randomice.net

Recently I wrote a small backup solution for our server. The configuration is based on a simple text file and a remote-backup-server-configuration-file. As ncftp is very handy in shell scripts I am using it as ftp client. That’s why the remote-backup-server-configuration-file uses a ncftp specific configuration format . It includes the server name, the login name and the login password.

At first I have read the man page of ncftpput and tried it out. It worked great using -f, -c and a pipe. The other direction (ncftpget) worked also like a charm. Afterwards I’ve tried ncftpls in the same manner but it gave me the confusing error message “Not a URL: /…/”. *** Thoughts: Of course this is not an URL. – I can see that. – And I do not want to enter a URL. – The Program already has every info it needs. /Thoughts *** A second try using a relative path did not gave me the expected result either. After a look into the man page (where I saw only one possible command line) I knew that I found a missing feature …

Afterwards I wrote an email to the developers of ncftp and they gave me a “no way” response. They wanted to avoid complexity and confusion. – I think they haven’t tried their own program…

Some examples:

ncftpput -f server_login.dat remote_path local_file

ncftpget -f server_login.dat local_path remote_file

ncftpls -f server_login.dat remote_path

The first two commands work as expected but the last command is the version I expected to work but in the current Version of ncftp you have to provide a command line like

ncftpls -f server_login.dat ftp://ftp.server.com/remote_path

if you want to use the -f option. As you see you have to specify the server twice (at first in the server_login.dat, second in the command line).

They are selling a closed source ftp server software. I think the real reason for giving me the fluff is that they have no one who pays for their work on their own open source (Artistic License) product (the client ncftp).

I think this is not how open source works.