Recommend an FTP program?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Stan Brown
  • Start date Start date
S

Stan Brown

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!
 
Stan said:
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!
Click to expand...

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.
 
Tue said:
Stan said:
[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.
Click to expand...

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.
Click to expand...

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 said:
Tue said:
Stan said:
[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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...

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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
Tue said:
Stan said:
[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.
Click to expand...

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.
Click to expand...

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.
Click to expand...


I use Filezilla here too. I think it's fine, and have no problems with
the interface.
 
Tue said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
Click to expand...


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

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
 
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!
Click to expand...

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

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

Enjoy, Fred
 
Wed, 9 Jul 2008 05:00:48 -0400 from Stan Brown
<[email protected]>:

[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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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.
Click to expand...

A few days ago I found one advantage of Filezilla over the older
version of WS_FTP Pro that I also use: WS_FTP seems to not display at
least some long file names correctly. I uploaded a file that was maybe
15-20 characters long, and included some spaces. After uploading the
file, it appeared in the list as two files, the name being broken at
one of the spaces. I tried to delete it, intending to upload it again,
but it wouldn't let me. It was only after I fired up Filezilla that I
could see that the file was intact, and WS_FTP was just displaying it
wrong. Maybe the problem was fixed in a later version of WS_FTP.

I don't like Filezilla's interface, either, but it seems to work well
and I appreciate that it's free, stable, and still in active
development.[/QUOTE]

Have you tried going to View and ticking the bottom 5 items? Then go to
Settings and Interface and set to Classic.
You can get it to look an awful lot like win explorer for the local &
remote, side by side. Just set the two panes to show the same data.
IMO it's a keeper.
 
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