Although right now I prefer a simple file manager, I'm trying to get into FTP so I can upload ASCII files and have more control. I've downloaded multiple clients that I can't get to work, but the one I seem to have the best luck with is SmartFTP.

If I access it off my hard drive I can connect with my domain and all that, but for some reason I can't upload any files. If I use the regular resource ftp address my host gave me to use it brings up this:

Windows cannot acess this folder. Make sure you have typed the file name correctly and that you have permission to access the folder.
Details:
220--------Welcome to Pure-FTPd [TLS]------
220-You are user number 1 of 50 allowed
220-Local time now is now 16:49. Server port: 21.
220-You will be connected after 15 minutes of inactivity.
421-Unable to set up anonymous FTP

To be honest I really don't know anything about FTP, but it seems like all these steps are going according to plan until it reaches the anonymous FTP part. What, exactly, does that mean? Can anyone tell me how I might fix it?

Again, I've tried this with other FTP clients, so is it something wrong with my computer?

Thanks for all your help. =)

421-Unable to set up anonymous FTP

Did you entered a username and password?
ow and smartftp ROX ;)

Are you logging into the right place? If its your webhost shouldnt be giving your the anonymous ftp address to login since you can login to that with any username and password.

Oh, okay! I was thinking that I had to access ftp from internet explorer first -- like the simple file manager that I'm used to. Currently a dialogue box pops up and asks for my username and password, and I just assumed there'd be a similar prompt for the ftp style. Alright. So. I don't have to acess my ftp client through internet explorer... I feel really dumb.

But Sphere, please, since I guess you know a little about smartftp can I bother you with a quick question I haven't really been able to grasp from the smartftp website? What's the difference between direct, session queue, or global queue uploads? And, furthermore, (might as well be honest while I'm at it) what exactly [i]is a queue? *blush*

Sorry, just one more -- I've successfully uploaded a direct file into my cgi-bin but it needs to work in ASCII mode and I haven't really seen an option in smartftp so far when uploading that I can verify that it's in the correct mode...

Thanks again so, so much. I apologize for being a little slow. You do not know how much I appreciate any feedback. :)

I'm not Sphere but I can try to answer those questions and Sphere can tell me if I'm right or wrong ^_^.

A queue is just a line, like a waiting list. Picture yourself standing in line to buy movie tickets, thats an example of a queue. In my compsci class, we defined a queue as a lining up of jobs for a program or computer. For example, when you want to print multiple documents, the computer will line up the documents you want printed in a queue. The different queues in SmartFTP seems to reffer to the files in line for transfer.

Now, I played around with the direct, global, and session queue; read some information ; and I've got a basic idea of each.

The direct transfer, is basically the drag and drop where you instantly transfer the files. Example, dragging and dropping multiple files like index.html, main.html to a folder on your server would be using the direct queue.

The session queue does exactly what the direct que does: transfer files (upload or download). You can drag and drop files into the direct queue window but it wont transfer right away. You can then organize which ones you want to download first, and check to see if you have accidently dragged an unnecessary file onto the session queue. You can then just right click and choose transfer to download or upload the files into your specified path.

The global queue looks to me like it can do exactly what the session queue does but it can save the queue and schedule a time to transfer (like once every day or month). This can be useful if you find yourself, uploading the same named files over and over again (replacing a file) or if you want to backup your files on a regulary basis (transfering a file on your computer).

Of course, I could be totally wrong but I gave it a try o.O :)

These might help
http://www.smartftp.com/support/howto/
http://www.smartftp.com/support/howto/download.direct.php
http://www.smartftp.com/support/howto/download.global.php
http://www.smartftp.com/support/howto/download.session.php
http://www.smartftp.com/support/howto/upload.direct.php
http://www.smartftp.com/support/howto/upload.global.php
http://www.smartftp.com/support/howto/

I just read it over and found a mistake! Replace in the session queue part, "drop files into the direct queue window but it wont" the bolded part with session queue.

Sorry for double post :buckt:

You are right about most of it, although i don't share my opinion about the gobal qeueu
You can't schedule a time to do a job as far as i know. the global queue is almost exactly the same as the session queue but with one major differance. You can have multiple FTP sessions at the same time with smartftp. with the session qeue it will make a queue for every session. with the global queue it will make a qeueu for all sessions together. so you can make a list of what to download or upload from this ftp and from that ftp and that ftp and it will do thsese jobs AFTER eachother.

i made a screen and editted where the ascii and binary buttons are:
http://www.sphere.ws/images/temp/smartftp.jpg

also note the URL watcher. If you turn that on it will look to your clipboard for FTP urls.
on every url written following this syntax: ftp://username:password@ip_or_domain:portnumber

it will make a prompt asking you if you want to connect it. easy huh? i enjoyed a lot of this function. It will not work with Firefox at the moment, but it will be fixed as they promised me in version 2.0:
http://www.smartftp.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7583

Greetz Sphere

What would be the difference between ASCII and binary forms of transfer?

Thank you both so much! You answered all of my questions and then some. ^_^ I really, really appreciate your time and patience. Thanks to you both I think I got the basic grasp of FTP! :)