[comp.os.cpm] getting files from ccvax1.cc.ncsu.edu

zlraa@iceman.jcu.oz (Ross Alford) (10/28/90)

In article <9010251333.aa14543@crdec8.apgea.army.mil> mdgoodma@CRDEC8.APGEA.ARMY.MIL (Mack Goodman) writes:
>Ross Alford wrote recently about how this site (128.109.153.4)
>had CP/M software.  I am greatful for that but I cannot  seem
>to retrieve any of it.  Could someone, who has done it, explain to
>me how to FTP to this site.  Anonymous doesn't let me log in.
>
>Any help?
>
>Mack Goodman

I apologise for any problems this may have caused.  I have downloaded several
files from this site, which appears to be a VAX at North Carolina STtate
University.  I have always used this technique:

Step 0:   CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD ON YOUR HOME SYSTEM!!!  This is important as
            you'll see in a moment.
Step 1:   Use telnet to connect to 128.109.153.4, ccvax1.cc.ncsu.edu
Step 2:   When the site asks for your user id, tell it PUBLIC
Step 3:   The site will scroll an opening screen at you.  Press Q at its end
Step 4:   Tell it yes or no for terminal type=vt100
Step 5:   Tell it S for Software (The News is all local)
Step 6:   Enter VOL.  The system lists categories, allows you to select one
Step 7:   (less detail) Work out what you want.  Get into it's volume
Step 8:   Tell the system you want to GET
Step 9:   Tell the system the name of the file
Step 10:  Tell it you want to get it using F for FTP
Step 11:  Tell it your node address, either as numeric ID or name,
            for example, marlin.jcu.edu.au
Step 12:  Tell it your userid, or if your machine allows uploads via
            anonymous FTP, maybe you could tell it anonymous.  I dont't know,
            since mine doesn't.  NOTE that userids with lowercase characters
            eg. UN*X ids, must be enclosed in " marks.
Step 13:  This is the reason for changing your password to something before
            you start--tell it your password, enclosed in " if it contains
            significant lowercase.  Again, if your machine allows anonymous
            uploads, you might be able to get away with telling it something
            that your machine would accept as a password from an anonymous
            FTP uploader.  I don't know.
Step 14:  Tell it the path for the directory to upload to, or press return
            to have it upload into the directory it will be logged into
            when it logs on (your home directory if you've given it your
            own id).
Step 15:  The NCSU machine will connect to your home machine via ftp, using the
            id and password and path you have provided.  It will upload the
            file you've selected.  I've obtained both text and binary files
            this way, and neither sort gets mangled.
Step 16:  After it has uploaded the file to your machine, it will return control
            to you.  You can continue doing whatever.
Step 17:  You work out how to log off.
Step 18:  CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD BACK TO NORMAL IMMEDIATELY, if you have had the
            ncsu machine log on as anything other than anonymous.

Complex?  You bet.  It does work, though, and there is a very good selection
of software available, including lots of IBMPC, Mac, CP/M, Tandy 100/102.  In
my original posting I suggested that it should be possible to FTP directly from
128.109.153.4.  When I said that, I was relying on some information that had
appeared in comp.sys.tandy re the NCSU site.  That poster suggested that you
should FTP to the site, then give FTP the userid PUBLIC.  I hadn't tried this
then.  I have now, and it doesn't seem to work.  The above method does, and
shouldn't be too dangerous if you change your password immediately before
and after allowing the ncsu machine to send you files.


Ross Alford
zlraa@marlin.jcu.edu.au