Re: [gftp] Problem with gftp

[Bret Busby <bret@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 3 Jul 2008, Brad Rogers wrote:

> It is good to know that it's not the fault of gFTP.

Well, I believe that it is not the fault of gftp.

However, there are two different aspects to this.

The first, is that the ISP support person with whom I have been in 
contact, apparently cannot replicate the problem, yet I have on 
different Linux distributions, using different FTP clients (including 
both Debian Linux and Ubuntu 8.04 - the latest version of Ubuntu).

The second aspect is this; if the problem occurs when using passive mode 
(well, for me, anyway - the ISP has told me that I am apparently the 
only customer with the problem), and is overcome when using Extended 
Passive Mode, the question then arises; what is the prospect of gftp 
being enhanced/modified/upgraded to use Extended Passive Mode? I note 
that, as I had previously stated, in response to the suggested solution 
of turning off Passive Mode, as the information provided by gftp, and, 
from other sources, advises that Passive Mode is required when an FTP 
client is behind a firewall, Passive Mode (or, in this case, Extended 
Passive Mode) is required to be used.

In searching for Extended Passive Mode, using google, I found the 
entries at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_Transfer_Protocol (and 
thence, using the link for RFC2428, at 
http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2428 ) , 
http://www.askdavetaylor.com/why_do_my_ftp_transfers_all_freeze_up.html 
(which refers to using the command epsv during an ftp session that 
involves rejection of Passive Mode (PM); the epsv replacing pasv, in the 
definition of Extended Passive Mode (EPM) (the former in EPM, the latter 
in PM), and http://www.networksorcery.com/enp/rfc/rfc2428.txt , as a 
couple out of about 6000 results for the search.

Also, http://www.ietf.org/html.charters/OLD/ftpext-charter.html

As RFC2428 is dated September 1998, almost ten years ago, and the web 
page at http://www.gftp.org/ , states that the latest stable version of 
gftp is "2.0.18 (2/4/2005)", I am wondering whether it might be time for 
gftp to be updated, to implement Extended Passive Mode (so I can stop 
having to use KFTPGrabber, and go back to using gftp, and so that others 
can avoid the same problem).

I am interested in seeing the response to the second aspect and 
suggestion.

Thank you in anticipation.

--
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
..............

"So once you do know what the question actually is,
 you'll know what the answer means."
- Deep Thought,
  Chapter 28 of Book 1 of
  "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
  A Trilogy In Four Parts",
  written by Douglas Adams,
  published by Pan Books, 1992

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