Review comments

by sskras , Lithuania, Thursday, December 29, 2022, 13:13 (693 days ago) @ g

As I understood in all of the examples you've gave, cURL is used to download .sh files,

Exactly...
 

that later initiation of these files will download and install the intended software.

... and presumably these will do that using the same tool, `curl`.
 

In this case, downloading .sh files in Peropesis system is possible using wget program, as you mentioned.

Sure, but this requires a user to reconstruct the command line (ie. no quick copy-paste and being happy, especially if the guy is a newbie:)
 

Thus, the essential function of cURL is to transport data (to both sides) using protocols such as FTP, HTTP, IMAP, SMTP, etc. [...]

Thanks for your wide review of the `curl`. I use it only for transfter using HTTP(S) protocol, and surely these are downloads only.
 

Inetutils package also distributes ftp program for file transfer using file transfer protocol (FTP). So, if inetutils will be fully installed in the Peropesis distribution, it would be possible to upload files as well.

In case I want an FTP transfer, I would go with `lftp` client. And I would install it from my `pkgsrc` build.
 

But what if there's a need to transport data using not only the SMTP, IMAP and FTP, HTTP protocols? The question is what protocols are used most often, with which data is transported and what software (clients) are used to work with them?

The only protocol I would use for file transfer is the SSH. And if I like to move data through some other protocols, most likely I will use a specific app or maybe even tunnel for that (like `chisel` -- an IP over HTTP tunnel). Which surely I will try to build myself and would not hope to find on such small and cute distro. :)
 

I got a little familiar with the cURL program from the lame user's side. The first impression is that it is a very wide use software.

[...]

As I understood with cURL, there is an option to send variable values using GET or POST methods and not only using HTTP, but also using, for example, the MQTT protocol. As I understood, there are also software developed that use cURL and would not even work without cURL (https://curl.se/docs/programs.html). So this is serious software. And in what situations do you use cURL?

Thanks again for your detailed analysis. I use `curl` mainly for two things:

(1) downloading the stuff via HTTP, and

(2) debugging HTTP issues (eg. by showing the HTTP headers of both the request and the response, overriding some header value or making a POST to some REST API backend).
 

IOW, it's so common (would say even popular), that I expect it to be found installed alone `wget`. :)
But well, in case it's not there, I think I should be able to get it from https://pkgsrc.se/www/curl
 

PS. Haven't started my Peropesis experiments yet. :)