FTP Command Examples (with examples)

Connect to a remote FTP server interactively

ftp host

Motivation: This use case allows you to connect to a remote FTP server and interact with it using the FTP command line interface. It is useful when you need to perform file transfers or execute other FTP commands.

Explanation: The ftp command is used to initiate an interactive FTP session with a remote server. By providing the host argument, you specify the hostname or IP address of the remote FTP server you want to connect to.

Example Output:

Connected to host.
220 Welcome to the FTP server.

Log in as an anonymous user

ftp -A host

Motivation: This use case is useful when connecting to an FTP server that allows anonymous access. By logging in as an anonymous user, you are granted limited access to public files and directories on the server.

Explanation: The -A option is used to log in as an anonymous user. The host argument specifies the hostname or IP address of the remote FTP server you want to connect to.

Example Output:

Connected to host.
220 Welcome to the FTP server.
331 Anonymous login ok, send your complete email address as your password.
230-Welcome to the server.
230 User logged in.
ftp>

Disable automatic login upon initial connection

ftp -n host

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to disable automatic login upon establishing the initial connection with the FTP server. It allows you to manually log in using the user and pass commands.

Explanation: The -n option is used to disable automatic login. When you connect to the FTP server, you will not be prompted for credentials. Instead, you need to manually use the user and pass commands to log in.

Example Output:

Connected to host.
220 Welcome to the FTP server.
ftp>

Run a file containing a list of FTP commands

ftp -s:path\to\file host

Motivation: This use case allows you to automate FTP operations by providing a file containing a list of FTP commands. This is useful when you have a series of repetitive or complex commands to execute.

Explanation: The -s option is used to specify a file that contains a list of FTP commands. The path\to\file argument should be replaced with the actual path to the file on your local system. The host argument specifies the hostname or IP address of the remote FTP server you want to connect to.

Example Output:

Connected to host.
220 Welcome to the FTP server.
200 Switching to ASCII mode.
...

Download multiple files (glob expression)

mget *.png

Motivation: This use case allows you to download multiple files from the remote FTP server using a glob expression. It is useful when you want to retrieve multiple files that follow a specific pattern.

Explanation: The mget command is used to download multiple files. The *.png argument is a glob expression that matches all files with the .png extension. The files matching the pattern will be downloaded from the remote FTP server to your local system.

Example Output:

ftp> mget *.png
200 Type set to I.
...
226 Transfer complete.
ftp>

Upload multiple files (glob expression)

mput *.zip

Motivation: This use case allows you to upload multiple files to the remote FTP server using a glob expression. It is useful when you have multiple files that you need to transfer to the server.

Explanation: The mput command is used to upload multiple files. The *.zip argument is a glob expression that matches all files with the .zip extension. The files matching the pattern will be uploaded from your local system to the remote FTP server.

Example Output:

ftp> mput *.zip
200 Type set to I.
...
226 Transfer complete.
ftp>

Delete multiple files on the remote server

mdelete *.txt

Motivation: This use case allows you to delete multiple files from the remote FTP server using a glob expression. It is useful when you want to remove multiple files that match a certain pattern.

Explanation: The mdelete command is used to delete multiple files from the remote FTP server. The *.txt argument is a glob expression that matches all files with the .txt extension. The files matching the pattern will be deleted from the remote server.

Example Output:

ftp> mdelete *.txt
250 DELE command successful.
ftp>

Display detailed help

ftp --help

Motivation: This use case provides detailed information and usage examples for the ftp command. It is useful when you want to quickly reference the available options and learn more about how to use the command effectively.

Explanation: The --help option is used to display the help information for the ftp command. It provides a brief description of the command and lists all the available options with their explanations.

Example Output:

Interactively transfer files between a local and remote FTP server.

FTP [-v] [-d] [-i] [-n] [-g] [-s:filename] [-a] [-A] [-w:windowsize] [-S:connections] [-b:asyncbuffers] [-f:scriptfile]

  -v              Suppresses display of remote server responses.
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