128 lines
6.9 KiB
Plaintext
128 lines
6.9 KiB
Plaintext
|
|
Checksum: 2981645349 (Verify with "brik -cv")
|
|
X-Submissions-to: ibmbin@crdgw1.crd.ge.com
|
|
X-Questions-to: ibmbin-request@crdgw1.crd.ge.com
|
|
Posting-number: Volume 16, Issue inf09
|
|
Originally-from: oneill@bass.bu.edu
|
|
Submitted-by: oneill@ulowell.edu
|
|
Organization: UMass at Lowell
|
|
Archive-name: admin/ftpman1.4a
|
|
|
|
[Date of Last Change: 05/03/91 Release 1.5]
|
|
|
|
GETTING BINARIES VIA FTP
|
|
|
|
Copyright (c) 1991 by Brian O'Neill. Permission to copy this file feely is
|
|
given, so long as the file remains unmodified.
|
|
|
|
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It allows a person to transfer
|
|
files between two systems, generally connect over local area networks or
|
|
wide area networks, such as the Internet.
|
|
|
|
If your hosts system has FTP and is connected to the Internet, you
|
|
can access very large amounts of archives available on a number of
|
|
systems, such as Simtel20 or uunet.uu.net. This is a simplified use
|
|
manual, and will use two examples, one a TOPS-20 system
|
|
(wsmr-simtel20.army.mil, which has a large base if PD/Shareware MSDOS
|
|
software), and one Unix system (uunet.uu.net, where archives of the
|
|
comp.sources newsgroups are kept).
|
|
|
|
The simplest way to initiate FTP would be to give the command 'ftp
|
|
<system-name>', where <system-name> is the remote system you are
|
|
connecting to, either a name (wsmr-simtel20.army.mil, if you have an
|
|
entry in /etc/hosts or are accessing a Domain Name Server, such as bind) or
|
|
the InterNet address (192.88.110.20, for Simtel20). After a short wait, you
|
|
will be prompted for your username. If you do not have an account on the
|
|
remote system, some systems allow you to use 'anonymous'. This gives you a
|
|
restricted access path, allowing you to access certain files only.
|
|
|
|
You would then be prompted for a password. If you are using your own
|
|
account, give your password. If you are using 'anonymous', the system may
|
|
ask you to send your real identity as the password. What you type doesn't
|
|
matter, but it is suggested to give your mail address. Other systems
|
|
need a password of 'guest', or something similar.
|
|
|
|
After that, you should receive the FTP prompt (usually ftp>), and
|
|
now have access. You can get a directory of files be giving a 'dir'
|
|
command, or if the remote system is Unix-based, 'ls -l' will give the
|
|
familiar output. On Simtel20, there is a file available in the
|
|
default anonymous ftp directory that explains what Simtel20 is, and
|
|
where files are located. The name is 'SIMTEL-ARCHIVES.INFO.nn, where
|
|
".nn" is a file generation number. You don't need to specify the file
|
|
generation number when requesting the file. In fact, it's better not
|
|
to because you will always get the latest generation that way.
|
|
|
|
Unix systems will all have the familiar directory structure, and
|
|
moving around is done with the familiar 'cd' or 'cwd' command.
|
|
TOPS-20 systems have a different structure, but movement is still
|
|
accomplished with the 'cd' command.
|
|
|
|
I will use Simtel20 as the first example. To start, give the
|
|
command 'ftp wsmr-simtel20.army.mil' from your shell prompt, or 'open
|
|
wsmr-simtel20.army,mil' from the 'ftp>' prompt. If this host is not
|
|
in your /etc/hosts file or you do not have access to a Domain-name Server,
|
|
use '192.88.110.20' in it's place. After a few seconds, you'll be prompted
|
|
for your username. Type 'anonymous', and when prompted for password,
|
|
give your e-mail address (more as a courtesy than anything else), or if
|
|
you prefer, 'guest'. You should then shortly get back the 'ftp>' prompt.
|
|
If you receive an error message stating that there are too many anonymous
|
|
logins, wait a few minutes and try again. Simtel20 has limited access,
|
|
especially during normal business hours.
|
|
|
|
Now, say you want to see what is stored for MS-DOS programs.
|
|
Simtel20 is a DEC System-20 running the TOPS-20 operating system. The
|
|
directory structure is 'DISK:<DIRECTORY.SUBDIRECTORY>'. For MS-DOS
|
|
programs, the main directory is 'PD1:<MSDOS>'. In here there is a
|
|
file called 'MSDOS.CRCLST', which is updated almost daily. It
|
|
contains a list of all files within the MS-DOS subdirectories, along
|
|
with file size and CRC value.
|
|
|
|
To get this list, first switch to that directory by saying 'cd
|
|
pd1:<msdos>' (TOPS-20 is not case sensitive). If you are prompted for
|
|
another password just ignore the request. When you get the 'ftp>'
|
|
prompt back, you can then say 'get msdos.crclst'. This will initiate
|
|
the transfer, and after a few minutes it will be completed. The
|
|
beauty of Unix is that while you are transfering something big, you
|
|
can put it in the background and do something else.
|
|
|
|
Say you wanted to get ProComm Plus TD. According to the list, it is
|
|
in PD1:<MSDOS.PROCOMM>. So, you can enter 'cd pd1:<msdos.procomm>'.
|
|
A 'dir' will show all the files in that directory. (You may wish not
|
|
to use too many 'dir' commands, as they are sometimes fairly slow).
|
|
|
|
Now, you want the file 'pcplustd.arc'. First, you must tell your
|
|
host what kind of file it is. On most Unix systems, 'binary' or 'set
|
|
type binary' or 'set type I' will work. However, as Simtel20 runs a
|
|
different OS that has different word sizes (36 bits) you must specify
|
|
'tenex' or 'type L 8' to transfer properly. You can then issue a 'get
|
|
pcplustd.arc' command, and after a short while, you have ProComm Plus TD.
|
|
To end your session, enter the 'bye' command.
|
|
|
|
Unix is a little more familiar for most people with Internet access.
|
|
For example, you might wish to get sources to the latest version of ZOO
|
|
from uunet.uu.net. First, you give the 'ftp uunet.uu.net' command (or
|
|
ftp 192.48.96.2), giving 'anonymous' for the username, and your address
|
|
as the password. You can then use the 'dir' or 'ls -l' commands to scan
|
|
the directories. After some directory searching, you find it is located in
|
|
comp.sources.unix/volume17/zoo2, showing that it was posted in
|
|
comp.sources.unix, volume 17. Inside that directory, you find 10 parts,
|
|
labelled part01.Z to part10.Z. As told by the .Z suffix, these files are
|
|
compressed binary files. You must tell FTP to operate in binary mode, so
|
|
type 'binary' or 'type I' to set it. You can then do a 'get' for each file.
|
|
Now you have the original sources to Zoo 2.01.
|
|
|
|
Different systems have different organizations for their files, and the
|
|
above example is just the way I have it set up. By 'poking' around other
|
|
systems, you can learn how their files are set up, and zip around much
|
|
faster. Note, however, that FTP will not allow you outside the FTP 'root'
|
|
directory, usually ~ftp on most systems. So, poking about the entire system
|
|
is not permitted.
|
|
|
|
You now have a basic understanding of how to use FTP to get the things
|
|
you want. I hope this has been of use. Questions and comments welcome.
|
|
Other features of FTP can be found in the manual - please check there. My
|
|
E-mail address is oneill@hawk.ulowell.edu.
|
|
|
|
Messages regarding problems, complaints or suggestions for
|
|
Simtel20 should be addressed to 'action@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil'.
|