HTTP Cookie(s) support is the featured enhancement this time. DosLynx version 0.34b also brings: Limited support for the HTML <DIV . . . tag, with its align= attribute. Configuration for your SMTP (mail) server's port number, if it isn't 25. And, of course, fixes for a number of subtle bugs. More about these things, below.
Much of the new Cookie(s) support, in DosLynx, follows the Netscape HTTP Cookies Specification. Because, that's the specification we find almost all Cookie using Web servers following. However, we also have studied RFCs 2109, 2964, and 2965, which provide additional specifications for Cookie(s) support. Where the Netscape Specification is vague or allows Web server(s) to be extra aggressive, Doslynx follows defensive provisions of those RFCs. In particular, DosLynx requires all hosts attempting to share Cookie(s) across a "domain" to have exactly one additional qualification in their names. That is, DosLynx allows www.yahoo.com and groups.yahoo.com to share cookies, as they share the domain: yahoo.com. However, DosLynx doesn't support attempts, by tech.groups.yahoo.com, to participate in that same yahoo.com domain. (Sharing remains possible for the latter host, via the "domain": groups.yahoo.com. However, Cookie(s) for that domain won't be sent to the "host": groups.yahoo.com.) Also, DosLynx is careful to neither accept nor send Cookie(s) from/to "third-party hosts" that might be introduced to it via redirection. (As DosLynx doesn't automatically fetch inline images nor embedded objects, those kinds of "unverifiable transactions" aren't issue(s) for it.)
Cookies provide a valuable facility for implementing "stateful sessions" conducted between Web servers and clients (browsers). However, the privacy and security concerns sketched in the DosLynx v0.32b Quick Start document, for HTTP Referer: Header field support, go double or triple for Cookies! Also, as is the case with the Referer: Header, Web servers designed to use Cookies may not honor requests from browsers that don't support Cookies. To get your way with these servers, you may have to selectively compromise or relax your privacy and security interest(s) by enabling DosLynx to support their Cookies.
By default, Cookie(s) support is disabled or vetoed, in DosLynx.
Cookie(s) support is controlled by a three level arrangement, in DosLynx. All three levels have a veto over Cookie(s) support, other than passive monitoring for Cookie offerings. cookiedir= configuration provides the first level of control. (This configuration isn't needed for monitoring.) We recommend that you configure a directory to be used exclusively for DosLynx Cookie files. These files will be needed for non-persistent Cookies, as well as for persistent Cookies. cookiemode= configuration provides the second level of control. DOSLYNX.CFG provides new sections describing cookiedir= and cookiemode= configuration.
A new Options|Manage HTTP Cookie Mode menu entry or command provides the third level of control or management. This menu entry or command reports on the status of your combined cookiedir= and cookiemode= configuration, if any. And, if enabled by this configuration, the status of the third level management control. If enabled by the configuration, this new control also provides a push button for stepping through its two or three potential modes or settings.
The new support for the HTML <DIV . . . tag, in DosLynx v0.34b, doesn't use the tag's possible id= and class= attribute settings. So, it doesn't provide an entree for support of HTML styles. However, it does support the tag's align= attribute settings of left, center, or right. Support for the HTML <P . . . tag's same align= attribute settings has been added, too. These additions can provide a striking improvement in the rendering of some documents. For example, see a recent Google results report page.
DosLynx v0.34b also brings another new configuration item for its e-mail client. smtphost= configuration has been extended to accept a :portnumber specification. This enables the DosLynx e-mail client's use with ISP(s) that have changed their SMTP server(s) to listen, for e-mail submission(s), on TCP/IP port 587. Instead of the well known port 25. The smtphost= section in DOSLYNX.CFG has been updated to describe the new arrangement.
Of course, this release also includes several bug fixes. These fixes and other improvements again make DosLynx v0.34b the strongest running version(s) of DosLynx, ever!
The traditional DosLynx v0.34b package contains DOSLYNX.EXE and all of its supporting files. This is the Real Mode version, recommended for all users. The DosLynx v0.34b Protected Mode add-on contains DOSLYNXP.EXE, a sample DOSLYNXP.BA_ file, and the latest DPMIREVU.HTM document. It is recommended for users with systems that can provide DPMI service. Both of these .ZIP files may be un-zipped into the same directory, without conflict.
There are a couple other readme files for DosLynx. One is the again updated README.HTM which still tells about the original features, command line parameters, and other important stuff. There is also a history file which describes the major changes I've made in bringing DosLynx from v0.33b to v0.34b. The history file also contains known bugs or missing features. If you find one that isn't there, please e-mail me at the address in this graphic. As I don't have a '286 based PC, presently, I am especially interested in hearing from anyone who is able to try the DosLynx Protected Mode version on such a system. Finally, Wayne S. Buttles has provided a little cheat sheet listing the key commands to run DosLynx from the keyboard. It includes ones he added. I've brought it up to date and added a second page listing the "DosLynx Control, Movement, and Navigation Keys".
Remember that you can navigate with your numeric key pad by putting Num Lock ON.
DosLynx no longer contains a built-in graphics viewer. That has been replaced with a swap out and call to DLXVIEW with a parameter naming the .BMP, .GIF, .JPG, .PCX, or .TIF file to be viewed. You may edit DLXVIEW.BAT to invoke your favorite viewer. The DosLynx v0.34b package contains a sample DLXVIEW.BAT which invokes LXPIC (requires CGA+).
As Wayne said: "I have enhanced DosLynx for my own personal enjoyment. . . . I am just releasing my changes to the general public in hopes that it will help some other DOS User. I have made every attempt to keep it compatible with the lowest IBM-Compatible computer so that the greatest number of people can benefit and I will continue to do so as long as I play with the code."
Good luck, and happy browsing.
Fred C. Macall
19 May 2007