Laurent THALER
lthaler@free.fr
http://lthaler.free.fr
This page is http://lthaler.free.fr/lftp.htm
LFtp is a client ftp program for Palm Computing Platforms, that
means not only true palms but also TRGPro and CLIe ( read further...)
LFtp is based on NetSample, which is furnished in the Palm SDK, I removed
a lot of useless (for me) features and added a lot of nice ones.
LFtp is mainly a command line interpreter which can launch only one utility: ftp. Beeing in ftp mode, one can upload and download palm databases (.pdb and .prc) to a ftp server.
Then I added some features:
- usefull simple commands: del, mkd, rmd
- add always .prc to the name of databases, so they can be
dowloaded with ProxiWeb
- publish doc files as html: pub
- send and receive files directly from/to TRGPro compact flash:
putcf, getcf
- send and receive files directly from/to CLIe memory
stick: putms, getms
- automatic login sequence and scripted commands
- publish memos files as html: pubm
- name files as they should be, with .prc or .pdb, now you can use
LGet to download
- dir files from palm memory: ldir
- dir files from vfs (sd, mmc, cf, ms): ldirfs
- receive files directly to vfs (sd, mmc, cf, ms): getfs
- get text files (.html, .php, .asp, ...) as uncompressed doc files:
getdoc
- store scripted commands in a memo: execmemo
- download text files into a memo: getmemo
LFtp is free. There is no licence or something else. Just use it
if you need. Satisfaction e-mails are greatly appreciated !
LFtp is furnished "as is". Without any warranty or support. I am not
responsible of anything what can happen. It has been tested on several
devices and works quickly but is not perfect, there are some known issues,
but nothing more than a good old reset has been reported so far.
LFtp is a tool, not an application. What's the difference ? An application
works well in all circumstances, a tool just do the job. LFtp is a tool
for uploading and downloading files "on the road", and this works, don't
expect anything else. For example, if you try to download something with
the 'get' command, LFtp will first delete an existing database on your
palm, without warning, in other words, no seat belts :-)
Once started, LFtp open a connection (if not already) and you will
see this:
You are here in command line mode, you can use it as your favorite ftp
utility.
Just a few comments on available commands:
help: display help
pwd: print current directory on server
cd<dir>: change current directory on server
mkd<dir>: make a directory on server
rmd<dir>: remove a directory on server
del<file>: delete a file on server
dir: list content of current directory
ldir [<cmd>]: list local directory (i.e. palm database names from ram only), if <cmd> is set, prefix the listing with <cmd>, (ok, the only usefull usage is: ldir put) ldir can be also used before beeing connected to the server
put <file>: upload file to ftp server, always add .prc to the name
of file, works only with palm format databases, case sensitive (put LFtp
will store LFtp.prc on server)
get <file>: download file from server, works only with palm format
databases, case sensitive (get myprog.prc will store myprog on palm)
pub <file>: publish uncompressed doc files only as text files
(pub myfile.htm will store the contents of myfile.htm on server, assuming
that the file name is myfile.htm in your favorite editor
pubm <file>: publish memos as text files, use title as file name
getdoc <file>: download text file from server and create an uncompressed
doc file, case sensitive (get myprog.prc will store myprog on palm)
execmemo <memoname>: execute all commands stored in the memo, no
more limitedby the text size in the preferences to store hundreds of commands,
if one memo is not enougth chain a other one
getmemo <file>: download text file from server and create a memo,
case sensitive (get mymemo.txt will create mymemo.txt, existing mymemo.txt
will be destroyed)
TRGPro only
putcf [<path\>]<file>: upload file to ftp server from TRGPro
compact flash, works with any file, path always starts from cf root, always
store on current dir on server (putcf 001.jpg will store 001.jpg on server)
getcf <file>: download file from server and write it on TRFPro compact
flash, works with any file, always get file from current dir on server,
always store file on cf root (getcf 001.jpg will store 001.jpg on
cf)
CLIe only
putms [<path\>]<file>: upload file to ftp server from
CLIe memory stick, works with any file, path always starts from ms root,
always store on current dir on server, must specify exact full path (putms
/DCIM/100MSDCF/DSC00001.JPG will store DSC00001.JPG on server)
All devices with vfs (SD, MMC, CF, MS)
ldirfs [<path\>]<file>: list files on external file system
putfs [<path\>]<file>: upload file to ftp server from external
support, works with any file, path always starts from root, always
store on current dir on server, must specify exact full path (putfs /DCIM/100MSDCF/DSC00001.JPG
will store DSC00001.JPG on server, use ldirfs to get exact syntax)
NOTE: for cf and ms path separator can be either / or
\
That's all ? not ! It becames quickly a bit tedious even helped with shortcuts, so look at the menus, and open the preferences form with Menu/Misc/Preferences or shortcut command 0, you'll see this:
If "use prefs" is checked then automated login will be used.
If "use prefs" and "use scripted commands" are checked then all commands
stored will be executed after automated login.
One can start the full process by using shortcut command 1.
During transfer, LFtp displays dots, for get & put, each dot is
a record or a ressource, for getcf & putcf, each dot is 4K.
- There is very limited support of TRGPro cf, no detection
of changing the cf, it seems that AutoCF has to be disengaged [I don't
have a TRGPro myself to make full support, sponsors are welcome :-)]
- There is very limited support of vfs, no detection of changing thesupport,
[I don't have a CLIe, H330 or m50x myself to make full support, sponsors
are welcome :-)]
- Menus and clipboard operations doesn't works once in ftp
mode, may gives "fatal error" :-(, fixed in 1.3
- clipboard paste doesn't work once in ftp mode... well, it
works but has no effects due to character handling used to simulate command
line operations, fixed in 1.4
- recursive ftp is not safe (opening a new session while already in
session works, but sockets ressources are very limited on Palm), better
to 'quit' before...
- "dir" command may hangs sometimes, simply wait for the 30s
timeout... or reset the device, or ask the ftp guy to disconnect your connection...
:-)
- LFtp crashes if trying to upload an empty (0 records) database
fixed in 1.7.2
- trying to upload an inexistent database with LFtp will create an
empty file on server, but you can use the del command
- removed clie/memory stick support, because the clie
emulator doesn't reflect exactly a true clie with ms, and I'm tired of
signing licences and ndas to obtain roms
- the getfs command doesn't work, that's the problem with freewares,
very low priority :-(
If you are "on the road" the latest version of LFtp is always available as .prc (uploaded by LFtp of course !) http://lthaler.free.fr/ftp
Need some special feature ? like automated transfer, custom datas transformations,
support of built-in gsm in Symbol spt17xx ? contact me (not freeware) and
I'll talk you about LFtpPro, which includes all functions of LFtp plus
two very usefull things:
- there is a a checkbox 'auto' in the preferences, when this is checked,
LFtpPro start to execute the script as soon as it is launched
- there is a new command 'launch' which allow to launch any application
when the script is ended