Default index files

[Jason McBrayer]

Michael Lazar writes:
> I like the ".gmi" file extension that's being used over at carcosa.net. That
> file extension appears to currently only be used by some obscure GPS mapping
> file [1], so that shouldn't be a problem. I can't figure out why their
> "index.gml" file uses a different file extension though. Is this trying to
> follow some existing convention? Otherwise, I'm learning toward "index.gmi".

If I'm using index.gml instead of index.gmi somewhere, it's a typo or a
thinko.

The situation with HTTP and HTML is that the name of the index file is
not specified in any standard, and is up to the server. In Apache it's
configurable, and it's common to support the first one found of
index.html, index.htm, index.php, and probably even index.txt.

I would expect the situation to be the same in gemini; there's no strict
protocol reason that we even have to have index files at all, but I
think most of us are used to them and would prefer them. It might be a
convention for server authors to follow that you serve the first of
index.gemini, index.gmi, and .gemini. And possibly index.txt or
index.md. 

-- 
Jason McBrayer      | ?Strange is the night where black stars rise,
jmcbray at carcosa.net | and strange moons circle through the skies,
                    | but stranger still is lost Carcosa.?
                    | ? Robert W. Chambers,The King in Yellow