Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Administration Unleashed

392CHAPTER 19Explaining Other Common Network ServicesFIGURE 19.1Allowing FTP ConnectionsConnecting from an FTP ClientTo connect to an FTP server, an FTP client program is required. There are numerous FTPclients available for Linux and other operating systems. By default, Red Hat EnterpriseLinux includes the command-line clients ftp and lftp as well as a method for connectngto FTP servers from the desktop file browser.Connecting via FTP from the Command LineThe ftp and lftp command-line utilities for connecting to an FTP server use the samebasic commands. However, lftp is more user-friendly so it will be discussed in thissection. For example, lftp has tab completion similar to the Bash shell, shows the downloadprogress by default, automatically assumes anonymous login unless a username isspecified, and restarts downloads at the break point if the download is not completed onthe first attempt.To connect to an FTP server, use the lftp command, where isthe IP address or hostname of the FTP server. If using a hostname, the client must be ableto resolve it to an IP address. If the lftp prompt appears, the server has accepted theconnection, and you are logged in as an anonymous user.To log in to the server using a specific username, either use the lftp -u command to connect or wait until you are connected as an anonymous userand then type the user command at the lftp prompt. Both methods willprompt you for a password to authenticate.After you are logged in to the server, basic shell commands such as ls to list the files andcd to change directories can be used to find the files to download or to change to thelocation into which you want to upload files. Pressing the up arrow will toggle through alist of commands previously executed during the current FTP session.