A frequent recommendation on this list has been to do two-step ftp's.  it's
not a perfect solution but in many situations it workable.

It appears that when using 'dir' in this manner -- DIR [remote-directory]
[local-file] -- 'local file' is purged (if needed) and (re-)built as an
80-byte file just as you discovered.  I don't see a way around it.  And yes,
ftp is it's glorious short-sightedness will truncate file names in order to
fit information into an 80-byte record.  (the format is listfile,2)

Fwiw, 'ls' (LS [remote-directory] [local-file]) will also by-default,
without-asking, I-don't-care-what-you-want build an 80-byte file too.  As
dave discovered, the advantage here is you'll get a simple, vertical list of
file names.  So unless you have file names that exceed 78-bytes (because of
the leading './') you're ok using 'ls'.  (the format is listfile,6)

Fwiw #2, neither dir nor ls will walk the directory tree...

So dave, you found the solution/work-around -- use ls and be happy (cause we
ain't gettin' no patch now!)   - d

---
Donna Hofmeister
Allegro Consultants, Inc.
408-252-2330


> -----Original Message-----
> From: HP-3000 Systems Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
> Behalf Of Dave Powell, MMfab
> Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 1:27 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [HP3000-L] ftp patch ----- reminds me of something else
> with ftp
> 
> (Well, donna's link works)
> 
> Several weeks ago I had a project where ftp "mget" could have been the
> solution except I wanted to rename the remote files to be classsic MPE
> 8-char local file names.  The remote file names, on a unix server, are
> some
> constant letters followed by a time-stamp, so they are different every
> day,
> and not known in advance).
> 
> My solution was to run ftp twice.  The first time uses ftp's "ls"
> command
> with the local-file option to get a file onto the HP with a list of the
> files we can download.  Then a command-file reads that file and builds
> a
> series of "get" commands with the remote files names and the mpe-
> friendly
> local names I assign them.  When we run ftp again those "get" commands
> snag
> the remote files.
> 
> This approach has been working fine, and fwiw, might be workaround for
> anyone hit by the "mget" bug donna is referring to.
> 
> 
> The one thing that bugged me was the characteristics of the local file
> that
> holds the list of remote files, specifically the fixed 80-byte record
> length.  I first tried using the "dir" command, like ">dir
> fileset*.txt
> FILELIST.PUB", but it kept blowing up because the remote records were
> over
> 80 bytes.  I fiddled with file equations and ftp's buildparms and never
> managed make ftp use anything except an 80-byte fixed-length file for
> my
> file-list.  So eventually I switched to ">ls  fileset*.txt
> FILELIST.PUB"
> and it worked because the "ls" command has a much shorter format.
> 
> So, was I missing something?  Is there an easy way to make the local-
> file
> option of ftp's "dir" or "ls" use a file with a longer record than 80
> bytes
> ?
> 
> 
> Dave  (just ticked-off that I couldn't over-ride it, don't really need
> an
> answer now)  Powell,  MMfab
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "donna hofmeister" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 08:27
> Subject: [HP3000-L] ftp patch
> 
> 
> > Several months ago (right before support ended <sigh>) the collective
> 'we'
> > discovered a bug in ftp:
> > http://raven.utc.edu/cgi-bin/WA.EXE?A2=ind0809D&L=HP3000-
> L&P=R7306&I=-3&K=1&
> > X=3CC8B565BEB43FC87D&d=No+Match%3BMatch%3BMatches
> > (hope that works, otherwise search for 'ftp mget' in September and
> October
> > of last year...and of course mind the wrap)
> >
> > A (the last?) patch was produced that repairs this problem --
> FTPHDK7A (id
> > for 7.5).  currently the patch is in beta status.  In order for the
> patch
> > to
> > be GR'd more people need to request/install the patch.  If you still
> have
> > a
> > sw support contract and are willing to apply the patch (for the good
> of
> > the
> > community, frankly), please call the RC.
> >
> > Be a good sport and place a call :-)        - d
> >
> > ---
> > Donna Hofmeister
> > Allegro Consultants, Inc.
> > 408-252-2330
> >
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