[mod.computers.vax] Problems with FTP Binary files processing

rossi@NUSC.ARPA ("ROSSI J.A.") (03/18/86)

Persons,

For some time I have been trying to get the VAX cluster here at NUSC to
download BINARY files from SIMTEL-20 program directories using FTP.
When I FTP SIMTEL20 the server announces that it has acknowledged the
NUSC FTP and wil6{ communicate in 8-bit bytes (Are there other than 8-bit
bytes?).  Typing HELP while in FTP gets me a list of commands including
get and bget.  I can GET ASCII files O/K.  I made the assumption that BGET was
for binary files.  When I use it, something gets transfered from SIMTEL
to NUSC and the files are the correct size, however, when I download from
the 780 at NUSC to my PC (via, XMODEM, KERMIT, MEX etc) I never can
get a file that is not garbage.  For example, any squeezed file cannot
be unsqueezed by any USQ, UNSQ, USQxx program I have available.  I tried
manually unpacking bytes at nibble intervals to try to find any hidden
ASCII chasracters withj several C progfram attempts, both in VAX 'C' and
in MS-DOS Lattice 'C'.  Other people with whom I have communicated with
who have a System-20 running Tops-20 say they have a good deal more parameter
control over the FTP process than I seem to have under VAX/VMS.
Is there a probable cause, solution, etc. for this problem.  Is it common
to all VAX/VMS implementations?  What can I do to download binary files
using FTP.

Questionably,
John Rossi III
ROSSI@NUSC.ARPA

------

rick@NGP.UTEXAS.EDU (Rick Watson) (03/19/86)

Assuming you are running TWG/TCP-IP, use the following commands:

*tenex
<you will get a response like "<Bytesize 32 ok">
*quote type l 8     (that's an L)
*get remotefile localfile  (etc...)

This is what works for me

Rick Watson
University of Texas Computation Center
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