FTP command file issue

[Dave Deacon-Holmes]

Hello, I have a niggle - I've written a .com file with an 'FTP server user pass' line in, but when it's run it immediately logs out.
What am I doing wrong?

[Hoff · Accepted solution]

OpenVMS V6.2 with its contemporary IP stacks introduced the COPY /FTP command, which is usually vastly easier to incorporate into a DCL command procedure.

http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/136

As for what's wrong with your particular DCL code here, you'll want to post that code, how you're invoking the code ("immediately logs out" can be indicative of a user-mode coding error in some contexts, or of an inner-mode and thus more serious error in others), along with some information on which IP stack and version and ECO level is in use here, and the OpenVMS version.

[Duncan Morris]

Dave,

please make a text file copy of the command procedure and post it as an attachment.

Without this information, we will be left guessing in the dark.

Duncan

[Dave Deacon-Holmes]

$ ftp serv /USERNAME="user" /PASSWORD="pass"
$ put test.ops "TEST.OPS"
$ ascii
$ quit

It gets as far as logging in then comes back with a '221 goodbye'.

[Dave Deacon-Holmes]

I meant to add, when i run each line manually it all works correctly.

[Craig A]

Try:

$ COPY/FTP/ASCII/LOG TEST.OPS -
SERV"username password"::

Craig

[Dave Deacon-Holmes]

Should've added that the put test.ops "TEST.OPS" was because it's going onto a UNIX box, and I need it in uppercase.

[Hoff]

The put and quit and such are ftp commands and are not $ DCL commands, and just as soon as the $ ftp command connects, the EOF that arises when an application (FTP) reads its data encounters a $, the connection gets torn down.

If this is V6.2 or later, use this:

$ COPY /FTP /ASCII test.ops -
server"user pass"::TEST.OPTS
$

If this is older or if you want to use the hard way, then use this:

$ ftp serv /USERNAME="user" /PASSWORD="pass"
ascii
put test.ops TEST.OPS
quit
$

And the next thing you'll usually encounter with "the hard way" is that you can't do DCL symbol substitution in the commands, which means you need to use a custom-created file for the transfer and @ it.

http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/1339

An example of building a data file from DCL:

http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/163

If you're just getting going with DCL and DCL procedures, have a look at the User's Guide in the OpenVMS manual set, too.

[Hoff]

> I meant to add, when i run each line manually it all works correctly.

I would doubt you entered ftp> $ put

In a DCL procedure, the $ is a flag that indicates "this is a DCL command". Bash doesn't have something similar here, if you're coming over from Unix. The $ differentiates between commands and data. Commands have symbol substitution and other such, and data does not. And the very first $ that an application reads is treated as an EOF for the application command input.

Unless you need to use a leading $ on your application input data, and then you use $ DECK and $ EOD commands. Which is described here:

http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/1339

[Hoff]

ps: please always post your OpenVMS version and architecture. With that detail (for instance, in this case), we can tell if COPY /FTP (or some analogous mechanism) is an option, or whether there are other ways to get the file specification replicated over to the Unix box in the appropriate file case.