pftp Command in Linux

The pftp command in Linux is a client to transfer the file over the internet using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). It functions similarly to the standard FTP client, but it ensures that data connections are established in Passive Mode, which is useful when the client is behind a firewall or NAT (Network Address Translation

It is important to note that pftp in most modern Linux distributions has been deprecated and replaced with ftp. The pftp command is deprecated primarily because modern FTP clients, including ftp, generally support both active and passive modes, eliminating the need for a separate command like pftp.

Table of Contents

Here is a comprehensive guide to the options available with the pftp command −

• Syntax of ftp Command
• ftp Command Options
• FTP Interface Commands
• Examples of ftp Command in Linux

Syntax of ftp Command

The syntax of ftp command in Linux is as follows −

ftp [options] [hostname]

In the above syntax, the [options] field is used to specify optional flags such as -v, -i, or others. The [hostname] is used to specify the remote server's IP address to connect to.

ftp Command Options

The options for the ftp command are listed in the following table −

FTP Interface Commands

The ftp command initiates a separate interface after connecting to the remote system. In the remote system, there is another set of sub-commands that are used for further operations. The sub-commands are listed below −

Examples of ftp Command in Linux

This section explores how to use ftp command in Linux with examples −

• Establishing FTP Connection
• Listing Directories
• Changing Directory
• Creating Directories
• Downloading a File
• Uploading a File
• Renaming a File
• Deleting a File
• Displaying Operating System Type
• Checking the Status of the Current FTP Session
• Displaying Usage Help
• Closing the FTP Connection

Establishing FTP Connection

An FTP connection must be established with the remote system before transferring files. To connect, use the ftp command followed by the remote system's IP address −

ftp 192.168.0.144

Before configuring the FTP interface, the system will prompt for the username and password of the remote system. Once the credentials are entered, the FTP connection will be established.

Listing Directories

To list the contents of the remote system, use the ls command. To view the contents of the current directory, use the following command −

ls

To list the content of a specific directory, specify the path of the directory −

ls myDir

Changing Directory

To change the directory on the remote system, use the cd command with the directory name or path −

cd myProject

To go back to the previous directory, use −

cd ..

Creating Directories

To create a directory on the remote system, use the mkdir command followed by the directory name.

mkdir testDir

Downloading a File

To download a file from the remote system, use the get command. For example, to download a file test.txt file from the remote machine, use the get command in the following way −

get test.txt

To download the file and save it with a different name on the local system, use the get command in the following way −

get test.txt downloaded.txt

The above command will download the test.txt file as a downloaded.txt file on the local system.

To download multiple files, use the mget command in the FTP session −

mget test1.txt test2.txt

Before downloading multiple files, the command will prompt with the [anpqy] option. Here is the breakdown of these options −

Uploading a File

To upload a file from the local system to the remote system, use the put command followed by the file name.

put test.txt

To upload with a different name, use −

put test.txt uploaded.txt

The above command will upload the test.txt file as an uploaded.txt file on the remote system.

To upload multiple files, use the mput command −

mput test1.txt test2.txt

When uploading multiple files, a prompt with the [anpqy] options will be displayed.

Renaming a File

To rename a file on the remote system, use the rename command. For example, to change test.txt to sample.txt, use the following command −

rename file.txt newFile.txt

Deleting a File

To remove a file from the remote system, use the delete command followed by the file name.

delete file1.txt

To delete multiple files, use the mdelete command as shown below −

mdelete file1.txt file2.txt

When deleting multiple files, a prompt with the [anpqy?] options will appear.

Displaying Operating System Type

To display the operating system type of the remote system, use the system command −

system

Checking the Status of the Current FTP Session

To check the status of the current FTP session, use the status command −

status

Displaying Usage Help

To list all FTP commands available to the client, use the help command −

help

Closing the FTP Connection

To close the current FTP session but leave the FTP client running, use the disconnect command −

disconnect

To close the FTP connection and FTP client, type the bye command and press Enter.

bye

Or type quit or, exit and press Enter.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the pftp command in Linux was once a useful tool for transferring files using FTP in passive mode, especially when clients were behind firewalls or NAT. However, with modern FTP clients like ftp supporting both active and passive modes, pftp has been deprecated.

The ftp command, which now handles both modes, is more versatile and commonly used across Linux distributions. It provides various options and sub-commands for managing FTP sessions, including connecting, transferring files, and managing directories.