[comp.virus] Getting files from "anonymous FTP"

XPUM04@prime-a.central-services.umist.ac.uk (Anthony Appleyard) (03/16/90)

Information from "Kenneth R. van Wyk" <krvw@edu.cmu.sei.cert>, with thanks.
Some Virus-L messages say that the rest of the message can be got (say) "by
anonymous ftp from  the/quick/brown/fox/jumps.over.the.lazy.dog".  For  the
information  of those not very conversant with FTP, this can be done thus:-

Type your computer's command "ftp cert.sei.cmu.edu". "cert.sei.cmu.edu"  is
a  USA email address. It should be "edu.cmu.sei.cert@uk.ac.nsfnet-relay" if
typed in UK (I think).
When asked for the remote username, type "anonymous".
When asked for the remote password, type anything non-null.
When you get your computer's FTP command's "ftp>" prompt  (or  equivalent),
type these commands, splitting the given filename at its last '/':-

     cd the/quick/brown/fox
     get jumps.over.the.lazy.dog
     quit

If you type the command "dir" before the command "quit", you will also  get
a directory-listing of filenames.
If you type the command "help" before the "quit", you will get information.
{A.Appleyard} (email: APPLEYARD@UK.AC.UMIST), Fri, 16 Mar 90 12:00:12 GMT

ercm20@castle.ed.ac.uk (Sam Wilson) (03/20/90)

In article 1914 of comp.virus XPUM04@prime-a.central-services.umist.ac.uk
   (Anthony Appleyard) writes:
>
> Information from "Kenneth R. van Wyk" <krvw@edu.cmu.sei.cert>, with thanks.
> Some Virus-L messages say that the rest of the message can be got (say) "by
> anonymous ftp from  the/quick/brown/fox/jumps.over.the.lazy.dog".  For  the
> information  of those not very conversant with FTP, this can be done thus:-
>
> Type your computer's command "ftp cert.sei.cmu.edu". "cert.sei.cmu.edu"  is
> a  USA email address. It should be "edu.cmu.sei.cert@uk.ac.nsfnet-relay" if
> typed in UK (I think).

Nope!  There is no direct Internet FTP access for most people in the UK.
We have our own file transfer protocol known as NIFTP (or just FTP to
its friends) or 'Blue Book'.  It does not interwork with the Internet
and you can't use odd mail addresses like that given above.

If you need to access Internet FTP from the UK the NSFnet-Relay provides
a service of sorts but I don't know if it's public (yet?).  Mail
Postmaster@uk.ac.NSFnet-Relay (...@NSFnet-Relay.ac.uk for folks outside
the UK and some folks inside) for details.

Most anti-viral s/w is available in the UK - see the monthly sites
postings.

Sam Wilson
Network Planning, Edinburgh University Computing Service