File Transfer Protocol

Although, over the years, Web browsers have become a popular means of transferring files via the HTTP, FTP still continues to remain a powerful and convenient method. In applications, which require direct computer-to-computer transfer, or when uploading and maintaining a Website, FTP is the best choice.

Today FTP comes with all kinds of nifty features, including auto resumption of interrupted transfers, basic file management capabilities and such others. FTP clients feature an easy-to-use interface where transferring a file from your computer to half way across the world is a simple two-step method--drag and drop. They also allow you to `queue? your various upload and download jobs; so dealing with multiple files and servers is usually a snap.

IglooFTP

IglooFTP is an X-based shareware FTP client. That?s right, its shareware and you have thirty days to evaluate it. This is becoming an increasingly popular route that Linux software writers take. While Linux purists might disagree with the concept of Linux shareware, the fact remains that some great Linux software is shareware. Having said that lets go back to IglooFTP, which is available at http://www.littleigloo.org/iglooftp_downloads.php3. Download the appropriate version for your distribution and fire up X.

The file to get it going is IglooFTP-PRO which sits in /usr/local/bin. After a nice little splash screen it opens up with a simple but intuitive layout. (See image below)

As you can see the screen is roughly divided into four sections. The top section bar deals with the connection information and displays all the actual FTP commands that are sent when you are connecting and transferring files with a remote computer. The mid-section of the screen is divided into two halves, the left hand side is the local file system listing and the right hand side is the remote file system listing (when you are offline this section doubles as a list of book marked FTP servers). The bottom box displays all the files that are currently in your queue. Finally, at the end of the screen is a main information area that gives you important information about which files are being transferred, what the transfer rates are and the time remaining, etc.