Subject: Useful Tips for Using FTP

From: Rupert Zhu <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1993 19:51:06 -0500

Useful Tips for Using FTP
                           =========================

1. If a directory on remote machine contains too many entries, the output of
   "ls" or "dir" will scroll over your screen.  The following command can
   force the output be displayed one page at a time:

       ftp>  dir  .  |more

   (Note:  '.' is necessary, and there should be no space between | and more.)

2. If you want to save the file list of current directory on remote machine
   to a file on your own machine, type

       ftp>  dir . local_file

    The general format is:

       ftp>  dir  [remote_directory]  [local_file]

3. To read a short file, README say, on remote machine without saving it
   to your local machine, type

        ftp>  get README |more

4. If you want to check information from a local_file without quitting FTP
   session, type any one of the following:

       ftp>  ! more  local_file
       ftp>  !  vi   local_file
       ftp>  ! emacs local_file

   (Note: If you have just transmitted a file README to your machine,
    this new file can be accessed in the same way.)

5. In general, you can invoke a subshell on FTP prompt by typing:

       ftp>  !

   You can return to FTP prompt by typing "exit" on UNIX command line.

6. The following command guarantees to cd back to parent directory, no
   matter what operating system is running on the remote machine.

       ftp>  cdup

   (If the remote machine runs UNIX, "cd .." does the same job.  But
   in other situations, "cd .." may not work.)

7. If you want to transfer a bunch of files using "mget" or "mput" and
   don't wnat to be bothered by confirmation for each file, you can type

       ftp>  prompt

    to turn interactive mode off.  (Doing it one more time will bring you
    back to the interactive mode.  It toggles.)

NOTE:  In the above examples, "ftp> " represents the FTP prompt.  You
    need only type the command following the prompt.

Compiled by: Ruopeng Zhu
February 6, 1992
(Extracted from Manual Pages for SunOS and MIPS)
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