[Info-vax] basic FTP client for OpenVMS from Windows.

Dave Froble davef at tsoft-inc.com
Thu Jan 14 15:43:47 EST 2021


On 1/14/2021 10:29 AM, John H. Reinhardt wrote:
> On 1/14/2021 9:08 AM, Hein RMS van den Heuvel wrote:
>> Hi folks, what is the current recommendation for an FTP client to be
>> used on Windows exchanging files with OpenVMS (Itanium).

Today FTP is a poor choice.  Does it do the job?  Usually.  In the past 
using multiple sockets/ports was not an issue.  Today with firewalls it 
is a problem, and there is no encryption, security, and such.  A fine 
tool that has outlived it's usefulness.

SFTP while more complex to use does seem to provide some security.

>> Personally I have an old WS_FTP Pro which suits me fine.
>> And the FTP on my Windows 10 Pro laptop works fine also.
>> So in my own office I am good, but not on my current customer site.
>>
>> Their older Windows FTPs (here Windows Server 2016) do not work.
>> You can connect, but they hang transferring.
>> I believe this is because they do not support PASSIVE mode, not even
>> with "quote pasv" which is accepted but has no useful effect.

Quite often PASSIVE mode is a problem.  When using FTP between VMS 
systems, I must specify PASSIVE mode.

>> I downloaded WinSCP 5.17.9  which seems fine at first as it displays
>> my files, but when it comes to fetch a file barfs with a poorly
>> constructed name on OpenVMS:
>>>>> Failed to parse specification /DISK1:[xxx.USER.yyyyyy]/NAV_19.LOG
>> file specification syntax error
>> Obviously there are one or two well intended but erroneous forward
>> slashes in that specification.
>>
>> The customer is expected to configure FileZilla for me, which will be
>> fine.
>>
>> What other options do folks like?
>>
>> Is there a simple commandline FTP.EXE?
>> That has my preference over GUI tools.
>>
>> Just fetching that image from Windows 10 and running it does not work.
>> Hints to make that work?
>>
>> Comments?
>> Thanks,
>> Hein.
>>
>>
>>
>> https://winscp.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24948
>>
>
> If your client can set up FileZilla on their windows machine it should
> work.  I've been using FileZila to connect with OpenVMS systems such as
> VSI's and my own and it's been working.  I'm on a Mac but the Windows
> and Linux versions should work the same.
>
> <https://filezilla-project.org/>
>
> I don't know of any Windows command line FTP clients.
>

The FTP on my WEENDOZE XP system seems to usually work just fine.  Not 
that I use it very often.

-- 
David Froble                       Tel: 724-529-0450
Dave Froble Enterprises, Inc.      E-Mail: davef at tsoft-inc.com
DFE Ultralights, Inc.
170 Grimplin Road
Vanderbilt, PA  15486



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