Contents for WinTel-FTP Help

To use this help, click the left mouse button on the colored underlined text or use the tab key to highlight the text and press enter. Help is available on following topics:

FTP connection

Using WinTel-FTP from behind Firewall

FTP Commands

FTP Dialogbox

Viewing JPEG File

Printing

Session Capture

Disconnecting

Troubleshooting

Contact Information


Color

You can select color settings for the text and the window background by selecting color command from the settings menu  Select the element and then choose the desired color from 16 predefined VGA colors. If these colors do not suit your needs then create your own colors with the help of three RGB scroll bars. By changing the red, green and the blue component  of a color, any desired color can be achieved. Once you have made your choice, save them by clicking the OK button. You may revert back to your original window colors by clicking on the default button.

Summary of Color controls:

Color Element Listbox:

Here you specify the element whose color you want to modify.

Default

When you click on this button, the window text and the background color would revert back to default colors of the window.

Color Boxes

You click here to choose one of the 16 colors for your background and text.

Red, Green and Blue scrollbars

These three scrollbar controls would enable you to customize your color. You change the red, green and blue component of a color to obtain a desired color. The color thus obtained is displayed in a rectangle. The RGB values are shown to the left of the scrollbars.


Fonts

You can select font command from the settings menu or from communication settings dialog box. A list of all the fixed size fonts is shown in the listbox. A font is selected by clicking on the desired entry in the font listbox and selecting the point size in the size listbox.. To display IBM PCs graphic character set, select Terminal as your font. To display international character set, choose a font other than "Terminal" font.


Default Directory

This command can be invoked either from the settings menu or from the communication settings dialog box. Here you specify the default directory for the file transfer and your session logs. If  the session log option is enabled then the log file would be stored in the directory you specify in the session log edit box. Check the top check box if you want your downloaded files to go the current local directory otherwise your downloaded files from the remote system will go to the directory specified in the default download directory edit box. Enable the session capture checkbox if you would like to capture the session to a log file.


Viewing JPEG File

If you want to view a JPEG file while downloading it, enable the view JPEG realtime option from the utilities menu. Any file of type JPEG would be displayed on a separate window while being downloaded.

You can also view stored JPEG files by selecting view JPEG offline command from the utilities menu or from the toolbar. This would activate a  JPEG viewer task. By choosing "Open" from the file menu in JPEG viewer and selecting file of type JPG, the file can be viewed.  You can resize the picture by selecting stretch/shrink command in the File menu. You exit the JPEG viewer by choosing "Exit" command from the file menu.


Copy

Copy to Clipboard

If you want to send the text from the clipboard, first copy the text to the clipboard. This can be done either from some other application or from your own screen. You select the text to be copied to the clipboard by pressing on the left mouse button and dragging over the text you want copied. Once the text is selected, choose copy command from the edit menu. Your text will be copied to the clipboard.


Clearing Scroll Buffer

When you receive text from the remote computer, this text is placed in a buffer which can be viewed by using vertical scroll bar. If you want to clear this buffer, use the clear buffer command from the Edit menu.


Printing

You can print your session log file by selecting print logfile command from the File menu. You will be asked for the file name to be printed. Select the desired file and your file would be printed. You can also print the saved scroll back  buffer by selecting print buffer command from the File menu.

Related topic:

Session Capture


Session Capture

Select session capture command from the session menu. You can direct all your incoming data from the remote system onto to a file for later viewing and printing. Your session log file name would be the name of the online service you are  connected to with log extension. You can stop capturing the session by reselecting the capture session command from the session menu.

Related topic:

Printing


Disconnecting

If you want to disconnect from a session, select "Disconnect" command from the session menu or the toolbar disconnect button. You may then either exit from the program or ftp to another service. You exit the program by selecting Exit command from the File menu or exit button in the toolbar.


FTP Commands

You type in the FTP commands at the ftp prompt after the connection is established. Following is a list of standard commands available to you  (you may however type in any command supported by the server):

dir

This command causes the server to send a detailed file list. You can press control-c to abort this command.

ls

This command causes the server to send a file list and no other information. You can press control-c to abort the list.

pwd

This command causes the server to send the current working directory.

cd

This command causes the server to change the working directory . The argument to this command specifies the new working directory.

mkdir

Creates a new directory specified by argument to this command

rmdir

Deletes a directory on the host. The argument specifies the directory.

delete

Deletes a file. The argument specifies the filename.

cdup

Changes the default working directory one level up.

rename

Renames the file specified by the first argument to the name specified by the second argument.

get

Downloads the file from the remote. The file name is specified as the first argument. The files are downloaded to the current local directory if you have enabled this option in "def dir" dialog box.

put

Uploads the file to remote. The file name is specified by the first argument.

ascii

Sets the file transfer mode to ASCII.

binary

Sets the file transfer mode to binary

system

Causes the server to send information about itself.

user

Sends username to remote. The name is specified as the first argument

pass

Sends the password to the remote. The password is specified as the first argument.

quit

Logs off from the remote

remotehelp

The server sends the list of available commands.

lcd

Change the local working directory. The local directory is specified as the first argument.

