Re: [MLUG] ascii mode in sftp

[Mike Miller <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

On Thu, 3 May 2001, Michael wrote:

> > 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?

Why is ascii mode the default in ftp?  Because few people use it?  No.
Nearly everyone who uses ftp sometimes uses ascii mode.


> file transfer programs shouldn't modify the file being transfered IMO.

That's not a bad suggestion.  Maybe I should learn to accept this new
approach.  MS should design their programs to cope with unix text.  Right
now programs like Notepad don't handle it at all.

Please don't give me the pedantic advice that I shouldn't use Notepad.
It's not about me.  If it were, you wouldn't be hearing any of this.
It's about other users.  I want to get them on track as easily as possible
with minimum investment of my time.


> 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.

I might *have* to do that.  My original question was whether sftp has
simply done away with ascii mode.  I think they have.  No one has given me
reason to think otherwise.


> > 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. :)

Well, good for you, but that doesn't change the fact that there are
literally thousands of WinNT machines on campus.  All but maybe two of our
professors has one in his/her office.  All of our grad students use them.
All of our students use Win machines.  Nearly all faculty use them from
home.  So ascii transfers between unix and Win will be quite common (if
people even use unix).  I will tell them this:  When I snap my fingers,
everyone switch to Linux and leave me alone.  That will only work in my
dreams.

Mike

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