[comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc] A silly question about FTP

pugliese@ecs.umass.edu (05/03/91)

Hi,
	I have a fundamental question for someone.. anyone! 
What is ftp? how do i use it? Someone please clue me in... 
sorry if this is the dumbest FAQ you all have ever heard :) thanx...

Rob Pugliese

gordon@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu (John Gordon) (05/04/91)

pugliese@ecs.umass.edu writes:

>Hi,
>	I have a fundamental question for someone.. anyone! 
>What is ftp? how do i use it? Someone please clue me in... 
>sorry if this is the dumbest FAQ you all have ever heard :) thanx...

>Rob Pugliese


	HOW TO FTP:

	1) log on to your Unix system.  (You *did* say detailed...:-) )

	2) type "ftp <host-name>", where <host-name> is the name of the
host machine that you are trying to get to.
Example: "ftp cica.cica.indiana.edu".  Note: In some cases you may not be
able to use the name, you will have to use the IP address number.  This
number is 4 numbers separated by dots, i.e. "135.56.9.2".  If you have to
do it this way, you would type "ftp 135.56.9.2".  Presumbly you can 
obtain the IP number from the same place you got the host-name.

	3) When you connect to the host, you will have to enter a login
and probably a password.  Most sites support what is called "Anonymous FTP",
this means that you enter "anonymous" as your login and then enter your
real login as you password, i.e. "joe@comp.node.whatever".  I have heard
that sysadmins rarely check this, but it is curteous to give your real
login.  NOTE: Most sites don't want you using anon. FTP during prime-time,
which is usually 7am-6pm *local* time.  Do it at night.

	4) After you have successfully logged on, you can use "cd" and
"ls", among other commands, to get where you want in the directory tree.

	5) Once you are in the correct directory and know what files
you want, you can use "get" to copy single files, i.e. "get file1.c", 
or "mget" to get multiple files, i.e. "mget *.zip".  NOTE: If the
files you are copying are not plain-text files, i.e. compressed files,
binary data files, etc. you will want to set the transfer mode to 
"binary".  You can do this by typing "type binary".  "tenex" also
works in some places.

	6) If you get stuck, you can type "help" or ? and get a list
of FTP commands that you can use.  "man ftp" from your system prompt
will also be helpful.

	7) If any of the files you copied have a .Z, .shar, and/or
.tar extensions, you will have to play around with the files a bit
before you can use them.  Check out the man pages for the commands
"uncompress" (for .Z files), "shar" (for .shar files), and "tar"
(for .tar files).

	8) Software obtained this way will probably not have viruses,
but you never know.  Be careful out there.  Note: I say that "it will
probably not have viruses" because there is simply more "clean"
software out there than there is "dirty" software, not because FTP
is somehow inherently safer.



---
John Gordon
Internet: gordon@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu        #include <disclaimer.h>
          gordon@cerl.cecer.army.mil       #include <clever_saying.h>