Probably about time we mentioned the nascent Unix port in the FAQ.

[sgt/putty] / doc / faq.but

diff --git a/doc/faq.but b/doc/faq.but
index 6c518b6..b24a408 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/faq.but
+++ b/doc/faq.but
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-\versionid $Id: faq.but,v 1.33 2002/08/15 14:59:48 jacob Exp $
+\versionid $Id: faq.but,v 1.37 2002/11/02 16:27:17 simon Exp $

 
 \A{faq} PuTTY FAQ
 
 
 \A{faq} PuTTY FAQ
 


@@ -37,9 +37,9 @@ version 0.52.
 \S{faq-ssh2-keyfmt}{Question} Does PuTTY support reading OpenSSH or
 \cw{ssh.com} SSHv2 private key files?
 
 \S{faq-ssh2-keyfmt}{Question} Does PuTTY support reading OpenSSH or
 \cw{ssh.com} SSHv2 private key files?
 

-Version 0.52 doesn't, but in the latest development snapshots
-PuTTYgen can load and save both OpenSSH and \cw{ssh.com} private key
-files.
+PuTTY doesn't support this natively, but as of 0.53
+PuTTYgen can convert both OpenSSH and \cw{ssh.com} private key
+files into PuTTY's format.

 
 \S{faq-ssh1}{Question} Does PuTTY support SSH v1?
 
 
 \S{faq-ssh1}{Question} Does PuTTY support SSH v1?
 


@@ -162,38 +162,46 @@ happens.
 \H{faq-ports} Ports to other operating systems
 
 The eventual goal is for PuTTY to be a multi-platform program, able
 \H{faq-ports} Ports to other operating systems
 
 The eventual goal is for PuTTY to be a multi-platform program, able

-to run on at least Windows, MacOS and Unix. Whether this will
-actually ever happen I have no idea, but it is the plan. A Mac port
-has been started, but is only half-finished and currently not moving
-very fast.
+to run on at least Windows, MacOS and Unix.

 
 Porting will become easier once PuTTY has a generalised porting
 layer, drawing a clear line between platform-dependent and
 
 Porting will become easier once PuTTY has a generalised porting
 layer, drawing a clear line between platform-dependent and

-platform-independent code. The general intention is for this porting
-layer to evolve naturally as part of the process of doing the first
-port. One particularly nasty part of this will be separating the
-many configuration options into platform-dependent and
-platform-independent ones; for example, the options controlling when
-the Windows System menu appears will be pretty much meaningless
-under X11 or perhaps other windowing systems, whereas Telnet Passive
-Mode is universal and shouldn't need to be specified once for each
-platform.
+platform-independent code. The general intention was for this
+porting layer to evolve naturally as part of the process of doing
+the first port; a Unix port is now under way and the plan seems to
+be working so far.

 
 \S{faq-ports-general}{Question} What ports of PuTTY exist?
 
 
 \S{faq-ports-general}{Question} What ports of PuTTY exist?
 

-Currently, PuTTY only runs on full Win32 systems. This includes
-Windows 95, 98, and ME, and it includes Windows NT, Windows 2000 and
-Windows XP.
+Currently, release versions of PuTTY only run on full Win32 systems.
+This includes Windows 95, 98, and ME, and it includes Windows NT,
+Windows 2000 and Windows XP. In the development code, a partial port
+to Unix is under way (see \k{faq-unix}).

 
 

-It does \e{not} include Windows CE (see \k{faq-wince}), and it does
-not quite include the Win32s environment under Windows 3.1 (see
-\k{faq-win31}).
+Currently PuTTY does \e{not} run on Windows CE (see \k{faq-wince}),
+and it does not quite run on the Win32s environment under Windows
+3.1 (see \k{faq-win31}).

 
 

-We do not have ports for any other systems at the present time. If
-anyone told you we had a Unix port, or an iPaq port, or any other
-port of PuTTY, they were mistaken. We don't.
+We do not have release-quality ports for any other systems at the
+present time. If anyone told you we had a Mac port, or an iPaq port,
+or any other port of PuTTY, they were mistaken. We don't.

 
 

-\S{faq-wince}{Question} Will there be a port to Windows CE?
+\S{faq-unix}{Question} Will there be a port to Unix?
+
+It's currently being worked on. If you look at the nightly source
+snapshots, you should find a \c{unix} subdirectory, which should
+build you a Unix port of Plink, and also \c{pterm} - an
+\cw{xterm}-type program which supports the same terminal emulation
+as PuTTY.
+
+It isn't yet clear whether we will bother combining the terminal
+emulator and network back end into the same process, to provide a
+Unix port of the full GUI form of PuTTY. It wouldn't be as useful a
+thing on Unix as it would be on Windows; its major value would
+probably be as a pathfinding effort for other ports. If anyone
+really wants it, we'd be interested to know why :-)
+
+\S{faq-wince}{Question} Will there be a port to Windows CE or PocketPC?

