Only SFTP?

[norbert-neo]

Why FreeFilesync can't use FTP-Connections?

[Plerry]

FFS can use FTP connections, however not directly.

From an (older, V6.x) Help-file:
> FreeFileSync does not support accessing FTP volumes directly.
> But this functionality can be integrated by mapping the FTP web space to a drive letter:
> Example: Use the free utility NetDrive (http://www.netdrive.net)
> Add a New Site and specify site name, site URL, drive letter, account and password.
> Use the newly created drive as if it were a normal hard disk.
> Note
> Most FTP drives set a file's time stamp to the current time when synchronizing,
> ignoring the source file's time and date. As a workaround you can do a Compare by File Size.

The Note describes a limitation of FTP which makes FTP considerably less useful for syncs,
that predominantly tend to rely on file-date and use file size as an extra verifyer.
Doing a compare by File Size (see Help-file Expert Settings) can only flag conflicts, and requires manual or user pre-defined conflict resolving. For Mirror or Update, a pre-defined resolve seems
practical; for a Two-Way sync it normally has to be manually.

[Zenju]

If there were a huge demand, I could add FTP, too. But I assume (?) most web space providers these days support SFTP, too, which seems like a much better protocol. And most importantly SFTP supports modification times, which are essential for file synchronization, while FTP usually does not.

[norbert-neo]

netdrive ist not free! it's a trial-Version. After trial-perode only one ftp-connection works.Most provider supports SFTP? no - a big NO.
Tests of 57(!) providers = 7 provider supports SFTP.

[spongshga]

i think "ftp" are realy usefull too!
i have a old smartphone and work with another kind of sync without a sync app but you know "Es File Explorer" Andorid App. This is one of the best Adroid-File-Manager and he Support Remote-Engine (ftp). So if i want i can bade a backup with any ftp-tools. but i want FreeFileSync with Sync options/filters".


Start a pool @programm and ask the community for ftp-support.

ps: i dont know zenju my english ar not so good well.
couldnt no way support ftp for backup-profil or snyc or so wat?

[pascal737]

Hello,
After searching the web for a good sync software running on multi platform (we wish to migrate to Linux a.s.a.p...) I found FFS which I just spent the last few hours to enjoy discovering and configuring my backup's :-)

It looks very good and I really thought I had discovered the best sync software to replace our actual SyncBackPro. Unfortunately when it went to the time to press the sync button for the first time it didn't work :-(. After some search I wound this thread telling that FTP is not supported... How many people do you think would follow the same disapointing path than me ? Well, about everybody wanting to migrate from ANY software like SyncBackPro to FFS.

I'm very surprised... most of the backup/sync software support FTP. And regarding all the post I found about FTP not working written in this forum I also think there might be good demand for it. Especially thinking that not every user, after discovering that the sotfware simply don't work with FTP will take the time to create an account here and post his view like I did.

Would it take much effort to implement it ? I do not realize, sorry.

[hydrurgax]

+1 for those who would like to see support for plain FTP if the developer can get the time to do so. I, like many others, have no SFTP option with my website hosting company.

I've tried using a mounted FTP folder by means of curlftpfs but have found that it doesn't work due to FreeFileSync being unable to create lock files in the mounted folder. However, even if I were to get this to work, I would have to create these mount folders for all my websites, and there are a fair number - the logistics and management would not be much fun. :-)

I love FreeFileSync and use it for syncing my data and home partitions to my external HDD storage. However I'm currently also forced to have SyncBackPro running in a Windows VM in order to backup to FTP and ZIP, and that's a pity as I really want to embrace Linux as fully as I can.

[makinsk]

Hello FFS!
This is the best app to sync anything that you want!!!
To be perfect, make funcional FTP option!! Please!!!

[jkalousek]

Are there any plans to add regular FTP? It would help a lot. I'm now using multiple sync programs because I like FFS but It doens't have FTP so I must use another sync software as well to have this feature.

[Hushpower]

Please add FTP support. Otherwise, FFS is a fantastic program. Have donated.

[Smasher]

Hi.
Thanks for a great program.

I would really like to have FTPS as an option too. Not FTP (insecure)
Because SSH (SFTP) is not very easy to setup, with a lot of users, on Windows.

Best regards.

[JustAnotherUser]

I just stumbled right now over this thread, and want to mention, why a solution with such a virtual drive does not suffice.

I want to use explicitely FTP because of trojan-/virus-safe access.
What I did therefor is creating an FTP account which can only write, not read or browse.

So I can copy files there, but no process, in case of a compromized/infected System, even having the credentials, could access those files there, because they are 'invisible'!

