shithub: purgatorio

ref: bd6c2aad586814b091ce5aca9d41cf2c51adb37b
dir: /man/4/ftpfs/

View raw version
.TH FTPFS 4
.SH NAME
ftpfs \- file transfer protocol (FTP) file server
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B ftpfs
[
.B -/dpq
] [
.BI -m " mountpoint"
] [
.BI -a " password"
]
.I ftphost
.SH DESCRIPTION
.I Ftpfs
connects to
.I ftphost
using the Internet's File Transfer Protocol,
and makes the remote files
visible at
.I mountpoint
(default:
.BR /n/ftp )
in the current name space,
for access by ordinary Inferno file operations.
In other words, it is a protocol translator between FTP and 9P.
The connection is shut down by unmounting the mount point;
see
.IR bind (1).
The
.I ftphost
can be any address acceptable to
.IR cs (8);
the default network is
.BR tcp ,
and the default service is
.B ftp
(port 21).
.PP
.I Ftpfs
will prompt for a user name and password as
.I ftphost
demands.
If the FTP host supports `anonymous FTP' (ie, guest access),
it will accept the user name
.L anonymous
and a conventional password (notionally the user's e-mail address).
Given the
.B -a
option,
.I ftpfs
automatically logs in as
.L anonymous
with the
.I password
supplied,
avoiding prompting.
.PP
By default,
.I ftpfs
uses a `passive' connection for file transfer: the remote system gives the local
system a new address to call to fetch the data.
This often works best for local systems behind firewalls that block incoming calls
to arbitrary ports,
but can fail for instance if the remote system does not support passive mode,
or is itself behind such a firewall.
The
.B \-p
option forces `active' connection: the local system gives the remote machine
an address on which to call it back to transfer the data.
.PP
Other options are:
.TP
.B \-/
Mount the remote machine's root directory on
.IR mountpoint ,
not the user's home directory (which is used by default).
.TP
.B \-q
Suppress the printing of chatter (`informational messages') from
the remote server.
.TP
.B \-d
Display all FTP protocol transactions to allow a failure to connect to be debugged.
.\" -/?
.PP
.I Ftpfs
keeps a limited local cache of remote files and directories.
The cache is kept consistent with file and directory operations by the local
user through the current connection, but not with changes made by others on the remote site.
Cached entries for a given directory can be flushed explicitly by
accessing the name
.B .flush.ftpfs
in that directory.
.SH EXAMPLE
Mount a remote machine and copy files from there to here.
.IP
.EX
mkdir here
ftpfs -a 'bloggs@' ftp.vitanuova.com
cp /n/ftp/package.tgz here
unmount /n/ftp
.EE
.SH FILES
.TF /tmp/ftp.*
.TP
.B /tmp/ftp.*
Temporarily cached files
.SH SOURCE
.B /appl/cmd/ftpfs.b
.SH BUGS
Symbolic links are not supported.
.br
.I Ftpfs
does not implement `rename', forcing
.IR mv (1)
to rename by copying.