Re: RH5.2 ftp install via proxy: does it work?

[Andy Kahn <kahn zk3 dec com>]

On Tue, Nov 03, 1998 at 01:05:09PM -0500, Andy Kahn wrote:
> 
> i was trying to do an FTP installation of Redhat 5.2 and am running
> into a little snag.  since i'm behind a firewall, i was happy to find
> an option during the install which says
> 
> 	"use non-anonymous ftp or a proxy server"
> 
> naturally, i selected this option, specified my proxy server (and the
> port number of the ftp proxy), and crossed my fingers.
> 
> unfortunately, this didn't work.  the installation reported:
> 
> 	"I cannot log into machine: Unable
> 	to lookup FTP server host name"
> 
> 
> i was using 'ftp.redhat.com' as the ftp server (no quotes of course).
> 
> any ideas?  does the installation program not recognize port numbers
> specified with the proxy server?
> --andy
> 

a followup to my own question...

it appears that whatever ftp client used by Redhat's installation
procedure will not work with proxies that speak http.  this includes
the 'squid' proxy and 'Netscape Proxy Server'.  this behavior is
very much like the program 'ncftp'.  hence, if you're behind a firewall
and the proxy server is one of the above two, you're out of luck.
this was my situation.

the only real way around it, short of buying the CD, is to get to an
ftp server that's within (or bypasses) your firewall.  luckily for
me, i did a bit of poking around, and found that gatekeeper.dec.com
was proxy free for me (.dec.com suffixes don't require a proxy since
i'm already in the .dec.com domain).

gatekeeper hasn't gotten RH5.2 mirrored yet, even though the directories
are there, but that didn't matter.  i am now happily(?) sucking over all
the packages/files for RH5.1 from gatekeeper.

thanks to all those who offered various suggestions and things to try.
--andy