The letters 'ftp' represent both the name of the program, File Transport
Program, and the ARPANET File Transfer Protocol. The command ftp is
used to access remote systems for both uploads and downloads of files.
The format for the command is:
ftp <systemname>
The name of the host is either a name of an Internet node, such as
'zurich.ai.mit.edu', or an address of the form '26.2.0.74'. After
issuing the ftp command with either form, you will receivd
the message 'Connected to <systemname>' followed
by a request for a username and password. If you have an account on that
system, you enter your logonid and password and you will have access to
your remote account; if you don't have an account, type 'ftp' or 'anonymous'
in response to the 'username' prompt to indicate that you wish to access the
remote system anonymously. In response to the 'password' prompt, enter either
your logonid, or your full E-mail address (<logonid>@gandalf.umcs.maine.edu), depending on what the remote system requires. After a successful
login, you will have the 'ftp>' prompt, and be able to enter commands
to move around the remote system.
FTP commands
FTP commands differ slightly from system to system. Usually, if you enter 'help'
or the '?' character, a list of commands effective on the remote system
will be displayed. Useful commands available on most systems include:
cd <dirname> Change directory.lcd <dirname> Change the local directory, where files
will be downloaded.
ls List the files in the current directory.
pwd Print working directory on remote machine.
binary Switch to binary mode.
ascii Switch to ascii mode.
get <fname> Copy a file from the remote computer to yours.
If you are FTPing from a PC, <fname> may
include a drive letter, e.g. a:mystuff.doc
mget <fname1 fname2> Copy multiple files from the remote computer to yours.
bye or quit Logs out at remote host.
Note that in order to download binary files, you must explicitly type 'binary'
at the ftp prompt or the binary file will be corrupted. Ascii mode is the
default mode, and should only be used for sending and receiving text files.
Downloaded files are placed in the directory that was current when
ftp was called, unless the lcd command was used to change the
local directory.
Files in remote sites are often compressed by one of many compression
schemes. Files intended for use on UNIX systems are most commonly archived
and compressed using tar and compress. Remember that compressed
files are binary files, and must be transferred using binary mode.
You are free to use ftp to download files from remote networks, but keep in mind that the downloading of large files (or sometimes of any files, depending on the site) should be done during the off-hours to reduce ftp traffic. Off-hours are often defined as between 1900-0600 hours local time, but the peak hours may vary from site to site. Specific site usage rules are detailed in messages that are presented after you log in. The local time is usually displayed right after the ftp policy message, so you don't have to figure out the local time in Denmark or elsewhere. Please pay attention to any messages concerning ftp traffic that the remote site sends to you. Please be considerate of the networks that allow you anonymous ftp access; anonymous ftp is a privilege, not a right. Systems that are overloaded due to inconsiderate people clogging the networks during prime-time hours often disallow anonymous access to free up the system for the purposes that they were originally intended for.