Re: [MLUG] ascii mode in sftp

[Michael <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

> What has happened in recent years to make ascii mode less useful?  It's
> simple:  Instead of converting all files after transfer (an extra step, or
> many steps if the files have all very different names), just type 'ascii'
> and then transfer.  Isn't that better and easier?

So you'd rather clutter a single client with lots of mostly unused
features in order to skip an extra step for the few people who need
it? That and it's a real pain if you forget to switch to bin mode and
happen to be on a funky client or server that defaults to ascii. *shrugs*
file transfer programs shouldn't modify the file being transfered IMO.

> The fact that it can be done some other way is little consolation.  We
> have many users who are used to ftp and understand ascii/binary modes.  I
> don't want to teach them about CR/LF translation and I don't want to train
> them on other programs.

Understandable but if you already have to change them from ftp to sftp why
not go the extra step and tell them to use dos2unix and unix2dos programs
to convert their files.

> The need for ascii mode will not go away until all OSs work with CR/LF the
> same way (or all programs autoconvert to the standard of the OS) and we
> don't need to translate anymore.  If we have that, then I'm fine with
> binary mode for plain text transfers.

*shrugs* I haven't even noticed this problem for years. The closest was
with printers but usually lpd will fix that for you as part of it's
filtering process.

Of course I avoid those other /evil/ OSs when possible so luckily I don't
have to worry about those issues very often. :)

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