Recommend an FTP program?

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:10:06 -0400 from Big_Al <BigAl DeleteThis @md.com>:
> Stan Brown wrote:
> > [C]an someone recommend a free FTP program? Sure, there's Tucows
> > and the other download sites, but they have so many FTP programs
> > that I'd like to avoid downloading and trying a dozen or so.
> >
> > One feature that's important to me is synchronizing a remote site
> > to my computer.
>
> I changed to Filezilla. It has similar directory tree appearance that
> WS_FTP did, and an address book, starting folder choices per site etc.
> Its not as user friendly on initially looking at it, but once you get
> the hand, it works fine.

Thanks for the suggestion.

I use Filezilla at work, as a matter of fact, because we don't have a
license for WS-FTP Pro. I'm really not fond of the user interface,
but maybe it's possible to customize it more than I realized. I'll
have a look, and I'll also check whether that important sync feature
is included.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...

On Wed, 9 Jul 2008 05:00:48 -0400, Stan Brown
<the_stan_brown DeleteThis @fastmail.fm> wrote:

> Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:10:06 -0400 from Big_Al <BigAl DeleteThis @md.com>:
> > Stan Brown wrote:
> > > [C]an someone recommend a free FTP program? Sure, there's Tucows
> > > and the other download sites, but they have so many FTP programs
> > > that I'd like to avoid downloading and trying a dozen or so.
> > >
> > > One feature that's important to me is synchronizing a remote site
> > > to my computer.
> >
> > I changed to Filezilla. It has similar directory tree appearance that
> > WS_FTP did, and an address book, starting folder choices per site etc.
> > Its not as user friendly on initially looking at it, but once you get
> > the hand, it works fine.
>
> Thanks for the suggestion.
>
> I use Filezilla at work, as a matter of fact, because we don't have a
> license for WS-FTP Pro. I'm really not fond of the user interface,
> but maybe it's possible to customize it more than I realized. I'll
> have a look, and I'll also check whether that important sync feature
> is included.


I use Filezilla here too. I think it's fine, and have no problems with
the interface.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

Stan Brown wrote:
> Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:10:06 -0400 from Big_Al <BigAl.RemoveThis@md.com>:
>> Stan Brown wrote:
>>> [C]an someone recommend a free FTP program? Sure, there's Tucows
>>> and the other download sites, but they have so many FTP programs
>>> that I'd like to avoid downloading and trying a dozen or so.
>>>
>>> One feature that's important to me is synchronizing a remote site
>>> to my computer.
>> I changed to Filezilla. It has similar directory tree appearance that
>> WS_FTP did, and an address book, starting folder choices per site etc.
>> Its not as user friendly on initially looking at it, but once you get
>> the hand, it works fine.
>
> Thanks for the suggestion.
>
> I use Filezilla at work, as a matter of fact, because we don't have a
> license for WS-FTP Pro. I'm really not fond of the user interface,
> but maybe it's possible to customize it more than I realized. I'll
> have a look, and I'll also check whether that important sync feature
> is included.
>

Then if you've seen it you do understand the user interface issue. I
too had a bit of problem getting used to it. I do remember finding
some settings that made it just that much more understandable. Its
still a bit awkward, yet I guess I've got it tuned over the years. I
did have issues getting the "save last settings" to hold. Seemed to
reset settings every time I ran it.
Still for the simple sending of files, and the fact I hated to lie about
being a student to get the WS_FTP lite to work, I guess its usable.
CuteFTP was another one that I used. Never got past WS_FTP though.
Really is a nice product.

I'm not exactly sure what sync feature means to you, but I just wrote a
script in a .bat file to ftp my whole site on a periodic basis. I have
written a program (C++) that takes the FireFox Bookmarks.html file and
changes it to a series of favorites###.html files for my website. That
way on the road I can see them. It can be scheduled that way. Not
sure if you know the command line FTP well, but its just another
thought. Unless you're dumping gigs, its quite fast. I send some 40
html files in a few seconds. And I don't do more that double click the
batch file icon. Bingo.

> On Wed, 9 Jul 2008 05:00:48 -0400, Stan Brown
> <the_stan_brown.DeleteThis@fastmail.fm> wrote:
>
>> Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:10:06 -0400 from Big_Al <BigAl.DeleteThis@md.com>:
>>> Stan Brown wrote:
>>>> [C]an someone recommend a free FTP program? Sure, there's Tucows
>>>> and the other download sites, but they have so many FTP programs
>>>> that I'd like to avoid downloading and trying a dozen or so.
>>>>
>>>> One feature that's important to me is synchronizing a remote site
>>>> to my computer.
>>>
>>> I changed to Filezilla. It has similar directory tree appearance
>>> that WS_FTP did, and an address book, starting folder choices per
>>> site etc. Its not as user friendly on initially looking at it, but
>>> once you get the hand, it works fine.
>>
>> Thanks for the suggestion.
>>
>> I use Filezilla at work, as a matter of fact, because we don't have a
>> license for WS-FTP Pro. I'm really not fond of the user interface,
>> but maybe it's possible to customize it more than I realized. I'll
>> have a look, and I'll also check whether that important sync feature
>> is included.
>
>
> I use Filezilla here too. I think it's fine, and have no problems with
> the interface.

A little "trick" that helps with FileZilla sometimes is to check out the
various layouts available. One of them is pretty close to win explorer
and most people get along well with it. I thought it was the default
but maybe not.

HTH

Twayne

Wed, 9 Jul 2008 05:00:48 -0400 from Stan Brown
<the_stan_brown RemoveThis @fastmail.fm>:

[responding to several folks' suggestion of Filezilla]

> Thanks for the suggestion.
>
> I use Filezilla at work, as a matter of fact, because we don't have a
> license for WS-FTP Pro. I'm really not fond of the user interface,
> but maybe it's possible to customize it more than I realized. I'll
> have a look, and I'll also check whether that important sync feature
> is included.

The sync feature *is* included, in a setting to "only overwrite older
files" or similar. I found I could close some unwanted panes and open
some others that weren't open by default, so the interface is better.

For now I'm still using WS-FTP Pro at home, since setting passive
transfers worked, but I think Filezilla would be a viable
alternative.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...

On Tue, 8 Jul 2008 06:29:50 -0400, Stan Brown
<the_stan_brown RemoveThis @fastmail.fm> wrote:

>I've just started a thread about a show-stopper problem with my
>longtime FTP program, WS-FTP Pro.
>
>But thinking ahead, if that can't be fixed, can someone recommend a
>free FTP program? Sure, there's Tucows and the other download sites,
>but they have so many FTP programs that I'd like to avoid downloading
>and trying a dozen or so.
>
>One feature that's important to me is synchronizing a remote site to
>my computer. I maintain multiple Web sites, and for each one I have
>the full directory and file structure on my computer. It was really
>nice in WS-FTP to connect, highlight a couple of directories in the
>"local" panel, and have it automatically bring the remote site up to
>date (including subdirectories of the highlighted direcories).
>
>Thanks in advance!

Have a look at http://www.coreftp.com/

Has the same lay out as WS-FTP, Lite is freeware.

Enjoy, Fred