|
Anonymous FTP
FTP provides a file-sharing environment that can control access to the file server by requiring a logon name and password. This means that the FTP server must validate a user and her password before she can access files on the server.
On the Internet many public FTP sites allow an anonymous logon. This means that anyone can log on to the FTP site using a username of “anonymous”. The password for an anonymous logon is often your email address. A site allowing anonymous logons is often referred to as an anonymous FTP site.
Notice that on a Linux-based computer the directories on the FTP site appear in the Web browser window the same as local directories would (these directories would appear the same in Internet Explorer on a computer running Windows). You are potentially accessing files that reside on a computer clear across the world, but the computer’s connection to the Internet makes the directories and files appear as if they are local.
FTP Clients
As you’ve already read in the discussion of anonymous FTP sites, Web browsers such as Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer can act as FTP clients. You can actually download files from an FTP site by locating them in the browser window and then using the copy command. Files can also be uploaded to an FTP site (that is, if the site allows uploads; many sites are “read only,” meaning you can copy files from the site but cannot upload files to the site).
You can also use FTP clients to connect to FTP sites. There are FTP clients for just about any operating system. FTP clients can take the form of add-on software. Many operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows and Linux-based systems, also allow you to connect to an FTP server from the command line.
The actual connection to the FTP server is established either by specifying the IP address of the FTP server or by using the fully qualified domain name (FQDN), of friendly name, of the server.
Once the connection is established, file directories on the FTP server can be viewed by the client. Files can then be downloaded or uploaded as binary files or in ASCII text format. One of the most compelling reasons for using FTP is that it supplies you with the ability to move files easily between different types of operating systems.
 |
