OSU Computational Physics - Unix: ftp: Transferring Entire File Structures

11.C.5: Taring and Compressing File Structures 11: Multiple Machines 11.C.3: Using ftp to Transfer Multiple Files Contents

§ 11.C.4: ftp: Transferring Entire File Structures

Imagine that you are about to move to that great job you have been waiting for. So you just can't imagine taking it without taking all your Unix files with you. You need to transfer entire directories and subdirectories. While you might figure out some way to do this with enough wildcards, you really want to preserve the directory and subdirectory structure of the files being transferred. This requires some preparation.

The tape archive command tar creates a single file containing all directories and subdirectories you want to put in it. After you transfer the file, you simply issue the command again to rebuild your directory structure.

To save transfer time and disk (or diskette or tape) space, it's a good idea to compress your tar file before transfer, and then uncompress it afterwards. This is done with the compress and uncompress commands, or, preferably, with the gzip and gunzip commands.

Because these tar and compress are Unix commands, you have to get back to a Unix prompt (shell) to execute them, and then to your home directory to get the files to tar and compress.:


ftp> quit   
  
      
	
	  
	   
  



> cd ~  
  
      
	
	  
	   
  




  11.C.5: 
  
    Taring and Compressing File Structures
   
  
 
  11: 
  
  Multiple Machines
  


  11.C.3: 
  
    Using ftp to Transfer Multiple Files
   
  
 
   
  
  Contents