[fa.tcp-ip] FTP and "SITE UNIX"

tcp-ip@ucbvax.ARPA (06/26/85)

From: decwrl!sun!guy@BERKELEY (Guy Harris)

I don't know if anybody's answered this, but...

The 4.2BSD "ftp" doesn't send a "SITE UNIX" command, but the 3Com UNET
version (and CCI's 4.2BSD version, for historical reasons you don't really
want to know about) does.  If I remember correctly, it sends out a "SITE
UNIX" command and, if the response is a positive completion (first digit 2),
it sends out a "TYPE I" command to put the other side into image mode.  The
intent behind this, I assume, was to permit naive users to use FTP to move
files between UNIX machines without having to remember to go into image mode
if they were transferring binary files.  Unfortunately, this wreaks havoc if
you're transferring ASCII files from machines other than 8-bit-byte ASCII
machines.

The best thing to do is reject the command; then those FTPs won't turn on
image mode.

	Guy Harris

tcp-ip@ucbvax.ARPA (06/27/85)

From: Ron Natalie <ron@BRL.ARPA>

I'll settle for a single BSD FTP that works at all.  3COM's FTP server
violates the spec by sending spurious reply messages and the BSD version
gets hung up when you're on a fast net (I guess they used RCP to talk on
the ethernet) because sometimes you can get two replies on a single read.

-Ron