THE FTP COMMAND

[Phrases you type are in bold font. Items enclosed in <> indicate a variable that you select.]

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. Files on any UNIX computer can be accessed using this command (e.g. all Pickers and all Suns). We have added software to the Fellows' Macs to enable them to connect via ftp too.

An ftp session is similar to logging onto a remote computer using an account which has limited privileges: there are only certain things you can do. Permitted actions are mainly restricted to copying files to and from the local computer and the remote computer.

Every ftp session contains these steps:

1. On the local computer, Computer A, open a window and go to the directory of interest, e.g. cd myfiles/July

2. Establish an ftp connection from Computer A to Computer B.
   ftp <name of Computer B> e.g. ftp readrm

   You will be prompted for a user name and password on the remote machine.

3. To correctly transfer image data, set the binary flag by typing:

   bin

4. Change directory on the remote computer to the directory of interest:

   cd /img16/P6686

5. If you skipped Step 1 and are in the wrong directory on the local computer, change local directory:

   lcd myfiles/July

6. 1. To copy a file from the remote computer to the local computer type:

      get <filename>

   2. To copy a file from the local computer to the remote computer type:

      put <filename>

   3. To transfer more than one file, preface the preceding commands with the letter "m" (for multiple) and use the asterisk wild-card character, e.g. mget T*

      looks in the remote computer’s directory for all files starting with the capital letter "T" and prompts you whether to transfer each one.

7. End the ftp session by typing:

   bye

Additional Comments About FTP

1. Remember that ftp-ing creates copies of files. The original files are still on disk. Therefore please clean up after yourself by deleting duplicates once you’re certain the files have successfully transferred.

2. There are slight variations from computer to computer in which commands ftp recognizes. To get a quick list of the commands the current ftp session recognizes, type:

   ?

   during the ftp session (after Step 2). For additional information about a particular command type:

   ? <command> e.g. ? pwd

3. Note that "ftp" is not one of the recognized commands in an ftp session. In other words, you cannot ftp to Computer B and then ftp from there to Computer C. If your computer is not on the same network as Computer C, you must log onto a "gateway" computer before you can ftp to Computer C. Our gateway computer is oasis.rad.upenn.edu.

   To log onto the gateway computer from a UNIX computer you can issue the command:

   telnet oasis.rad.upenn.edu

   You will be prompted for your account name and password. Then you can ftp to Computer C, get the files, close the connection to Computer C then ftp the files from oasis to your local computer.

   To log onto the gateway computer from a Mac you must start the Telnet application. For details, please refer to: Instructions for downloading and viewing Picker images on Nucmed Macs.