Using FTP

[SteveHFS]

Hi,

I'm trying to use FTP on NT4 to pull down around 300 items from one of our unix boxes. However, when I try it I keep getting and 'arguments too long' error. e.g.

ftp> Connected to xxxxx
open las
220 uk3 FTP server (UNIX(r) System V Release 4.0) ready.
User (xxxxxxnone)):
331 Password required for sn.

230 User sn logged in.
ftp> ftp>
cd /user2/db
250 CWD command successful.
ftp> Connected to xxxxxx

Type: ascii; Verbose: On; Bell: Off; Prompting: On; Globbing: On

Debugging: Off; Hash mark printing: Off

ftp> status
mget *.p
Arguments too long

200 Type set to A.
ftp> close
221 Goodbye.
ftp> bye

I was hoping to build up a simple script to run overnight but have reached this 'wall'. Anybody got any ideas?

Thanks.

 

[jrbarnett]

It doesn't look like there is a separator between "status" and "mget" - I think this may be the problem (try removing the status command, or putting a carriage return beforehand).

John

 

[SteveHFS]

Hi,

THanks for responding so quickly. However, I should have checked my example better as dumping the outut into a file seems to have rearranged the lines. This is the script I am running.

open las
sn
**password**
cd /user2/db
status
mget *.p
close
bye

There is a carraige return between each line. Truly sorry to mislead you. The problem is still outstanding.

 

[ChelseaGirl]

I suggest you still take out the status command - it looks like it's reading the output of the status message as input - therefore "arguements too long" - try running it manually to see if you get the same error.

 

[SteveHFS]

Hi,

Thanks for replying. It is exactly the same problem with or without the status in there and either running by script or doing each line manually in a command line window. I've since been told by our techie that this is very very old version of Unix I am trying to talk to so the problem may lie there. Unfortunately, it is our only unix box so I cannot try against a newer version.

I think that this is going to become one of life's great unanswered questions.

Thank you everybody for your attention.

 

[jrbarnett]

Steve

Does it work if you "get" just one particular file, rather than mget?
I realise that doing 300 get commands would take a long time to write and significantly extend the length of the script, but it may make your script work.

John

 

[SteveHFS]

Yep, works perfectly with one get.

I think you are right, if I really want an automated overnight run of this I'll have to build up a list of all the files and append a get in front of them. Thanks for the suggestion.

Steve