Re: Incorrect URI is passed when domain name is entered for smb:// in connect to server

[Alexander Larsson <alexl redhat com>]

On Fri, 2005-04-22 at 16:22 +0530, dinoop thomas wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Steps to reproduce the problem
> -------------------------------
> 1. Select 'Connect to Server' option from Places in the top panel.
> 2. Select the service type as 'Windows share'.
> 3. Enter the IP or name of the server in server field. eg: my-samba-server
> 3. Enter username and domain in username field (as domain;username)   
>    eg: wipro;dinoop
> 4. Click on Connect button
> 5. Now double click on the newly created icon.
> 
> Observation : The uri which gets passed is
> "smb://wipro%3Bdinoop my-samba-server", which is something that can't be
> understood by gnome-vfs smb method.
> 
> The text entered in username field is escaped and used in the uri. The methods
> like ftp,smb can't understand this text if it contains special characters.
> 
> Analysis
> --------
> Unix usernames can contain special characters, but as such there is no need to
> escape the username before passing the uri. While escaping, the character ';',
> gets substituted with '%3B' and the uri can't be understood by gnome-vfs.

There is a very real reason to escape usernames in uris: The username
may contain special symbols. Usernames like foo bar com are very common
in many places. Even ; might be allowed in some type of usernames. 

What we should do is allow you to type in the domain like a normal human
in a "domain" field, not force users to learn magic uri semantics to
specify the domain.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 Alexander Larsson                                            Red Hat, Inc 
                   alexl redhat com    alla lysator liu se 
He's a war-weary misogynist senator possessed of the uncanny powers of an 
insect. She's a mentally unstable tomboy schoolgirl with a knack for trouble. 
They fight crime!