 
 Probably not in the particularly near future. Despite sharing large
 parts of the Windows API, in practice WinCE doesn't appear to be
 
 Probably not in the particularly near future. Despite sharing large
 parts of the Windows API, in practice WinCE doesn't appear to be


@@ -227,14 +235,6 @@ has been static for some time and the main PuTTY code has moved on,
 so it's not clear how quickly development would resume even if
 developer effort were available.
 
 so it's not clear how quickly development would resume even if
 developer effort were available.
 

-\S{faq-unix}{Question} Will there be a port to Unix?
-
-I hope so, if only so that I can have an \cw{xterm}-like program
-that supports exactly the same terminal emulation as PuTTY. If and
-when we do do a Unix port, it will have a local-terminal back end so
-it can be used like an \cw{xterm}, rather than only being usable as
-a network utility.
-

 \S{faq-epoc}{Question} Will there be a port to EPOC?
 
 I hope so, but given that ports aren't really progressing very fast
 \S{faq-epoc}{Question} Will there be a port to EPOC?
 
 I hope so, but given that ports aren't really progressing very fast


@@ -330,7 +330,10 @@ To run a PuTTY session saved under the name \q{\cw{mysession}},
 create a Windows shortcut that invokes PuTTY with a command line
 like
 
 create a Windows shortcut that invokes PuTTY with a command line
 like
 

-\c \path\name\to\putty.exe @mysession
+\c \path\name\to\putty.exe -load mysession
+
+(Note: prior to 0.53, the syntax was \c{@session}. This is now
+deprecated and may be removed at some point.)

 
 \S{faq-startssh}{Question} How can I start an SSH session straight
 from the command line?
 
 \S{faq-startssh}{Question} How can I start an SSH session straight
 from the command line?


@@ -365,10 +368,13 @@ forwarding? I can't find the Tunnels panel.
 This is a new feature in version 0.52. You should upgrade.
 
 \S{faq-options}{Question} How do I use all PuTTY's features (public
 This is a new feature in version 0.52. You should upgrade.
 
 \S{faq-options}{Question} How do I use all PuTTY's features (public

-keys, port forwarding, SSH v2, etc.) in PSCP, PSFTP and Plink?
+keys, proxying, cipher selection, etc.) in PSCP, PSFTP and Plink?

 
 

-The command-line tools are currently rather short of command line
-options to enable this sort of thing. However, you can use most of
+Most major features (e.g., public keys, port forwarding) are available
+through command line options. See the documentation.
+
+Not all features are accessible from the command line yet, although
+we'd like to fix this. In the meantime, you can use most of

 PuTTY's features if you create a PuTTY saved session, and then use
 the name of the saved session on the command line in place of a
 hostname. This works for PSCP, PSFTP and Plink (but don't expect
 PuTTY's features if you create a PuTTY saved session, and then use
 the name of the saved session on the command line in place of a
 hostname. This works for PSCP, PSFTP and Plink (but don't expect


@@ -506,7 +512,7 @@ v2 servers from \cw{ssh.com} will require the key exchange to be
 repeated one hour after the start of the connection, and PuTTY will
 get this wrong.
 
 repeated one hour after the start of the connection, and PuTTY will
 get this wrong.
 

-Upgrade to version 0.52 and the problem should go away.
+Upgrade to version 0.52 or better and the problem should go away.

 
 \S{faq-outofmem}{Question} After trying to establish an SSH 2
 connection, PuTTY says \q{Out of memory} and dies.
 
 \S{faq-outofmem}{Question} After trying to establish an SSH 2
 connection, PuTTY says \q{Out of memory} and dies.


@@ -587,7 +593,7 @@ effect. It will only take effect once you reset the terminal.
 AltGr key.
 
 In PuTTY version 0.51, the AltGr key was broken. Upgrade to version
 AltGr key.
 
 In PuTTY version 0.51, the AltGr key was broken. Upgrade to version

-0.52.
+0.52 or better.

 
 \S{faq-idleout}{Question} My PuTTY sessions unexpectedly close after
 they are idle for a while.
 
 \S{faq-idleout}{Question} My PuTTY sessions unexpectedly close after
 they are idle for a while.


@@ -743,6 +749,10 @@ packet")
 Blowfish remains. Rebuild your server, apply the patch linked to from
 bug 138 above, or use another cipher (e.g., 3DES) instead.
 
 Blowfish remains. Rebuild your server, apply the patch linked to from
 bug 138 above, or use another cipher (e.g., 3DES) instead.
 

+\e{Other versions:} we occasionally get reports of the same symptom
+and workarounds with older versions of OpenSSH, although it's not
+clear the underlying cause is the same.
+

 \S{faq-ssh2key-ssh1conn}{Question} Why do I see "Couldn't load private
 key from ..."? Why can PuTTYgen load my key but not PuTTY?
 
 \S{faq-ssh2key-ssh1conn}{Question} Why do I see "Couldn't load private
 key from ..."? Why can PuTTYgen load my key but not PuTTY?