tnixon@uunet.uu.net (Toby Nixon) (10/15/90)
Since I've recently done the research on how to do this, I thought I'd post a brief message on how ANYONE who gets comp.dcom.telecom can access the Telecom Archives through MAIL rather than FTP. As our Moderator has mentioned, the key is using an FTP server. All you do is send a message to the server, containing the FTP commands you want to execute. It sends you back a transcript of the activity, then, as separate messages, any files you requested. The email address of the server I've been using is "bitftp@pucc. bitnet". First, to get a list of valid commands, send a message to this address which contains only the word "HELP" on the first (and only) line of the message. To get a directory of the Telecom Archives, send a message to "bitftp@pucc.bitnet" containing the following: ftp lcs.mit.edu user anonymous cd telecom-archives ascii dir quit To request a file, for example the "cocot-in-violation-label", send a message containing the following: ftp lcs.mit.edu user anonymous cd telecom-archives ascii get cocot-in-violation-label quit It's really that simple. I'm sure some more experienced users may expand on this. The HELP file is very useful. I've been really pleased with the response time of the server -- less than 24 hour turnaround on most request, some in less than four hours. Toby Nixon, Principal Engineer Fax: +1-404-441-1213 AT&T: !tnixon Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc. Voice: +1-404-449-8791 CIS: 70271,404 Norcross, Georgia, USA BBS: +1-404-446-6336 MCI: TNIXON UUCP: ...!uunet!hayes!tnixon Internet: hayes!tnixon@uunet.uu.net [Moderator's Note: Thanks for sending this article. I'd like to add a couple points: As they say, uucp-kids, don't try this on your home system without a frank discussion with your postmaster/sysadmin first. Some of the files are huge, and uucp sites rely upon the good will of the sites they connect with to send/receive mail. Sure as I'm sitting here drinking coffee, a connecting site will beef if you get umpty-jillion bytes of stuff shoved through at one time. For next: the address given above as 'bitftp.pucc.bitnet' is the same as 'bitftp.pucc.princeton.edu'. Its the same machine, just coming from another network is all. Use the Internet version of the address if you are on uucp, fido, or mcimail. PAT]
cowan@marob.masa.com (John Cowan) (10/17/90)
In article <13584@accuvax.nwu.edu> hayes!tnixon@uunet.uu.net (Toby Nixon) writes: >Since I've recently done the research on how to do this, I thought I'd >post a brief message on how ANYONE who gets comp.dcom.telecom can >access the Telecom Archives through MAIL rather than FTP. Let me also mention (plug, plug) the FTPget script, available at comp.sources.misc archives everywhere. This rather short Bourne shell script, suitable for Unix systems, will allow you to access the FTP mail server at Princeton from the Unix command line, without having to compose a mail message. To retrieve a file from the Telecom Archives, the command would be: ftpget lcs.mit.edu -d telecom-archives -t cocot-in-violation-label And bingo, the message comes back in the overnight email. The script as distributed does NOT have the server name in it, so you need to edit the script (following the instructions) to include the server name bitftp@pucc.princeton.edu. Comments about FTPget may be sent to me. cowan@marob.masa.com (aka ...!hombre!marob!cowan) e'osai ko sarji la lojban
roy@cs.umn.edu (Roy M. Silvernail) (10/17/90)
hayes!tnixon@uunet.uu.net (Toby Nixon) writes: > The email address of the server I've been using is "bitftp@pucc. > bitnet". Toby, I wonder if you would be kind enough to ferret out an unambiguous path to pucc.princeton.edu from a major backbone? I have sent repeated HELP requests to this server, only to have my mail fall into some black hole. I have never received an answer. Or is there a way to specify a return path? (in case my From: line is getting hammered enroute). Roy M. Silvernail now available at: cybrspc!roy@cs.umn.edu
tnixon@uunet.uu.net (Toby Nixon) (10/18/90)
In article <13626@accuvax.nwu.edu>, cybrspc!roy@cs.umn.edu (Roy M. Silvernail) writes: > Toby, I wonder if you would be kind enough to ferret out an > unambiguous path to pucc.princeton.edu from a major backbone? My requests from back with the "From:" field containing: From: uunet!pucc.PRINCETON.EDU!BITFTP1 To be honest, I don't know enough about the internet backbone to be able to offer more than that. Perhaps if you just used this address instead of "bitftp@pucc.princeton.edu" it might work, since UUNET apparently knows how to get there. Toby Nixon, Principal Engineer | Voice: +1-404-449-8791 AT&T: !tnixon Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc.| Fax: +1-404-447-0178 CIS: 70271,404 P.O. Box 105203 | UUCP: uunet!hayes!tnixon MCI: 267-0805 Atlanta, Georgia 30348 USA | Internet: hayes!tnixon@uunet.uu.net [Moderator's Note: 'bitftp@pucc.princeton.edu' and 'bitftp@pucc.bitnet' are one and the same. Use whichever works best. As Toby points out, you can route through uunet, but I suggest you avoid it when possible, as those folks (uunet) get enough abuse as it is from fellow travelers passing through on their nickle. PAT]
gulik@uunet.uu.net (Gregory Gulik) (10/19/90)
>In article <13584@accuvax.nwu.edu> hayes!tnixon@uunet.uu.net (Toby >Nixon) writes: >Since I've recently done the research on how to do this, I thought I'd >post a brief message on how ANYONE who gets comp.dcom.telecom can >access the Telecom Archives through MAIL rather than FTP. I wasn't goint to plug MY ftp look-a-like, but I guess I'm going to have to. I wrote a series of programs that help you easily access files available by anonymous ftp. I posted it it alt.sources a while ago, and will be posting a new and greatly improved version there some time next week. If you don't get the alt. heirarchy, send me mail at home (greg@gagme.chi.il.us) and I'll E-mail it to you.. Gregory A. Gulik uunet!motcid!gulik || greg@gagme.chi.il.us || gulik@depaul.edu [Moderator's Note: And I will take this opportunity to plug Greg's public access site. Greg is a starving college student, and can use the support of Chicago area users. Send him $20-30 and get full access to Usenet. Its worth every nickle. I'm on line there myself. PAT]
PMW1@psuvm.psu.edu (Peter M. Weiss) (10/20/90)
There are two forms of addressing to BITFTP (the userid): Bitnet
(PUCC) and Internet (PUCC.PRINCETON.EDU). The former reacts to
NJE/RSCS/UREP/Jnet interactive messages for some commands ("help" and
"how are you?" - minus the quotes), and both respond to RFC822 mail
(including the above commands) entered as body of text (the Subject:
line is ignored).
The "how are you?" is useful to ascertain the health and backlog of
the server.
Peter M. Weiss | pmw1 @ PSUADMIN | vm.psu.edu | psuvm
31 Shields Bldg (the AIS people) | not affiliated with VM.PSU.EDU | PSUVM
University Park, PA USA 16802 |