223403 - PAC: Proxy Auto Config re-write, "PAC2"

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Core :: Networking, defect)

Description

[benc]

I'd like to start this as a tracking-only, no discussion bug.

PAC never received RFC status, and in the current documentation, basically
incomplete product documentation of what eventually became a de facto industry
standard.

A re-purposing of PAC would need the following essential criteria, in my mind:

1- A serious effort to engineer reverse compatability, if at all possible. 

The counter-example in my mind is IPv6, which did such a good job of solving
tomorrows problems without working with today's system, that nobody uses it.
Lots of people use PAC, including IE and MS Proxy 2.0, so changes should
minimize the disruption to existing installations if at all possible. For this
reason, I've resisted the urge to call this project "PACng", even though a
number-less version would have been better since there are no clear
versions/milestones at this point. I hope the result will not be a "PACv6".

2- PAC2 functionally should be robust and fully featured in today's networking
environment. Newer networking technology and standards, as well as user demands
(like ad blocking) and developer needs (more sophisticated support for Proxy
prefs UI) should be important factors in how PAC2 works. 

3- More design consideration of the non-JS functions of PAC, like error
messages, debuging, and display in browser windows. Currently, PAC is a pain to
troubleshoot and analyze.

4- PAC2 should be be developed with the intention of submitting it to a
standards organization.

Comment 1

[benc]

Some consideration for adding "SOCKS4" or "SOCKS5" as a directive is in bug 78176.

Comment 2

[Darin Fisher]

we already support SOCKS4 and SOCKS5 :-)

maybe bug 78176 is fixed?

Comment 3

[benc]

Darin had added SOCKS4 and SOCKS5 as directives, and I didn't know that!

Ah, added SOCKS5 in:

http://bonsai.mozilla.org/cvslog.cgi?file=mozilla/netwerk/base/src/nsProtocolProxyService.cpp

1.45darin%netscape.comApr 15 16:07 fixes bug 84798 "PAC: Failover does not work"
r=dougt sr=alecf

SOCKS5 was a directive, but just fixed in Bug 226615.

Bug 78176 was "SOCKS" directive needs to call a SOCKS version (it was filed when
we added SOCKS5 protocol support). 

Comment 4

[benc]

I'm making some progess on finishing a detail review of the existing PAC functions, w/ test files. This is leading to a bunch of good items for how to improve PAC, the documentation etc.

One question is: re-write the existing document or write a new document?

Either way, the document will have stricter, more detailed function specs, and this time, it will likely be spell checked :)