Understanding FTP

FTP sites are used for downloading . Downloading refers to getting a program or file from a computer on the Internet and putting it on your own computer.

Lots of free and inexpensive software is available on the Internet at sites called FTP sites. FTP (file transfer protocol) is one of the older Internet tools, and was used to copy files from one large computer to another. Many FTP sites are now available to the public and contain files that you can copy, or download , to your computer. Unlike graphical Web sites, FTP sites are text-based. Although you can access many FTP sites through Web links, FTP sites are not part of the World Wide Web.

In the past, users had to log in to the FTP sites with a login name and password. Now, anyone can log into an anonymous FTP site and download files. The user id is "anonymous" and the password is your email address. Netscape enters this information for you automatically when you access an FTP site.

When you go to an FTP site what you are really doing is looking at that particular server's hard drive (or drives). You usually can't look at all the items on this hard drive. You can, however, view and download most of the public domain items.

FTP sites are different from Web sites in that they're not very flashy. No nice pictures, no sounds and otherwise very little flash and dash. Basically, people go to FTP sites to obtain files.

The actual directory or folder on the FTP site that has the information you're after is often (but not always) the /pub folder. Just like you would have a folder on your hard drive called /temp or /windows , the /pub directory is where the owner of the FTP site puts all the public domain items.

Using FTP

Connecting to an FTP Site

There are a two of ways to get to an FTP site. Sometimes you will be on a web page that has a link to an FTP site - you simply click and you're there. The other way is to manually enter the URL (e.g. ftp.cdrom.com) in the Location field and press Enter. Netscape takes care of everything else--it connects to the FTP site and logs you in.

To enter the URL, add ftp:// to the beginning of the FTP site address. For example, the URL of the FTP site ftp.netscape.com is ftp://ftp.netscape.com .

Once you have connected to an FTP site, you will see a screen similar to the one shown in Figure 7-1. Follow any directions you see on your screen, especially time restrictions. Remember that you are a guest on someone's hard drive, and you are allowed to use the FTP site only through the good graces of the system administrator.

FTP sites can only handle a given number of users at one time. Many sites are very popular, and it may be difficult to connect to them. Some of the more popular sites list alternate sites, called mirror sites , to which you might be able to connect instead. A mirror site has the same information as the main site so you should connect to the mirror site located nearest you.

Figure 7-1: A Typical FTP Screen

EXERCISE

 In the following exercise, you will connect to an FTP site.

Navigating Within an FTP Site

FTP sites are usually organized with files stored in directories and subdirectories, much like your computer's hard drive. Netscape displays files and directories with the icons shown in Table 7-1.

Icon	Represents	Where does it go?
	Subdirectory	Files or more subdirectories.
	Document	An HTML or Postscript file.
	Generic file	A file that might need to be configured to download to your computer, usually a compressed program file.
	Program file	An uncompressed program file.

Table 7-1: FTP Site File and Directory Icons

After you've gone into a number of subdirectories and looked at a number of files, you might forget exactly where you are in the system. A helpful line on each screen shows you where you are, as shown in Figure 7-2.

Figure 7-2: The Current Directory Line of the FTP Screen

EXERCISE

In the following exercise, you will navigate within an FTP site.

Retrieving Information from FTP Sites

The programs you will find are usually either freeware , shareware or commercial software. Commercial software typically requires payment of a fee to be able to use it. Freeware programs are programs you can use free of charge, subject to certain terms and conditions. Shareware programs are programs you can download and try for a while, subject to certain terms and conditions. If you like the program and want to continue using it, you are encouraged to send a fee to the program's author. In return, the author might send you documentation and program updates.

For some software, you can find upgrades and patches (a file that fixes a problem with some software you have) for commercial software at FTP sites. You may also find the latest drivers (that bit of software that makes the hardware operate) for many peripherals, such as video cards and printers.

Downloading Files

Because viruses are passed through the Internet, it's a good idea to run a virus checking program on any program files that you download before you run them.

When you have found a file that you want to download all you need to do is click on it. Three things might happen when you do this.

1. When you click on the file name and Netscape recognizes the file type, or if you have a plug-in installed for the file type, Netscape will display the file.

or

2. When you click on the file and Netscape does not recognize the file type, the Unknown File Type dialog box appears. This dialog box is illustrated in Figure 7-3. You can choose to pick an application to play the file or you can opt to save the file.

Figure 7-3: The Unknown File Type Dialog Box

or

3. When you click on the file, Netscape may mistakenly think the file is a text file and display it for you.

Note: Follow the same procedure to download a program from a website.

EXERCISE

 In the following exercise, you will download a file.

Understanding and Using Gopher

Using Gopher is a lot like using the World Wide Web, except that there are no graphics. Most Internet publishing used to occur on Gophers, but now the World Wide Web is gaining prominence. Many universities still maintain Gopher sites.

Netscape Navigator enables you to access Gopher servers the same way you access Web (HTTP) pages. Gopher menu listings allow you to display content pages or additional menu sub-listings. When you want information that is stored on a Gopher server, you can either click on a gopher link or enter the URL in the location field.

Alternatively, WAVE@school users can retrieve Gopher-specific client programs from the Internet using FTP. Using the Gopher client is like using any of your other Internet applications. Your Gopher client makes contact with the Gopher server(s), displaying folders and files on your browser.

Summary

To connect to an FTP site:

1. In the Location field, type the URL of the FTP site.
2. Press Enter

To navigate within an FTP site:

1. 1. To move down a level, click the subdirectory folder icon or the text to the right of the icon.
   
   or
   
2. 2. To move up a level, click the text Up to higher level directory .

To download files:

1. Navigate to the subdirectory containing the file.
2. Click the file icon.
3. If Netscape recognizes and displays the file, from the File menu, choose Save as.
   
   or
   
4. If Netscape does not recognize the file, in the Unknown File Type dialog box, choose Save File.
5. In the Save As dialog box, select the disk and directory where you want to save the file.
6. Choose Save.