Related topic

FTP Dialogbox


FTP Connection

FTP Client Connection to Remote Host using TCP/IP

File transfer protocol (FTP) allows you to transfer files from one system to another. It provides you with a list of commands to view file listings, make and remove directory, renaming of files and uploading and downloading of files. This program (client)allows your computer to talk to the remotehost using TCP/IP protocol. Before you can FTP to your host computer, you would require a direct connection to the internet. You can either have ethernet connection or a SLIP/PPP connection from your internet service provider. You would also need a TCP/IP stack and if you are using your modem to dial-in to your internet service provider, you would need an internet dialer talking SLIP/PPP protocol. If you are running under Windows 3.1 environment, you would need to get the shareware program Trumpet Winsock. However if you are running under Windows 95, it already has a built in TCP/IP stack and an internet dialer. Once you have established a connection to internet using either Trumpet Winsock or Windows 95 dialup networking or ethernet connection, you are ready to FTP to the remote host

There are two ways to invoke WinTel-FTP. You can use command line option with the following format:

winftp(32) [Address] [Port]

where winftp(32) is the name of the FTP executable file and the optional fields are the internet address

and the port to which you want to connect.

In the second method, you double click on the FTP icon in WinTel  program group. A FTPbook would open up. You can create entries to the FTPbook by clicking on the new button. A communication dialog box would appear. You type in the FTPbook entry name in the name field and in the address field you type in the internet address of the remote host. If for example, you wish to FTP to CompuServe, then the name field, you would enter Compuserve and in the address field, ftp.compuserve.com.

Once an entry has been made, you can click on the connect button in the FTPbook dialog box. This program would then attempt to connect. Make sure your SLIP/PPP connection has already been established.

Related topic

FTP Dialogbox

FTP Commands


FTPbook

You open FTPbook either from toolbar or by selecting FTPbook command in the File menu. A list of all  internet entries would be shown in the listbox. Here is a summary of all the buttons in the FTPbook:

Cancel

Removes the FTPbook from the display.

Connect

Connects to the selected internet site and sends access control commands i.e. username and password.

Open

Opens a new connection without sending the username and the password. It is useful if you are connecting to a FTP site via a proxy server. It allows you to send commands to the proxy server first in order to connect to the remote site.

New

Adds a new internet site in the FTPbook.

Edit

Edits a selected entry

Delete

Deletes a selected entry from the FTPbook.

Copy

Copies an existing entry to a new entry with a new name and a new internet address


FTP Copy Entry

Copy FTPbook entry to a new entry

This dialog box is invoked from the copy button of the FTP FTPbook settings dialog box. Once you have created an entry in the FTPbook, you can copy all the settings to a new entry. Following controls are provided:

Service name

Here you type in your new service name.

Internet Address

Here you specify a new internet site address.


FTP Setting

FTP setting dialog box can be invoked from the FTPbook's edit button. This command allows you to define your username, password, internet host address  parameters. Here is a list of options available to you:

Cancel

Removes the box from display

Name

Enter the name of the internet host. NOTE: This is not an internet address. Following characters are not allowed in the name i.e. /, \ , [ , ] ,   , | , , < , + , = , . , * , ? . These are the same characters not allowed in a DOS file naming convention. Any text following a space or first 8 characters (in 16 bit Windows)  is treated as a comment to the name. In 32 bit Windows, a name can be upto 64 characters in length.

Address

Enter your host internet address or a proxy server address if you are connecting via a proxy server.

Username

You type in your username.

Password

You type in your password for the FTP server or a proxy server only if you wish your password to be saved.

Port

You type in the servers FTP port number. If this field is left blank, then the system would figure out the port for you. This is usually port 21.

Anonymous

If you are connecting to anonymous site then enable this checkbox and if you have not assigned your email address then assign it by selecting "email address" command in the settings menu and typing in your email address in the edit box.

Save Password

If you want your password to be saved for later connection, enable this check box.

