FTP, the file transfer protocol, is the basic program used to transfer files between computers on the Internet. You can use ftp from your local PC or MAC while you are connected to the Net. You can also open a telnet session and login, and use ftp from your unix account.
Examples
Open a telnet session, login, and ftp to the microlib, a UT Austin machine. You will login as anonymous, which is common on public access ftp servers. Sometimes you are required to give your email address as a "password". For a list of commands, see the summary in Krol's book, pages 79-80. Try the help command too.
ftp microlib.cc.utexas.eduMicrolib is a very useful site: it is local, it is fast, and it has most of the software that you will need to use the Internet. Also keep in mind the ftp site at Washington University in St. Louis, one of the best sites to find Mac, PC and unix files:
ftp wuarchive.wustl.edu
volvo is the ftp server at the GSLIS:
ftp volvo
Archie is an index of ftp servers, developed at McGill University, Canada. Indexing is based on the names of the files. There are many Archie servers on the Internet, all sharing information. As a general rule, you should choose the one closest to you, geographically. See page 190 in the Krol book for a list of servers- but bear in mind that some of these may have closed down since the book was published.
To use archie, telnet to an archie server:
telnet archie.internic.net Login as archieTry searching for the pkzip program (a common PC utility used to compress files) and for netscape:
prog pkzip prog netscape
Exercises