Re: [GSOC] ncat gui idea

[David Fifield <david () bamsoftware com>]

On Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 01:45:33PM +0300, Shinnok wrote:
> I would like to probe my idea for this GSOC iteration
> for nmap against the nmap-dev list. What I am thinking
> about is a GUI for Ncat, written in native C++ code
> and Qt.
>
> It doesn't interface with ncat currently, though it's enough for
> a gui idea poc. The interfacing with netcat i'm planning to do it via
> UNIX pipes, either manually using dupes or libc popen() on *NIX,
> and _popen() on Windows *.*. Another choice for interfacing agains
> ncat would be to link against ncat's object files, though this effort
> would be more valuable in the case of Nmap(see bellow).

Hello Shinnok. Thanks for writing and for explaining your ideas in
detail.

Will the GUI support some advanced uses that use features of the shell?
To me, one of the best features of Netcat is that it behaves well as a
shell program. For example, "Chain Ncats Together" from
http://nmap.org/ncat/guide/ncat-tricks.html, and "Transfer a disk image
with compression" from
http://nmap.org/ncat/guide/ncat-file-transfer.html.

> Another reason that i am sending this e-mail is to probe the nmap's
> team and community need for a new GUI for nmap. The ideas pointed
> in this e-mail for Ncat were originally devised by me for a brand new
> interface for Nmap that I would want and need. While I do realize
> that Yet Another Gui(YAG) for Nmap would create fragmentation, it's the
> kind of fragmentation that keeps open source *secure* and diverse.
> Thus, what do you think about the same ideas written above, but applied
> for Nmap(add the mobile and embedded advantages of Qt on top)?

A Summer of Code project to make a new GUI is very unlikely. I think
people underestimate the amount of effort that goes into it.

David Fifield
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