== Impending changes to access to Solaris patches

Through the [[pca news page
http://www.par.univie.ac.at/solaris/pca/news.html]] I found out some
impending changes to access to Solaris patches. There are two changes:

* [[InfoDoc #83061
  http://sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-9-83061-1]]
  says that from mid-July, we'll need to register for a free Sun
  Online Account in order to get patches.
* [[InfoDoc #82023
  http://sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-9-82023-1]]
  says that Sun will be turning off anonymous ftp access to patches
  in late August.

I'm honestly not sure how these two interact, since it's hard to
enforce having accounts with anonymous ftp.

However, [[pca http://www.par.univie.ac.at/solaris/pca/]] currently
retrieves patches (and the _patchdiag.xref_ index file) via http, not
anonymous ftp, so it will be affected sooner. (I'm not sure if it'll
require a [[pca]] update, or if you'll just be able to plug in a
Sun Online Account ID and password as if it was a SunSolve one.)

Moral: I should get registered soon and start experimentation,
no matter how annoying it's sure to be.

It's somewhat ironic that I just finished writing up
what I've worked out about the [[_patchdiag.xref_ format
/Systems/Solaris/PatchdiagFormat]] so I can start using it for
[[nefarious purposes EasierPatchManagement]].