Forum OpenACS Q&A: AOLServer and FTP Functions

1: AOLServer and FTP Functions - like ns_httpget

Posted by roland dunn on 02/12/02 10:37 AM

Hi,

Does anyone know of any FTP functionality in AOL Server like
ns_httpget? So, um, perhaps something like, ns_ftpget?

I can't find anything, so assuming that it doesn't exist, does anyone
have any suggestions as to how one could do this in OpenACS?
Effectively I'm looking to write a web-based FTP client (don't ask
why ....) and am wondering how it could be done in OpenACS.

Thanks for anyones replies,
Roland.

2: Response to AOLServer and FTP Functions - like ns_httpget (response to 1)

Posted by MaineBob OConnor on 02/12/02 05:07 PM

Roland, this isn't the answer that you want to hear but we no longer allow FTP access to our servers because of the security issue. Our server was hacked awhile back by an FTP breach.

Our solution. We do telnet access with SSH. AND there is a great new client that works under Windows that gives a nice "Norton (Midnight) Commander" style interface that looks like Classic WS_FTP. It is...

WinSCP is freeware SCP (Secure CoPy) client for Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP using SSH (Secure SHell). Its main function is safe copying files between local and remote computer. Beyond this basic function, WinSCP manages some other actions with files.

Available from: winscp.vse.cz

There is also a Mac solution using SCP under SSH.

-Bob

3: Response to AOLServer and FTP Functions - like ns_httpget (response to 1)

Posted by roland dunn on 02/12/02 05:25 PM

Hi Bob,

Thanks for your reply. Um ... I'm not sure whether you got the wrong end of the stick, I'm sorry if I wasn't clear: the kind of thing I'm looking to do is to access other FTP sites from within some TCL scripts, i.e. from within an OpenACS installation.

So, a script issues an FTP query, and writes back to a web page what it has found - for example. Hence my query re: whether there is any FTP functionality similar to ns_httpget .....

Cheers Roland.

4: Response to AOLServer and FTP Functions - like ns_httpget (response to 1)

Posted by Patrick Giagnocavo on 02/12/02 06:09 PM

Roland, you can use the "exec" command to execute any shell script or binary command you wish. So you can use the command line FTP client to retrieve files. On many FTP programs you can specify the filename to save the file as on the local machine, which might prove useful.

The one thing that you cannot do without some work is to view the contents of the file while it is only partially downloaded. It would be possible to do this, but it would require some coding.

You should also have a look at the docs for the "ncftp" FTP client, as it may have some features that will make things easier for you.

5: Response to AOLServer and FTP Functions - like ns_httpget (response to 1)

Posted by Michael A. Cleverly on 02/12/02 06:27 PM

The Tcl Standard Library (see http://tcllib.sourceforge.net/) has a pure-Tcl ftp client package that could be easily adapted to meet your needs within AOLserver.

6: Response to AOLServer and FTP Functions - like ns_httpget (response to 1)

Posted by roland dunn on 02/13/02 11:39 AM

Thanks to one and all for your replies and answers, very helpful. Thanks.

Forum OpenACS Q&A: AOLServer and FTP Functions - like ns_httpget