Transfering a file with ftp

FTP Help Page

This page is a basic lesson on using FTP to transfer files with either a Mac or a PC.

How to transfer a file using ftp?

The command "ftp" can be used to transfer files from one computer to another, anywhere on the Internet. It stands for "file
transfer protocol." This page includes three sections:

Basic FTP commands
Using a Macintosh to transfer files via Ethernet
Using a PC to transfer files by ftp

Basic FTP commands

Transferring a file from your own account on one computer to your own account on another computer

Log in at your computer, and issue the command "ftp" followed by the name of the computer to which you wish to connect. For
example, if you are at a computer at another institution and wish to get your files from mbcr, type in the following
command:

ftp mbcr.bcm.tmc.edu

You will see the usual login prompt; enter your login and password as usual. If the file is a binary, such as a program,
you can set the type to "binary" by typing in the word "binary as a command at the ftp prompt; otherwise, leave the type
set to the default, which is ASCII (meaning text).

To see your list of files, type either ls or, more informatively, dir. To change directories in your mbcr account, simply
use the cd command as usual.

Once you see the desired file in a listing, you can get the file using the command get, e.g.,

get filename

If you want to obtain every file from a directory, use the wildcard, *, with the command mget (for multiple get), e.g.,

mget *

If you only want the files ending in .seq, say, use

mget *.seq

Repeat for every directory of interest. Unfortunately you cannot retrieve whole directories, only individual files. It is
possible on mbcr to compress directories into a single file using the tar command, but this is probably not something most
beginners want to get into, depending on the amount of work it will be to mget * in each directory of interest.

To exit from ftp, issue the command "bye".

When you issue the "mget *" command, you will be asked whether or not you want each file, one at a time. Type "y" for yes;
just hit a return for no. If you want every file and do not want to be bothered with typing all those "y's", enter the
command "prompt" before starting the get.

Using a Macintosh to transfer files via Ethernet

We have two Ethernet-based programs for transferring files. One is the University of Dartmouth's Fetch program, which is
extremely easy to use; the other is NCSA Telnet, brought to you by the same folks who wrote Mosaic.

To use Fetch, simply start the program. In the window that appears, enter "mbcr" or whatever the name of the destination
computer may be. Click the mouse in the login box and type in your login but don't hit "return" at the end, then click in
the password box to enter your password. Select "OK" or hit the "enter" or "return" key at this point. Once in your home
directory, cd to the directory where the files are/will be put. To put files onto mbcr from your Mac, select the "put"
button once the connection has been made; to get files from mbcr onto your Mac, select the "get" button. Selecting files is
done in the usual Macintosh fashion. Note that the MBCR's Macintoshes are equipped with At Ease and require that you bring
a floppy disk for your transfers.

To use NCSA telnet, after starting the program, first choose "Open Connection" from the "file" menu, and specify "mbcr".
Log in to mbcr as usual, and you can do any work you wish. Change to the directory where the files are/will be put, and use
"ls" to list the files. Now you are ready to start ftp. Under the "Network" menu, select "send ftp command"; then under the
"File" menu, select "set transfer directory" and find the folder on the Macintosh where the files are or will go, then
click on "set directory". You will note that instead of your usual mbcr prompt, you see an ftp prompt, like this:

<ftp>

When you see the ftp prompt, you have a very limited number of commands to use; the ones you are most likely to use are cd
to change directories on mbcr, dir or ls to list your files, get, put, mget, and mput, prompt, and binary. From this
point, follow the instructions under Basic FTP commands, in the first section of this document, above.

Using a PC to transfer files by ftp

If you've had a PC connected to the Ethernet by Network Support at Baylor, you probably have had the correct programs
installed. If the following commands don't work, you'll need to ask for the programs.

At the DOS prompt

At the DOS prompt, first be sure that you have changed to the correct directory or disk drive on your PC. Then follow the
instructions given in the instructions under Basic FTP commands, in the first section of this document, above.

Using Microsoft Windows

In the PC NFS directory, look for the FTP program icon. Usage is quite simple--enter your login and password, make the
connection, and then select the appropriate buttons to transfer the files.

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