Subject: Reading text files on-line in FTP 2. ***** Q: How to read scrolling text files on-line during an FTP session? A: Take a moment to study the two tricks in the demonstration session log below. The tricks are "ls -CF" and "ls -lF |less". A third trick is to have a terminal emulator with a scroll-back buffer. E.g. MsKermit terminal emulation program has this convenient feature. You can even read a text file with theses trick by applying eg "get README |less". You can direct a listing to a file. Example "ls -lF dir.log". You shell from the session by "!less dir.log" to read the file. *** IMPORTANT NOTICE *** Handy as these tricks are, you should use them judiciously, since they keep the FTP connection open. Recall that there may be many simultaneous users at the more popular FTP sites. It is better to decrease the load by first getting the text files (eg the example README, especially if it is long) and read them at your leasure at your own host after you have closed the FTP connection. There may even access limitations on the maximum simultaneous number of FTP users, so do not hog the connection. > ftp garbo.uwasa.fi <--- your input Connected to garbo.uwasa.fi. 220 garbo.uwasa.fi FTP server ready. Name (garbo.uwasa.fi:ts): anonymous <--- your input 331 Guest login ok, send ident as password. Password: [your email address] <--- your input 230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply. ftp> ls -CF <--- your input 200 PORT command successful. 150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for /bin/ls. .FSP_CONTENT bin/ lost+found/ pc/ ql/ .message dev/ ls-lR.Z photos/ unix/ CD-ROM.INF etc/ mac/ private-ajh/ usr/ CDROM/ garbo-gifs/ mirror/ private-hv/ windows/ HELP home-brew/ next/ private-ts/ 226 Transfer complete. remote: -CF 211 bytes received in 0.03 seconds (6.8 Kbytes/s) ftp> cd /pc/ts <--- your input 250 CWD command successful. ftp> ls -lF |less <--- your input 200 PORT command successful. 150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for /bin/ls. total 4087 -rw-rw-r-- 1 ts 29359 Oct 11 04:03 0news-ts -rw-rw-r-- 1 ts 36892 Dec 31 1990 0news89.ts [parts deleted] -rw-rw-r-- 1 ts 39143 May 31 1989 tsf2cm15.zip -rw-rw-r-- 1 ts 82531 Aug 18 11:46 tsfaqn37.zip :q <--- your input 226 Transfer complete. local: |less remote: -lF 3638 bytes received in 70 seconds (0.051 Kbytes/s) ftp> close <--- your input 221 Goodbye. ftp> quit <--- your input > There is also an alternative approach to reading long text files on-line if you are using a PC for your terminal emulation. Get a screen buffer program where you can scroll the text back and forth. For example get 45720 Oct 19 01:08 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/screen/scrlit18.zip scrlit18.zip SCROLLit, Advanced Screen ScrollBack Buffer (good) or whatever version is the current. Another scrollback buffer program is /pc/screen/buffit30.zip. --------------------------------------------------------------------