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A Quick-and-Dirty FTP Tutorial

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol, and allows two computers on the Internet to exchange files. FTP is based on the client-server model: one computer acts as a client, which sends instructions to the other computer, known as the server. File transfer can go both ways, obviously, but the client computer is always the one which initiates the transfer by sending the appropriate command.

Technically, it is not the computers themselves that are the client and server, but programs running on the computers. The terms client and server are typically used in this sense; an FTP server is a program that allows FTP clients on other computers to connect to it. However, to use FTP well, you only need to worry about clients.

FTP clients generally fall into two categories: command-line clients and graphical clients. Note also that Netscape 2.0 and above allow uploading via FTP; as Netscape is not a true FTP client, it has its own separate section below.

1. Type "open accountname.dragonfire.net" if your client has an "ftp>"-like prompt, or just "accountname.dragonfire.net" if it has a "Host:"-like prompt. Replace "accountname" with your own Dragonfire account name.
2. When prompted for your username, enter it (this is your username, not your account name). Remember that usernames are case sensitive!
3. You should then see a prompt for your password; enter it as well. Passwords are case-sensitive too.
4. If you get a message like "Login incorrect", it means you mistyped either your username or your password; type "close" and start over from step 1.
5. Otherwise, you should see a message like "User your-username logged in.". This means you've successfully connected to Dragonfire.

Once you've connected, there are a number of commands available. The more commonly used commands are listed below. Where two different names are given for a command, your client may have one or the other or both; if one doesn't work, try the other. Arguments to the commands (e.g. filenames you have to give) are given in italics; [brackets] around an argument mean that it's optional. Command names are not case-sensitive (but Unix filenames are!).

• PUT filename [remote-filename] (or SEND)
  Probably the most common command; as its name implies, it sends a file from your system to your account on Dragonfire. If you just give the name of a local file (such as "index.html"), then the file will have the same name on Dragonfire. Alternatively, you can give a second name with the command (the remote-filename above) to make the file have a different name on Dragonfire.
  Two examples:
  • PUT index.html
    Stores the file index.html on Dragonfire.
  • PUT myfile.htm reallylongfilename.html
    Stores the file myfile.htm on Dragonfire, calling it reallylongfilename.html.
• GET filename [local-filename]
  The opposite of PUT; this retrieves a file from your account and stores it on your computer. As with PUT, you can give either one or two filenames: the first is the name of the file on your account, and the second, if given, is what to name the file on your computer (if not given, it will be named the same as the first name).
• RENAME from-filename to-filename
  Renames a file on your account from one name to another.
• DELETE filename
  Deletes a file from your account.
• LCD local-directory
  Change the directory on your system that the client will send files from. On Unix systems, this typically starts out as the directory you ran the FTP client from; on Windows systems it might be anything, and you should probably do an LCD to the directory your files are in (e.g. LCD c:\html).
• CD directory (or CWD)
  Change the current directory. Normally, you'll start out in your home directory, which is where all your files (and directories) are stored.
• PWD
  Print the current directory. (The command is short for "Print Working Directory". Likewise, CWD means "Change Working Directory.")
• MKDIR directory
  Creates a directory on your account.
• RMD directory
  Deletes a directory on your account. The directory must be empty before it can be deleted.
• SITE CHMOD mode filename (or QUOTE SITE CHMOD)
  Changes the permission information for a file or directory - i.e. who is allowed access to it. Common values for mode are:
  • 644: Publicly-accessible file.
  • 755: Publicly-accessible directory, or executable (CGI) script.
  • 600: Private file.
  • 700: Private directory. (Note that files inside a private directory don't have to be private themselves; no one but you can read any files inside a private directory that you create.)
  
  A full list of modes for the SITE CHMOD command can be found here.

  Note: If SITE CHMOD gives you an error, use QUOTE SITE CHMOD instead.

1. Fill in the appropriate "connect" information as follows:
   • Host name: accountname.dragonfire.net (This is not a URL! Replace accountname with your actual account name.)
   • Username: (your username)
   • Password: (your password)
   All other fields should be left alone.
2. Click on "Connect" (or "OK", or whatever the "go ahead" button is on your client).

Besides the operations of transferring files described above, there will typically be a set of buttons next to the directory windows, with names like "ChgDir", "RmDir", "Rename", or "Delete", which perform those functions. (Alternatively, those commands may be in a menu or toolbar.) Most clients should also have a "Send FTP Command" function, which will allow you to send a raw FTP command (such as the SITE CHMOD command) listed under command-line clients. (Note that most command-line client commands are not raw FTP commands; see the list of raw FTP commands.)

A commonly used and well-regarded graphical FTP client for Windows systems is WS-FTP; a copy can be found at ftp://ftp.dragonfire.net/software/windows/internet/ws_ftp.zip. WS-FTP has a menu accessible by clicking the right mouse button in the remote file list window which includes a "QUOTE" command; that command can be used to send raw FTP commands to the server (such as SITE CHMOD).

Notice: To perform any operations other than uploading files, you need to download a real FTP client. One such client for Windows, WS-FTP, can be downloaded from Dragonfire via anonymous FTP.