout error.  

Oops, I didn't notice that other apps worked--so you're right, it's
probably not MacTCP.

   Can anyone advise on what parameter(s) WAISstation might be looking
   for that are not used by the other apps?

You need to be sure the source is configured correctly.  As a start, you
might want to use ResEdit or other tool to change the type of your
directory-of-servers source to TEXT, edit it, and make sure it looks
something like this, then change the type back and try again.  --Franklin

(:source 
   :version  3 
   :ip-address "192.31.181.1"
   :ip-name "quake.think.com"
   :tcp-port 210
   :database-name "directory-of-servers"
   :cost 0.00 
   :cost-unit :free 
   :maintainer "wais-directory-of-servers@quake.think.com"
   :subjects "general guide WAIS servers"
   :description 
"Server created with WAIS-8 on Fri Mar  8 14:30:57 1991 by
 brewster@think.com
This is a White Pages listing of WAIS servers.  For more information on
WAIS, use the WAIS system on the wais-docs server, or add yourself to the
wais-discussion@think.com mailing list, or get the newest software from
think.com:/public/wais.

To server makers: Please make new servers of text, pictures, music
whatever.  We will try to list all servers in the directory that get sent
in to: directory-of-servers@quake.think.com (use the -register option on
the command waisindex), but I reserve the right to take servers out if they
are not consistently available.  I will send notice to the maintainer
before doing so.

To get a list of all available sources, search for 'source'.  This may
limited by the maximum number of results allowed by a client.

Bugs and comments to bug-wais@think.com.
 -brewster@think.com
"
)
--
 franklin a davis  Thinking Machines Corp. Cambridge, MA 02142   617-234-2060
 Internet: fad@think.com    uucp: {mit-eddie, uunet}!think!fad  fax: 234-4444
 AppleLink (memos only): fad@think.com@internet#       AppleLink (files): FAD
 Member of the League for Programming Freedom -- write league@prep.ai.mit.edu
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.wais