RFTP Console Interface
The RFTP Console Interface may be used instead of File Mover to communicate with the server. It uses a text-based interface, but provides the same functions as File Mover. Choosing whether to use the RFTP Console Interface or File Mover is simply a matter of user preference.
Windows operating system
1. Use Windows Explorer to browse to the RFTP folder (usually C:\RFTP)
2. Double click on RftpConsoleInterface
UNIX operating system
1. Change directory to the directory that contains the RFTP directory.
2. Type in the command:
java rftp.RftpConsoleInterface
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When the RFTP Console Interface is started, it starts a console window where the user types in commands and receives the RFTP Server responses. To connect to the server, the user should enter the IP address of the server, and should receive a message back saying that the service is ready. The "RFTP>" (as shown below) prompt lets the user know that the RFTP Console Interface is ready to accept input.
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Before any commands are entered, the user and pass commands must be used to login to the server. When you receive the "Login complete" response, then other commands may be entered.
Commands can be entered in either upper or lower case. However, the arguments may be case sensitive, especially if the server is a UNIX machine. Pathnames on UNIX are case sensitive. The commands may be entered in any order, but the session should always end with the quit command.
The following RFTP commands are described below, along with their sample usage.
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PWD
Print Working Directory
The name of the current folder on the server is displayed.
rftp/>: pwd
LIST
List files
If the argument is a folder name, the RFTP server will then return a list of the files and folders contained in that folder. If the argument is a filename, the RFTP server will return details about that file.
rftp/>: list folder1
(Folder1 is a folder) The server will look in the current folder for folder1 and send a list of files in folder1 to the RFTP Console Interface
rftp/>: list C:\Windows
(C:\Windows is a folder) The server will send a list of files in C:\Windows to the RFTP Console Interface.
rftp/>: list
The server will send a list of files in the current folder to the RFTP Console Interface.
rftp/>:list file1
(file1 is a file in the current folder) The server will send details on file1 to the RFTP Console Interface.
rftp/>: list D:\data\file2
(D:\data\file2 is a file) ) The server will send details on D:\data\file2 to the RFTP Console Interface.
STAT
Request Status
This command causes the RFTP Server to send status information on its current state to the RFTP Client. If a filename is used as an argument, the stat command acts like the list command with a filename argument, sending details on that file to the RFTP Console Interface.
rftp/>: stat
Status information displayed on current server state.
rftp/>: stat filename
Details displayed about filename.
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RETR
Retrieve file
This command tells the RFTP server to transfer a copy of a file whose name is given as the first argument from it's directory structure to the RFTP Client. The RFTP Client saves the file locally with the name given as the second argument. (Both arguments are required.) If the file on the user's machine does not already exist, it will be created. If the file on the user's machine already exists, it is replaced by the new file. Whatever was in that file previously is gone.
However, if the user adds a plus sign to the retr command, it becomes the resume retrieve command. This tells the RFTP client to resume a transfer that was previously partially completed. Then the transfer will not overwrite the existing file, it will append to it instead. If the file on the users machine doesn't exist, the resume retrieve command acts as a normal retrieve command, creates it new, and copies the file from the server into the new file.
It is important to note that the RFTP Client and RFTP Server do not perform checks to see that the file whose transfer is resumed has remained unchanged since the transfer was interrupted. This operation is performed at the user's own risk. When starting a transfer large enough that it could be interrupted, it is advisable to check the modification dates on the files involved. Then, if the transfer is interrupted, the user will be able to confidently resume the transfer after the modification dates are checked and found to match the dates before the first transfer.
rftp/>: retr data3 C:\temp\data4
Transfers data3 from the server's current folder to C:\temp\data4 on the client.
rftp/>: retr C:\temp\data6 data7 +
Resumes the transfer of C:\temp\data6 from the server to data7 in the folder that the RFTP Console Interface is running in on the client.
STOR
Store File
This command transfers a file to the server machine from the users machine. It works in the same way as the RETR command, except the local filename to be transferred is the first argument and the name the RFTP server will store the file as is the second argument. Using a "+" as an optional last argument tells the RFTP client that the user wants the transfer resumed at the point of interruption. Refer to the RETR command to see more details on how the STOR and RETR command are used.
rftp/>: stor data3 C:\temp\data4
Transfers data3 from the client's current folder to C:\temp\data4 on the server.
rftp/>: stor C:\temp\data6 data7 +
Resumes the transfer of C:\temp\data6 from the client to data7 in the folder that the RFTP Console Interface is running in on the server.
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USER
User Login Name
RftpServer requires the USER command be sent immediately after connection. Its argument is the users login name.
rftp/>: user mary
PASS
User password
rftp/>: pass mary
When the user enters the password on the command prompt, it is echoed back as that original characters and not as '*'s. Hence, the user should be careful while entering the password.
CWD
Change Working Directory
When the user changes the working directory (folder), that folder becomes the current folder. All filenames entered thereafter are relative to the new current folder.
rftp/>: cwd C:\Windows
Changes the current folder on the server to C:\Windows.
rftp/>: cwd images
The server looks for the folder "images" located in the current folder and changes the current folder on the server to "images".
CDUP
Change to parent directory
Change to parent directory is a special case of the CWD command. It changes the current folder to the folder one level up. No argument is used with cdup.
rftp/>: cdup
Change the current folder by going up one level.
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MKD
Make directory on the server
The command is sent to the RFTP server, which creates the directory named in the command.
rftp/>:mkd D:\temp\folder1
Folder D:\temp\folder1 on the server is created.
rftp/>:mkd folder2
Folder folder2 in the current server directory is created.
ABOR
Abort file transfer
This command will terminate a file transfer. It affects the currently running transfer only.
rftp/>: abor
DELE
Delete server file
The RFTP console interface will confirm with the user that they really want to delete the file on the server, and then send the dele command to the RFTP server, which will perform the delete. It is the users responsibility to delete only files that are theirs. The server administrator is responsible for prohibiting user access to sensitive areas.
rftp/>: dele D:\temp\data1
File D:\temp\data1 on the server is deleted.
rftp/>: dele data2
File data2 in the current server directory is deleted.
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DEBUG
Toggle debug mode
This command toggles the RFTP client and server between debugging and non-debugging mode. In debugging mode, status information on the current activity is displayed. This command differs from the other commands available in the RFTP Console Interface, because DEBUG is not a ftp command and was not a part of rfc0959.
rftp/>: debug
If debug mode is off (the default), it is turned on. If debug mode is on, it turns it off
QUIT
Logout
RFTP Console Interface closes all connections and exits. The RFTP Server closes the connections to that client. This should be the last command input for every session. If users do not log out properly, the server does not know they are gone and won't terminate the process dedicated to serving that user. Eventually, server resources will be used up, and the RFTP Server will need to be restarted.
rftp/>: quit
Terminates the connection to the server.
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