ftp error 550 passive mode

[Paul Guthart]

I am trying to "get" a file using ftp from a clients site. I enter the site enter my username and password and then need to enter passive mode. So far so good. I can put files but I need to rename them as client wants files named - rich.dog.cat.txt (example) the open vms operating system will not let you put multiple "." in the file name - so when I upload I rename the file. However on download i get the following errors:
550 *** ERROR *** NO BATCHES FOR TRANSMISSION or

425 Can't open passive connection in port range: Error 0.

any thoughts on how to grab and rename the file?

Thanks,

Paul

[Steven Schweda]

What's the OS on the FTP server? On the
client? What, exactly, are the commands you
have tried, and what, exactly, happened when
you tried them?

On my system:

alp $ ftp alp
220- Antinode FTP Server. Please be nice.
220 alp.antinode.org FTP Server (Version 5.4) Ready.
Connected to alp.
Name (alp:sms):
331 Username sms requires a Password
Password:
230 User logged in.
FTP> cd dka100:[sms]
250-CWD command successful.
250 New default directory is DKA100:[sms]
FTP> passive on
Passive is ON.
FTP> put ZIPL.TXT a.b.c.d.e
200 TYPE set to IMAGE.
227 Entering Passive Mode (10,0,0,9,241,72)
150 Opening data connection for DKA100:[sms]a^.b^.c^.d.e; (10.0.0.9,61769)
226 Transfer complete.
local: ALP$DKA0:[SMS]ZIPL.TXT;7 remote: a.b.c.d.e
3654 bytes sent in 00:00:00.00 seconds (1189.45 Kbytes/s)
200 TYPE set to ASCII.
FTP> dir
227 Entering Passive Mode (10,0,0,9,241,74)
150 Opening data connection for DKA100:[sms]*.*;* (10.0.0.9,61771)

Directory DKA100:[sms]

a^.b^.c^.d.e;1 8/36 17-MAY-2006 15:20:43 [SMS]
(RWED,RWED,RE,)

Total of 1 file, 8/36 blocks

226 LIST Directory transfer complete.
160 bytes received in 00:00:00.01 seconds (9.77 Kbytes/s)

So, clearly, I can PUT a file to a multi-dot
name on a remote (VMS) server (if it's on an
ODS5 disk).

FTP> put ZIPEC.TXT a.b
200 TYPE set to IMAGE.
227 Entering Passive Mode (10,0,0,9,241,77)
150 Opening data connection for DKA100:[sms]a.b; (10.0.0.9,61774)
226 Transfer complete.
local: ALP$DKA0:[SMS]ZIPEC.TXT;2 remote: a.b
918 bytes sent in 00:00:00.05 seconds (16.60 Kbytes/s)
200 TYPE set to ASCII.
FTP> rename a.b f.g.h.j.k
350 File DKA100:[sms]a.b; will be renamed.
250 File DKA100:[sms]a.b;1 renamed to DKA100:[sms]f^.g^.h^.j.k;1
FTP> dir
227 Entering Passive Mode (10,0,0,9,241,79)
150 Opening data connection for DKA100:[sms]*.*;* (10.0.0.9,61776)

Directory DKA100:[sms]

a^.b^.c^.d.e;1 8/36 17-MAY-2006 15:20:43 [SMS]
(RWED,RWED,RE,)
f^.g^.h^.j.k;1 2/36 17-MAY-2006 15:22:50 [SMS]
(RWED,RWED,RE,)

Total of 2 files, 10/72 blocks

226 LIST Directory transfer complete.
262 bytes received in 00:00:00.08 seconds (3.01 Kbytes/s)

And, just as clearly, I can RENAME a remote
file to a multi-dot name.

FTP> quit
221 Goodbye.

alp $ tcpip show version

HP TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Alpha Version V5.4 - ECO 5
on a COMPAQ Professional Workstation XP1000 running OpenVMS V7.3-2


It's easy to complain about the TCPIP FTP
software, but it does do some things well
enough.

[Willem Grooters]

First of all, the VMS disk where you put files on, must be an ODS-5 disk. If not, multiple dots are simply impossible.
Downloading such files can be a nuisance - it largely depends on the host IO and teh FTP client used. Some can handle the way VMS shows these files (using the escape character "^" before every dot except the last).

To avoid these problems, why not name the files reich_dog_cat.txt - using underscore in stead of dots?

Willem