Using the FTP Command (with examples)

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard network protocol used for transferring files from one host to another over a TCP-based network, such as the internet. The ftp command is a useful tool for interacting with an FTP server and performing various operations such as connecting to a server, transferring files, and managing directories.

1: Connect to an FTP Server

To connect to an FTP server, you can use the following command:

ftp ftp.example.com

This command connects to the FTP server at ftp.example.com. Replace ftp.example.com with the actual hostname or IP address of the FTP server you want to connect to.

2: Connect to an FTP Server specifying its IP address and port

If you need to connect to an FTP server by specifying its IP address and port, you can use the following command:

ftp ip_address port

Replace ip_address with the actual IP address of the FTP server, and port with the port number the FTP server is listening on.

3: Switch to Binary Transfer Mode

Binary transfer mode is used when transferring non-text files such as graphics, compressed files, or executable programs. To switch to binary transfer mode, use the binary command.

binary

Switching to binary transfer mode ensures that files are transferred as-is without any character encoding or translation, preserving their integrity.

4: Turn off Prompting for Confirmation

By default, the ftp command prompts for confirmation on each file when transferring or deleting multiple files. If you want to transfer multiple files without being prompted for confirmation, you can use the prompt off command.

prompt off

This command turns off prompting and performs the transfer or deletion without confirmation for each file.

5: Download Multiple Files

To download multiple files from the FTP server, you can use the mget command with a glob expression to match the desired files.

mget *.png

In this example, the mget command is used to download all files with the .png extension from the FTP server. Replace *.png with the appropriate glob expression to match the files you want to download.

6: Upload Multiple Files

To upload multiple files to the FTP server, you can use the mput command with a glob expression to match the files to be uploaded.

mput *.zip

This example uploads all files with the .zip extension from the local machine to the FTP server. Replace *.zip with the appropriate glob expression to match the files you want to upload.

7: Delete Multiple Files

To delete multiple files on the remote server, you can use the mdelete command with a glob expression to match the files to be deleted.

mdelete *.txt

In this example, the mdelete command is used to delete all files with the .txt extension from the remote server. Replace *.txt with the appropriate glob expression to match the files you want to delete.

8: Rename a File

To rename a file on the remote server, you can use the rename command. Specify the original filename and the new filename as arguments.

rename original_filename new_filename

Replace original_filename with the name of the file you want to rename, and new_filename with the desired new name for the file.

These are just a few examples of how to use the ftp command to interact with an FTP server. The command offers a wide range of functionality for managing files and directories on both local and remote systems. By leveraging the capabilities of the ftp command, you can efficiently transfer files between different systems over a network.