Re: Historic Curiosity Question: Websites in QSYS.LIB -- MIDRANGE-L

I believe you are mistakenly assuming that just because TCP/IP was
available, that the AS/400 also had a web server.

I don't recall my first AS/400, a RISC box running v3r6 as having a web
server available.

I think v3r7 (RISC) v3r2 (CISC) was where Apache was added as part of the
TCP/IP Connectivity Utilities/400. Think the IFS was added there also.

Charles

On Thu, Aug 17, 2023 at 1:36 PM Patrik Schindler <poc@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hello,

I have been told in a private mail exchange that a long time ago — before
the IFS has come to the AS/400 — "websites" have been hosted within what we
now recognize as QSYS.LIB file system. I saw on my P02 that the installable
LPPs list in V2R3 features TCP/IP, while at the same time there is no IFS.
Just the DLO "file system", which is — well known — a crude emulation of a
hierarchical file system with objects being placed in a normal library
(QDOC?). Back then, it could only be accessed through DLO commands.

I found evidence that hosting web content in QSYS.LIB is indeed possible
from the commented template configuration of the V4 IBM http server:
https://try-as400.pocnet.net/wiki/IBM_HTTP-Server_for_AS/400_Configuration

Scroll down to the "Pass - Accept matching requests" section. There are
examples for how to code different file system paths:

# QDLS: Pass /doc/* /QDLS/WebTEST/*.HTM
# Root: Pass /root/* /WebSAMP/*.html
# QOpenSys: Pass /x/* /QOpenSys/WebSAMP/*.html
# QSYS: Pass /lib/* /QSYS.LIB/WebSAMP.LIB/HTMLDOC.FILE/*.MBR

While I see no problem with loading content from individual PF members in
principle, what makes me really wonder is: How to cope with stream files,
aka graphics? Does anyone have some memory about that?

Part two.

I know that newer releases of the (i)ntegrated database support BLOB
fields defined though SQL. Those are a way to store and retrieve graphics.
But I fail to understand how to access graphics saved in this way from
within a web page, with an <img src> tag. Maybe this isn't possible at all?
This is good example where IBM documentation largely fails for me. There is
documentation about DB2 and BLOB fields. There is documentation praising
IBM i's web serving abilities and how to configure those — in the end it's
more or less Apache, no big deal. But some "in between" documentation gaps
stay. Thus part two of my question to get some hints about where to
probably take a closer look and read. :-)

Thanks!

:wq! PoC

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