That concept works fine, but when I implement that FTP folder as a Windows drive I think that 'hiding' won't work anymore.

[Kleinhirn]

Hi,

i want to backup on FTP, too. My NAS did not support SFTP - so i need FTP or NAS support.
But without connecting the ftp to my PC as drive (because the crypto-virus can crypt all files on connected drives)

thanks

[tschallacka]

+1 for standard ftp support

[Zenju]

I'm currently evaluating FTP design alternatives: What are your requirements?

plain FTP (unencrypted)? FTPS (explicit or implicit)? Passive mode? Server text encodings?

[Smasher]

I'm currently evaluating FTP design alternatives: What are your requirements?

plain FTP (unencrypted)? FTPS (explicit or implicit)? Passive mode? Server text encodings?

If it's not too much trouble, but FTP and FTPS would be very nice.
If only one of those options. Then definitely FTPS explicit TLS

I always use passive mode

[JustAnotherUser]

In my case, because of the different target FTP servers I need to access, I would need those:
- FTP without any encryption
- FTP with SSL/TLS (Explicit)

But because SFTP already is implemented in FFS, I would also vote to not remove it.

Am I right that technically "libeay32.dll" and "ssleay32.dll" have to be implemented for example?

[bootika]

I need these as well:
- FTP without any encryption
- FTP with SSL/TLS (Explicit)

[Kleinhirn]

Hi,

i only need FTP (unencrypted) - because i use it on my own network.
But i can not use the drive backup - the backup-server is not connected to my pc with a driveletter.

Thanks

[Pilgrim]

+1 for standard ftp support please.

[Smasher]

Just waiting for ftps.. Then I'll make a decent donation ;)

SFTP is taking way too many resources

[archistico]

+1 for ftp support! Thank you for your job.

ps. Do you want a help for translation?

[Starwer]

+1 for FTPS support (FTP with SSL/TLS Explicit);
+1 for FTP;

I guess the reason for people asking for it is because we can hardly find a real free server for SFTP on Windows. In the other end, there is a real free solution for FTPS, open source, that exists and is supported for more than a decade (Yet I don't know whether I can name it on this forum).

Reason for FTP (plain), is that service-providers (typically web-host) do not always support anything else than FTP. Using FreeFileSync to sync my web-site would be sweet ! :)

[Zenju]

I understand, so you need all possible FTP features there are... ;)

[Starwer]

No, saddly, I don't need SFTP at all ;)

[Kleinhirn]

Hello,

know you already, when the version with normal FTP will be ready?

Thanks

[kurtmckee]

I'm currently evaluating FTP design alternatives: What are your requirements?

plain FTP (unencrypted)? FTPS (explicit or implicit)? Passive mode? Server text encodings?

At my company we're using FreeFileSync to synchronize files from a central server's Windows share to a number of clients. However, I've discovered some additional opportunities to standardize on FreeFileSync but some of the servers only support FTP and FTPS.

Of note, these are one-way jobs, and the jobs will succeed with only filename/size comparisons. In our use case, timestamp comparisons are not necessary (though in our use case the FTP server will actually report correct timestamps).

1. One server is Windows-based and only offers an encrypted FTP connection. The server supports the following:

- Passive mode
- UTF-8 encoding
- No compression
- No implicit TLS/SSL
- Explicit TLS
- Explicit SSL

From the FTP server capabilities output:

LANG EN*
UTF8
AUTH TLS;TLS-C;SSL;TLS-P;
PBSZ
PROT C;P;
CCC
HOST
SIZE
MDTM
REST STREAM


2. Another server is embedded in the firmware of a dedicated hardware platform. Its FTP server supports:

- Passive mode
- UTF-8 encoding
- No compression
- No encryption

From the FTP server capabilities output:

EPRT
EPSV
MDTM
PASV
REST STREAM
SIZE
TVFS
UTF8


Thank you so much for considering adding FTP support! I would be very happy to beta-test for you. =)

[kurtmckee]

I've tried using a mounted FTP folder by means of curlftpfs but have found that it doesn't work due to FreeFileSync being unable to create lock files in the mounted folder.

You can disable the lock files by modifying C:\Program Files\FreeFileSync\GlobalSettings.xml. Look for this line:

<LockDirectoriesDuringSync Enabled="true"/>


Replace "true" with "false" and that should turn off the lock files.

[Zenju]

There's actual documentation available: https://freefilesync.org/manual.php?topic=expert-settings

Thanks a lot for the detailed FTP server info! I'd had hoped to see the "MLSD" command, but this would have made things "too easy". :)

[mikfce]

hello!

are there any news on the ftp functionality? is there perhaps a beta version or something with this function?

thx for the help!