Binary

Make sure this checkbox is checked when transferring binary files

Passive Mode

Enable this option if your server requires you to connect to server specified port for data transfer. This is a firewall friendly option.

Do not display FTP box at startup

After connecting to the remote site, this program by default brings up the FTP dialog box. However, if you are connecting to the remote site through a proxy server then enable this option. This allows you to send commands to the proxy server first in order to connect to the remote site.

Use Firewall

Enable this checkbox if your computer is behind a Firewall.


FTP Dialogbox

This dialog box is invoked from the file menu after the connection is established. It allows you to list directories, change directory download/upload files in batch mode. If you want to change directory then simply double click on the directory shown in the listbox. WinTel(32)-FTP can automatically detect Unix, VMS, MacOS, IBMs VM/CMS and MVS servers. However some servers do not implement "SYST" command (i.e. Ultrix and SunOS). As a result you would have to choose the appropriate server (i.e. for Ultrix and SunOS select Unix) in the Combobox. Following buttons are available:

Binary

Enable this option when you are downloading or uploading a binary file.

Recover

Enable this option if you want to crash recover the partial file.

Directory

Request the host to send a list of files in the current working directory. The full list is shown in the listbox. Click on the Abort button to cancel this operation.

Dir Up

Request the host to move one directory up in the directory tree.

Chg Dir

Request the host to change the directory to directory selected in the file listbox. This command is also executed when you double click on the directory name in the filelist box.

Receive

Downloads selected file(s) from the host.  If you are downloading a single file, then first make a selection of file in the listbox and then click on the receive button. If you are batch downloading files then you must add files to the batch list and click on the receive button. The files are downloaded to the current local directory if you have enabled this option in the "Def Dir" dialog box otherwise they are downloaded to default download directory. You may cancel the file transfer by clicking on the cancel button in the file transfer dialog box. However, it may take upto 30 seconds to abort the file transfer.

Add

Add button on the right/left hand side adds selected file to the batch list  for later downloading/uploading.

Delete

Deletes from the batch list.

Send

Uploads selected file to the remote or batch uploads batchlist files.

View

View text file using the notepad editor after the file is downloaded.

Find

Invokes the find dialogbox to search for the filename in the listbox.

Close/Abort

Close removes the dialogbox from the screen. Abort cancels the file list operation.


Troubleshooting

Problem

When entering service name in the communication setting dialog box, the system gives an error message saying "no service name or invalid service name specified"

Solution

Following characters are not allowed in the name i.e. /, \, [, ],   , |, , <, +, =, ., *, ?. These are the same characters not allowed in a DOS file naming convention. Any text following a space or first 8 characters (in 16 bit Windows)  is treated as a comment to the name. In 32 bit Windows, a name can be upto 64 characters in length.

Problem

When using AOL as your connection to internet, program fails to resolve host address.

Solution

Make sure you are using AOL for Windows95 if you are running WinTel32-FTP. The text under the AOL icon would tell you if you have Windows95 version otherwise you should be using 16bit WinTel-FTP.

Problem

Drive symbol is shown for the file listing in the FTP Dialogbox.

Some systems do not implement FTPs "SYST" command which allows WinTel-FTP to autodetect the remote host type. You should manually select the host type  from the host type listbox.


Firewall
Using WinTel-FTP from behind Firewall

If your computer is behind firewall then you should first enable the Enable Firewall option in the internet setting dialog box. Next click on the Firewall button. Make entries for the address and port of the firewall. Next edit your script file .PXFTP.TXT and check the script syntax by clicking on the check script button in the proxy server setting dialog box. Here is an example of script file:

!

! Firewall login example. Comments always begin with exclamation mark.

! Define timeout for waitstring command. The default is 3 seconds. You may place this timeout before the waitstring command

!

timeout 5

! Wait for login prompt

WAITSTRING "Username: "

! Dont forget to append carriage return (^M) in the send string.

SEND "jjohn^M"

!Wait for password prompt

WAITSTRING "Password: "

! Password prompt received. Send the password. Use $PASS in the send command. The script processor  !would prompt you for the password.

SEND "$PASS^M"

! send connect command. Here I have assumed it is OPEN. The $SITE and $PORT are the

!reserved words and would be replaced by internet host address and port from your ftptbook

SEND "OPEN $SITE $PORT^M"

WAITSTRING "connected"

EXIT


Contact Information

You can contact me by sending an email at support@smehrsoft.com. For latest info on WinTel, visit my Web page at http://www.smehrsoft.com/wintel.html