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FTP help »

Contents

Introduction

FTP (the File Transfer Protocol) is a protocol which defines how files may be copied over the Internet. This protocol is implemented by client and server programs: Users run a client program (named ftp) to send requests to servers, while a server program provides access to a given collection of files.

ICS operates an FTP server on the host ftp.ics.uci.edu (URL ftp://ftp.ics.uci.edu/). Through this server, you may make files available to others or pick up files left for you by others. Please note that we do not support "Anonymous FTP". However, guests who properly identify themselves may access our archive freely without the need for a real account here. References in this document to "anonymous ftp" actually refer to this type of guest access.

Making files available to others

To make files available to others simply create a directory public_ftp in your home directory and run `chmod 755 ~/public_ftp`. Around 12:30am the files in the directory will become available to anonymous ftp users as ftp://ftp.ics.uci.edu/pub/yourname.

You can move files into your public_ftp directory to so that they are available via anonymous ftp. Make sure the files are world-readable by running `chmod 644 filename` otherwise remote users will not be able to retieve them. Run `man chmod` for more information.

After you create the public_ftp directory and put world-readable files in your public_ftp directory, remote users can access your files by using anonymous FTP to the server ftp.ics.uci.edu. Your files will appear to the anonymous FTP user under the path /pub/yourname.

World Wide Web browers can also access files using anonymous FTP. The URL to your FTP area would be ftp://ftp.ics.uci.edu/pub/yourname.

For security reasons the ~/public_ftp directory is mounted read-only, and it is not possible to follow symbolic links which point outside this hierarchy. Thus:

  • Copy files into your public_ftp area directly, using UNIX commands. You will not be able to add files using ftp's PUT command.
  • Avoid (non-relative) symbolic links in your public_ftp area, since they will not resolve correctly for the anonymous FTP user.

Be sure to create a README file in your subdirectory which explains what your files are, and how people can contact you with any questions regarding your files.

If the file ".message" is present in your subdirectory, its contents will be displayed when an ftp client uses the ``change working directory'' command to move to your subdirectory.

If the file ".notar" is present in your subdirectory, then tar archives of your subdirectory may not be retrieved (see features of our server).

Receiving files left by others

Please instruct anonymous ftp users who need to drop off files for you to leave them in /incoming, and then to send you electronic mail alerting you to the presence of the files. They can do this by following these steps:

  1. ftp ftp.ics.uci.edu
  2. user name: anonymous
  3. password: complete email address
  4. cd incoming
  5. put filename
  6. bye
  7. send e-mail to you, specifying the new file's name

Users must always provide a working email address -- "Anonymous" FTP in any form is not supported. Guests who properly identify themselves may access our archive freely without the need for a real account here.

You can retrieve files left in the /incoming directory by following these steps:

  1. ftp ftp.ics.uci.edu
  2. user name: your login name
  3. password: your password
  4. cd ~ftp/incoming
  5. get filename
  6. bye

This will copy the file into your account.

Additional Features Of This Server

Format Changes by Filename

This FTP server allows a user to retrieve a file in a different format simply by specifying a different form of the filename when using the GET command.

True Filename Specified Filename Action
<filename>.Z <filename> uncompress file before transmitting
<filename> <filename>.Z compress <filename> before transmitting
<directory> <directory>.tar tar <directory> before transmitting
<directory> <directory>.tar.Z tar and compress <directory> before transmitting

File Manipulation Commands

The following commands are supported by this FTP server. If your FTP client does not support the "site" command then use "quote site" instead.

rename filename1 filename2
Rename filename1 to some other filename2.

site chmod mode filename
Change the permission (mode) of a file. The mode must be given in octal. See the chmod man page for more information.

site umask value
Set the file creation mask. See the umask section of the csh man page for more information.