UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

If I wanted a machine to put a specific file onto another OS far across the internet via FTP - and I wanted to do it automatically not user intervented, how would I do that?

Use the PUT command?

The file name and position never changes, it gets overwritten and the system on the other end takes care of all the dirty work. I just need the unix server to FTP that one file.

You can create a file called ".netrc" in your home directory. Put these line in .netrc file:

machine servername login username password passwordhere

When it's done, create a file (we will call it "ftpcommands")
that contains the commands. For example:

cd /ftp/directory
put yourfile
bye

and call it:
# ftp servername < ftpcommands

or

#!/bin/bash
#autoftp.sh
ftp machine < ftpcommand

# ./autoftp.sh

Note: chmod 400 .netrc

You can also use "expect". man expect for more info


HTH

I keep getting these requests, driven me nuts.
Now I need to be able to put a variable. Variables do not get handed off well to the FTP process commands.
Any ideas?

Example: I wanna put this command in place

put $1.backup.file

FTP is not pulling the filename correctly - I get cannot find file $1.backup.file

#!/bin/bash
#autoftp.sh
# use "\n" to seperate entry
# and use binary instead ascii if you think

FTPCommand="cd FTPdirectory\nascii\nput $1.backup.file\nbye"
echo -e $FTPCommand | ftp machine
echo "$1 Ftp'd to machinename"

and run this script to ftp "today.backup.file"

# ./autoftp today

Be sure to include full path if "today.backup.file" file is not in the directoy from where you execute the script.


HTH

[Edited by mib on 05-11-2001 at 07:29 AM]

We use variations on the following script all over the place. We designed an "FTP server" written in korn shell to handle ALL FTP's between different platforms aw well as our corporate "Enterprise FTP server (Sterling Mailbox)

All variables are defined before invoking the FTP. (Currently in a flat file - soon to be in a DB table)


Contents of DYNAM_FTP.KSH:
#!/etc/usr/ksh
assorted variable assignments
ftp -n -v $HOSTNAME <<-END
user $USERID $PASSWORD
cd $SRC_DIR
lcd $TARGET_DIR
pwd
get $SRC_FILE
END


The above "here document" is dynamically built based on a control record which specifies source info (IP, id, password, filename, etc.)
External to the above:
chmod +x DYNAM_FTP.KSH
DYNAM_FTP.KSH to invoke
We capture the output of the above to a file and then grep for various errors....

[Edited by kornshellmaven on 05-12-2001 at 06:58 PM]

Well - tried it, and even with that it still trys to put those IDs in instead of a variable

example

cd $Src_Dir

It trys to change to a directory /$Src_Dir

Don't work - any other ideas?

Solaris 7

Not sure why it's not expanding the variables within the here-document - Turn xtrace on to see commands echoed back

The following works fine
#!/usr/bin/ksh -x
DATA=$AL_DATA
ftp -n -v slapdev <<-END
user userid password
pwd
cd $DATA
pwd
END
It doesn't matter if I cd to $DATA or $AL_DATA (exported variable)- it gets expanded OK

We also have routines to build the FTP here-doc dynamically
exec 4>dynam_ftp.sh
print -u4 "#!/usr/bin/ksh -x"
print -u4 "ftp -v -n $DEST <<-END"
print -u4 "user $USER $PASSWORD"
print -u4 "cd $DATA"
print -u4 "pwd"
print -u4 "lcd $SRC_DIR"
print -u4 "mget $FILE_PATTERN"
print -u4 "END"

chmod +x dynam_ftp.sh
dynam_ftp.sh

The contents of the dynam_ftp.sh file will have the fully expanded variable values. The above might be a little overkill for your needs.

We're running Solaris 7 as well