Re: ncftpput replacement

[Brian K. White]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bruno Haible" <address@hidden>
To: "Karl Berry" <address@hidden>; <address@hidden>
Sent: Sunday, August 03, 2008 3:08 PM
Subject: Re: ncftpput replacement


> Karl Berry wrote:
>> The gnupload script (which is in gnulib) depends on ncftpput.  I found
>> it easier to write a replacement using plain old command line ftp than
>> to install ncftp.
> 
> Nothing against such a replacement script, if it works for you.
> 
> The 'ftp' program on some Linux distros, however,(*) sometimes guesses wrong
> whether to use active or passive mode for the data connection. The symptom
> is that the "put" command hangs (times out) and only manages to create a
> zero-length file on the server. Whereas 'ncftp' always does the right thing
> regarding active/passive, in my experience.
> 
> Bruno
> 
> (*) Specifically openSUSE from 1 year ago.

Also the traditional plain ftp client on other *ix often doesn't have any 
concept of timeut. If a tcp session stalls, it just sits there forever or until 
the user issues commands or signals to abort, which means background processes 
never timeout. wget/ncftp/curl etc are all more robust choices for automated 
operations even if only for that one reason.

-- 
Brian K. White    address@hidden    http://www.myspace.com/KEYofR
+++++[>+++[>+++++>+++++++<<-]<-]>>+.>.+++++.+++++++.-.[>+<---]>++.
filePro  BBx    Linux  SCO  FreeBSD    #callahans  Satriani  Filk!