Re: deprecate ftp-proxy in favor of ftp/pftpx

On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 23:22:22 +0100, Max Laier <max_at_love2party.net> wrote:
> 
> from src/UPDATING:
> 
> 20070702:
>       The packet filter (pf) code has been updated to OpenBSD 4.1 Please
>       note the changed syntax - keep state is now on by default.  Also
>       note the fact that ftp-proxy(8) has been changed from bottom up and
>       has been moved from libexec to usr/sbin.  Changes in the ALTQ
>       handling also affect users of IPFW's ALTQ capabilities.
> 
> I'm afraid it hasn't made it's way to the Release notes, yet.
> 
> The ftp-proxy(8) manpage provides configuration examples and details.
> 

Ah, I have found the problem.
 
Admittedly, I was under the impression that the proxy host here had
been upgraded to 7.0; this turns out to be not the case.

The ftp-proxy host in question is one of the few here that has not
yet been upgraded from 6.2 to 7.0.  It is therefore still running the
OpenBSD 3.7-derived ftp-proxy.  A bunch of desk/laptops here have
recently been upgraded to 7.0 and with that came recent versions
of firefox.  I gather that a change in firefox documented here:
    http://www.mozilla.org/security/announce/2007/mfsa2007-11.html
no longer permits the behavior of ftp-proxy in changing the data port,
making recent versions of firefox incompatible with the old ftp-proxy.
That's why firefox appeared to stop working.

I do see that the ftp-proxy on 7.0 has been changed and that the
man page does look rather like the one for pftpx, so I now see
that what you're saying, Max, looks right.
 
The problem I ran into, that of having new 7.0 desktops and recent
versions of tools like firefox, together with a 6.x firewall/proxy
host, may be a situation others run into over the next few weeks.
Perhaps it's worth posting a heads up to stable_at_ once 7.0 is
released, explaining that folks still using 6.x on a firewall/proxy
will need to replace ftp-proxy with ftp/pftpx, and then go back
to ftp-proxy when they upgrade the firewall/proxy host to 7.x.

I had seen the note in UPDATING, but that note does not mention
the breakage with firefox or what the solution is.

        -jr