[F'up from xemacs-patches, that discussion shouldn't be there, should it?] Joachim> Mike, is it possible to say something like `do first <a>; if you still Joachim> get EFS erros, try <b>; else try <c>'; where my proposal would just be Joachim> <a> or <b>? Maybe <c> is `fetch and install an EFS update manually'? Joachim> Well, now that I think about it; maybe manual fetch and install is the Joachim> only realistic workaround. MS> Yes. Alternatively, is there an XEmacs mirror that doesn't have the MS> new RFC stuff in it? That would really be the simplest alternative. Yes, there are some mirrors without EPSV support. They are an even bigger problem; AFAICT they cannot be used at all with ftp clients that send EPSV as first. I re-installed the old efs 1.32 (upstream v1.22) and did some tests, e.g., with ftp.ca.xemacs.org who does not support Extended Passive Mode. This server answers with `500 Unknown command.' and EFS (and thus the package index update) stumbles over that. This is also true for the current efs (1.33, upstream v1.23). I.e., ftp.ca.xemacs.org and others are not usable without configuration for package updates on Linux (at least, not on those where Luke Mewburn's NetBSD ftp client is used) and probably also not on BSD. Is this widely known? For these sites to work, one must add "-A" to the ftp args *and* one must update the package index twice, there is no other possibility. During the first update, the ftp server will answer with `500 Unknown command' first when the EPRT command is used. The ftp client will stop using extended ftp commands then, and use standard PASV/PORT commands the second time. For this to work from the start, EFS would need to issue the command epsv4 to the ftp client. (Most probably, where lukemftp is used, one needs to add "-A" always; otherwise one gets the inconsistency that Mike already mentioned.) In summary, the situation is a mess. There is no workaround that can be easily described and that will really work. I will now update my Web Site patch as follows: -- I will recommend to fetch and install efs manually in case of `Extended Passive Mode' errors. -- I will recommend to switch mirrors in case of `Unknown command' or any other 500 errors. I hope that we can agree on these changes. Cheers, Joachim PS: Is Steve Youngs still the maintainer of package-get.el? If yes, and if he reads this: Would you accept patches that package index and package files are fetched via HTTP? This would probably also help some people who have to use proxies. -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Joachim The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the Rödermark, Germany one that heralds new discoveries, is not "Eureka!" <jschrod(a)acm.org&gt; (I found it!) but "That's funny..." [Isaac Asimov]