Remote FTP site and scripts?

January 14, 2004 3:20 AM

Related to this question, suppose I'd like to do something similar but with the target a remote ftp host on which I can run scripts. More inside...

Assume that the source host is a unix variant, of which I have full privileges. The remote host is an ftp site whereupon I can put files to my heart's content. I like to have a configuration file that does something like this:

sourcedir -> site:dir
or
reg-exp -> site:dir
or
$USER/regexp -> site:dir/$USER
and
ignore sourcedir

And I'd also like to be able to put a .file in any directory that lists files to skip in that directory.

And I'd like a pony.

posted by plinth to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

Your requirements sound specific enough that I suspect it's time to investigate scripting. You could very likely do this in shell, but Perl, Python, and PHP all suggest themselves as better and easier alternatives. Hell, you could probably do it in a couple of hundred lines of Java if you're the self-flagellating type.
posted by majick at 6:51 AM on January 14, 2004

I hate to say it, try searching freshmeat.net. There's a lot of crap on it, but once in a while you'll find a gem. I found a program called LazyFTP that seems to do some of what you want, but without the fancy regexes, exclusions, etc. However, if you're handy with PHP, the sky's the limit.

I agree with majick - this is such a specialized problem, making your own script (or heavily modifying an existing one) is about the only way.
posted by zsazsa at 7:01 AM on January 14, 2004

and the Horse Exchange is the best place to get your pony
posted by Pericles at 8:00 AM on January 14, 2004

Thanks for freashmeat. It looks like the answer is ftpsync. It doesn't have the skip functionality, but I believe I can add it in.
posted by plinth at 1:51 AM on January 15, 2004