FTP (file transfer protocol) programs enable you to copy files from one computer to another. The computer on which you run FTP is referred to as the local computer, and the computer from which you receive or to which you send a file is referred to as the remote computer. In order for files to be received and sent, FTP programs must be available on both the local and remote computers. The local FTP is often referred to as the client program, and the FTP running on the remote computer is often referred to as the server program. The operating systems on the local and remote computers need not be the same.
The University supports the SSH Secure Shell File Transfer Program for Windows and the secure Fetch client for Apple Macintosh computers.
FTP is available on most University of Delaware computing systems connected to the campus network, including the central UNIX systems, Copland and Strauss.
The PCs in public computing sites have the SSH Secure Shell File Transfer Program for Windows.
The Macintosh systems in public computing sites have the secure FTP client named Fetch.
If your PC or Macintosh has an ethernet or wireless adapter, is connected to the campus network, and you have installed the University-supported software, then you already have one of the FTP clients listed above. For example, if your PC has Windows XP and SSH, you can transfer files with the Windows FTP client.
If your PC or Macintosh is not connected to the University network, you will need to connect it and then register your network connection. For details on how to register your network connection, refer to the Connecting to the UD Network page. Then download the University-supported software.
If you have a computer off campus, you can connect to the University network using Point to Point Protocol (PPP) or an outside ISP. Details can be found on the Connecting to the UD Network page. Then download the University-supported software.
Note: After copying files to UNIX, make sure your files are protected according to whether you want others to read them or not (e.g., files for the World Wide Web must be readable to others).
The computer on which you execute the FTP command is the called the local computer or local host. The computer to which you are sending ("putting") or from which you are receiving ("getting") copies of files is called the remote computer or remote host.
Generally, in order to transfer files to or from the remote host, you need to be a valid user on that system. That is, when you FTP to the remote host, you must provide a username and password for that computer. However, many systems have directories of publicly accessible files and allow users to access these files without having a username or password on that system. These special sites are called "anonymous FTP sites." When connecting to an anonymous FTP site, type "anonymous" for the username and type your complete University of Delaware e-mail address as the password (e.g., UDelNet ID@udel.edu). At these sites, you will be somewhat restricted as to which files you can access and which FTP commands you can use. Otherwise, these sites behave the same as other FTP sites.
It is important to know the contents or format of a file or how it was created (e.g., text editor, word-processor, statistical program) to know how to treat the file during the file transfer.