Problem downloading Slackware packages using Lynx text browser
 

Hi,

On servers, I sometimes use text browsers like Links or Lynx to do various things like searching for the odd package or SlackBuild. Now I've just encountered a strange problem with Lynx.

When downloading a TXZ package using Lynx, the browser suggests a file name and adds an additional ".gz" extension to it, which results in a ".txz.gz" file. As is to be expected, installpkg and upgradepkg choke on this.

Now when I download the file again and rename it (in Lynx) by simply erasing the obnoxious ".gz" extension, thus getting the original ".txz" file extension, installpkg and upgradepkg inform me that "this package was not made with makepkg".

My first conclusion is that Lynx somehow corrupts the package files when downloading them.

The problem is not showing with Links.

Any idea what's going on and how I can eventually correct Lynx' misbehaviour?

Cheers,

Niki

My guess would be some sort of misconfiguration of the webserver hosting them (perhaps something to do with mime-types). I've had .tar.gz files renamed to .tar.tar by Opera's download function when downloading from some sites. The file is still a tar.gz, it''s just misnamed. Renaming it back is all I've ever needed to do, but this doesn't explain why your file is being corrupted.

What does 'file' say about the downloaded files?

I don't think it's a server side misconfiguration. Try to download any TXZ package from any Slackware mirror using Lynx, you'll get the same result.

tested and all working fine here (i'm on 14 and running lynx from console as root)

i downloaded one package from an official mirror and the skype static from zerouno with none of the mentioned issues (actually installed skype after lynx download with installpkg > all ok)

I just tried pulling one from slackware.org.uk using lynx, the resource was identified as "application/octet-stream" by lynx and downloaded just fine.

My bad, and you were right, GazL. I tried again by specifying two different mirrors in France and in Austria, and both worked fine indeed.

Thanks,

Niki