From: gregf@shaman.sps.mot.com (Greg Ferguson)
Subject: Re: Setting Up a Mac FTP Server
Originator: root@mogate.sps.mot.com
Reply-To: gregf@shaman.sps.mot.com
Organization: SPS
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 18:07:24 GMT

In article <92233.110224JSIMPSON@MIAMIU.BITNET>  writes:
>In article <Bt6LtC.M0E@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca>, rcrispin@watarts.uwaterloo.ca
>(Richard Crispin) says:
>>
>>I am trying to set up an FTP server on a Mac that is being used as a
>>file server. I have a CD-ROM drive attached to the Mac and thought
>>it would be useful to make it available. I have NCSA Telnet 2.5 and
>>I set it up to act as the server. The problem is it will not switch
>>to the CD drive.
>You can address the cdrom volume if you use the ftp command
>cd the_volume_name:    where the colon is necessary and the_volume_name
>                       If the name of the volume as visible on the
>                       desktop.
>the info-mac/comm directory at sumex.stanfor.edu has a shareware
>ftp deamon that might be a better choice for you.  I tried it on
>an SE and it bombed.  The same server has a demo of a fine
>commercial program by ASC.  I believe the FTP software and
>interConn also make products, but haven't used them myself.
> 

I've been testing both ASC's FTPShare and Peter Lewis' FTPd.

FTPd was released with a bad compile for 68000 machines that caused it to  
crash when opening the data connection during a transfer. Peter immediately  
sent me a fixed version that is running great on a IIfx w/ 7.0.1 and  
TuneUp1.1.1 and AppleShare 3.0. It is also working great on a SE w/ 4Meg RAM  
and the same 7.0.1/1.1.1 with the internal 7.0 filesharing. The configuration  
is very nice and easy. It works by using the AppleShare client calls to  
actually log into the server. Your FTP session will appear in the user-window.  
This does slow the program, but it means that you can have your local users  
access the same server without having to setup separate FTP user accounts for  
the server. An account is the same whether the user logs in via FTP or  
AppleShare - the user has the same privilidges either way. (I think that this  
was a great idea on Peter's part). Also FTPd can log the user into other  
servers available on the same zone or distant zones if you wish. Peter has  
been good about quick response when I have questions and he's active on the  
news-threads here. 

ASC's FTPShare has a nice interface. I've been working with them for the last  
several months on bug fixes. Currently I'm testing their software on a  
production IIci with the same software that the IIfx is running. I'm seeing  
some sessions hang during FTP sessions with our VM FTP client. (I haven't  
gotten a handle on the problem yet). We've had a series of small problems with  
FTPShare since I began testing, most of the problems appear to have been the  
result of design choices that they made. They designed the daemon to work with  
their FTP client, but the daemon didn't work well with Fetch or HyperFTP.  
Their's is fast, but not as flexible for setting up the accounts. An account  
can have either read, write or read/write access to all folders. That isn't  
flexible enough for what I need. (I haven't addressed that issue to them yet).  
Their support is a bit slow. You have to address them via AppleLink and they  
usually don't acknowledge your message so you wonder if they got it. They have  
been pretty good about bug fixes though.

My feeling is that currently FTPd is a stronger product. It is slower
but seems much more flexible. Also, for $5.00, what do you have to lose? If  
you don't like FTPd then you can spend more money and get FTPShare later.

Greg Ferguson
rtmd30@email.sps.mot.com
gregf@shaman.sps.mot.com