Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version VT1.00C 11/1/84; site vortex.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ucbvax!decvax!bellcore!vortex!lauren From: lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein) Newsgroups: net.micro.pc Subject: Re: IBM Bulletin Board Software Message-ID: <809@vortex.UUCP> Date: Mon, 23-Sep-85 22:48:47 EDT Article-I.D.: vortex.809 Posted: Mon Sep 23 22:48:47 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 26-Sep-85 06:22:35 EDT References: <467@ecsvax.UUCP> Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles Lines: 33 The key point is that it is certainly possible for people to set up any UULINK remote login user to run whatever programs might be desired. My primary goal in remote access was to make sure that the primary UULINK remote access program itself could be run safely and reliably. Later, I added "generalized" remote access capabilities for other programs that people might want to run remotely, but it should be remembered that "generalized" remote access is always a problem with MSDOS due to the way many programs behave (e.g. playing around with memory in odd ways, etc.) and the lack of memory protection in MSDOS. There is no problem if properly written programs are executed automatically for particular remote login users. The best example of this is the UULINK "uucico" remote access program itself which is the most commonly run program for incoming callers. This program takes direct control of the COM ports and is very secure and reliable on the system since it was written with remote access in mind from the start. Running the UULINK "uucico" via remote login is very secure. In fact, it provides a higher level of security than is found on many Unix systems. The program takes great pains to preserve the runtime environment of the system and keep MSDOS running smoothly. It was this program that was my primary concern for remote access, but I decided to allow more "generalized" remote access as well for whatever "special" applications people might want remote login users to be able to run. It is of course up to the people who set up these remote users to determine what sorts of users (and programs) they want to allow to access their systems, and through what sorts of control programs. More detailed questions on this topic should probably be sent to me directly--I think we're starting to get into too much detail for this newsgroup. --Lauren--