[Novalug] Herdrick's story

Gary Knott garyknott@gmail.com
Fri Jan 20 14:59:20 EST 2017


A good post, Rick!   We could all use
a lot more "full" explanations of things
(or links thereto)  for various topics under
discussion.  Indeed this is often what
we want when we type man "x"  hoping to
find-out about a program whose
functions, methods, and means of control
are only vaguely understood.

(Google, is great, but it also often a great time-waster
providing only fragmentary and inadequate
results.)

For example, I have a question that my
poor google skills have not been able to answer, and
that 'man ftp'  completely fails to address.
(This is because it's probably a firewall issue, but
it is unreasonable for man page writers to assume
one would likely know that - if it's true.  They could at least link to
the definitive documentation for all the things we need
to know to be a master of ftp.  -- there is a document like that, isn't
there?)

The issue:  I want to ftp a file from a machine on my local
network to another machine on my local network whose
ip number I know.  typing ftp 192.168.2.4
results in "connection refused".   I didn't ask my computers
to behave that way, the installation just does that
without asking.

What configuration files must I edit, and what edits must I do exactly,
to be able to freely interconnect among all my machines with ftp
without "security hassles" like this?
(Yes, I know scp might work, but that's not the question.)

In general, we need to be introduced to a method to follow to learn about
Linux-related things, rather than flail around and struggle with
ever-increasing frustration.  It is daunting!   There are a lot of
Linux documentation sources out there - and perhaps even documentation on
our systems - so much and so idiosyncratic, we can't
take the time to dip into them.  And each is probably okay for some topics,
but not for many others.   It is daunting!

Programs and subroutine packages (like X-windows) are often built to do a
large number of complex things
in a complex "environment".   Generally each program or "system" needs a
real
manual that starts kind of at the beginning, defines the
context in which it operates and what its functions are in a jargon-free
manner
and how it works and even the structure and meanings of the various files,
etc,
that make up the program itself (in case you want to try to read the
code.)(!)
Plus cogent examples, and a description of files and other
environmental "features" used, etc.   How did we get to the state where
this is rare?

gary knott

(PS  See  www.civilized.com/programming.html )



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