Forum Moderators: phranque
Usually this is a small program that doesn nothing more than move files from one location to another..
(IE. from your computer to your website...)
It's a standard for moving files up to a website..
Normally you need to have a username and password along with the site url to transfer the files...
unless you intend to give this person your username and password....If you trust them 8-)....they can't add or delete files from your website...
if it's only a single file or something consider asking them where to place it, and use your Cpanel file manager to upload the file to the correct place...
Tera
A free windows ftp client program that you can use to log into your server using FTP.(free but with registration costs a month later on but you'll be able to figure it all out by then) FTP is another way to modify your site contents and the person is probably accustomed to using it.
[edited by: JerryOdom at 4:50 pm (utc) on Feb. 2, 2006]
There is certainly a security issue, so either change your password after the upload, or alternatively there are other methods to allow uploads to your site .. many and varied you'd have to look in to it yourself... I mostly use php .. but there are also 'off the shelf' proggys to fill this need ..
[edited by: Lobo at 4:53 pm (utc) on Feb. 2, 2006]
WOW! someone on here has never used FTP?
Yeah. They do exist. I have a few working for me that are IT graduates. We're just jaded and think everyone knows what it is aren't we? ;)
FTP is not only the way files are moved up to servers, it's also great for moving large files between members of a group via a website server. You can create accounts, and give out usernames and pw's to certain members, so that everyone can upload/download to common folders. Also, I often use it to move very large mapping files to clients (>50MB) by temporarily creating folders, and then removing them when the transaction is done.
Somewhere in your control panel will be a section where you can create FTP accounts. Have a good look around for it.
Anyway, read up on the FTP and fool around with it, man - it's incredibly handy.
It's certainly not the best ftp client out there, and it hangs up occasionally if the right packets get dropped, but it's there and it's 'free'.
Configurations cause the address format to vary somewhat, but I can open an IE window, type ftp://ftp.my_domain.com/ and drag and drop folders to my server. Navigation looks/works pretty much just like a folder on my local Windoze box.
The stand-alone multi-threaded FTP clients are much faster for big jobs, and there are still several very good free ones available, but I thought I'd mention IE, since everybody with Windows already has it.
You can also go into Run->Cmd and use the command-line version of FTP on Windows.
Jim
I'm not being derogatory, I'm genuinely surprised ..
Oh I know. I meant we as in webmasters.
Lex check out [webopedia.com...] if you'd like a definition of FTP. Its an easy to understand one.
I did my last 200 sites like this
And you've never heard of ftp ... this getting stranger and stranger?
$login_result = ftp_login($conn_id, $ftp_user_name, $ftp_user_pass);
Security seems to be an issue. I've learned never to leave an open FTP connection laying around. Open - Transfer - Close.
Either format is allows you to upload and download files quickly, and do simple tasks like change permissions (unix) and make and delete folders.
Leva
If FTP is something that confuses you or something that you don't want to deal with, tell the person that they will have to get you the file some other way and you will place it on the server using your Cpanel thingy. Have him email it, have it place it on a disk and courier it. FTP is not the only way, nor is it the best way so do not feel pressure to implement it if you think it is just going to cause you a headache.
