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:''See [[file transfer protocol (disambiguation)]] and [[FTP]] for alternative meanings.''
{{Infobox_Country
{{IPstack}}
|native_name = ''Repubblica Italiana''
<!-- Edit the stack image at: Template:IPstack -->
|conventional_long_name = Italian Republic
'''FTP''' or '''file transfer protocol''' is a commonly used protocol for exchanging files over any network that supports the [[TCP/IP]] protocol (such as the [[Internet]] or an [[intranet]]). There are two [[computers]] involved in an FTP transfer: a [[server (computing)|server]] and a [[client (computing)|client]]. The '''FTP server''', running FTP server software, listens on the network for connection requests from other computers. The client computer, running FTP client software, initiates a connection to the server. Once connected, the client can do a number of file manipulation operations such as uploading files to the server, download files from the server, rename or delete files on the server and so on. Any [[software]] company or individual programmer is able to create FTP server or client software because the protocol is an open standard. Virtually every computer platform supports the FTP protocol. This allows any computer connected to a TCP/IP based network to manipulate files on another computer on that network regardless of which [[operating systems]] are involved (if the computers permit FTP access). There are many existing FTP client and server programs, and many of these are free.
|common_name = Italy
|image_flag = Flag of Italy.svg
|image_coat = Italian coa.png
|symbol_type=Coat of arms
|image_map = LocationItaly.png
|national_motto = ''none''
|national_anthem = ''[[Il Canto degli Italiani]]''
|official_languages = [[Italian language|Italian]]
|capital = [[Rome]]
|latd=41 |latm=54 |latNS=N |longd=12 |longm=29 |longEW=E
|largest_city = [[Rome]]
|government_type =[[Republic]]
|leader_title1 = [[List of Presidents of the Italian Republic|President]]
|leader_title2 = [[List of Prime Ministers of Italy|Prime Minister]]
|leader_name1 =[[Giorgio Napolitano]]
|leader_name2 = [[Romano Prodi]]
|accessionEUdate = [[March 25]], [[1957]]; Founding Member
|area_rank = 71st
|area_magnitude = 1 E11
|area=301,318
|areami²= 116,346.5 <!-- Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]] -->
|percent_water = 2.4
|population_estimate = 58,751,711 <!--http://http://www.istat.it/salastampa/comunicati/in_calendario/bildem/20060710_02/-->
|population_estimate_rank = 22nd
|population_estimate_year = 2006
|population_census = 57,110,144
|population_census_year = October 2001
|population_density =192.8
|population_densitymi² = 499.4<!-- Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]] -->
|population_density_rank = 54th
|GDP_PPP = $1.668 trillion
|GDP_PPP_rank =8th
|GDP_PPP_year= 2005
|GDP_PPP_per_capita =$28,760
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 21st
|sovereignty_type = Formation
|established_event1 = [[Italian Unification|Unification]]
|established_event2 = [[Birth of the Italian Republic|Republic]]
|established_date1 = [[17 March]] [[1861]]
|established_date2 = [[2 June]] [[1946]]
|HDI = 0.934
|HDI_rank = 18th
|HDI_year =2003
|HDI_category = <span style="color:#090">high</span>
|currency = [[Euro]] (€)<sup>2</sup>
|currency_code = EUR
|country_code =
|time_zone = [[Central European Time|CET]]
|utc_offset = +1
|time_zone_DST = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
|utc_offset_DST = +2
|cctld = [[.it]]
|calling_code = 39
|footnotes =<sup>1</sup> [[French language|French]] is co-official in the [[Aosta Valley]]; [[German language|German]] and [[Ladin language|Ladin]] are co-official in [[Trentino-South Tyrol]]; [[German language|German]], [[Slovenian language|Slovenian]] and [[Friulian language|Friulian]] are co-official in [[Friuli-Venezia Giulia]].<br>
<sup>2</sup> Prior to 2002: [[Italian lira|Italian Lira]].
}}


==Overview==
'''Italy''', officially the '''Italian Republic''' ([[Italian language|Italian]]: ''Italia'', [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]: {{IPA|[i'ta:lja]}} or ''Repubblica Italiana'', [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]: {{IPA|[re'pub:lika ita'lja:na]}}), is a [[Southern European]] country. It comprises the [[Italian Peninsula]], the [[Po River]] valley, and two large islands in the [[Mediterranean Sea]], [[Sicily]] and [[Sardinia]], and shares its northern [[alps|alpine]] boundary with [[France]], [[Switzerland]], [[Austria]], and [[Slovenia]]. The country also shares a sea border with [[Croatia]] and France. The independent countries of [[San Marino]] and the [[Vatican City]] are [[enclave]]s within Italian territory. It is shaped like a boot, and for this reason it is commonly called ''lo stivale'' (Italian for ''the boot'').


FTP is commonly run on two [[TCP and UDP port|ports]], 20 and 21, and runs exclusively over [[Transmission control protocol|TCP]]. The FTP server listens on port 21 for incoming connection from FTP clients. A connection on this port forms the control stream, on which commands are passed to the FTP server. For the actual file transfer to take place, a different connection is required. Depending on the transfer mode, the client (active mode) or the server (passive mode) can listen for the incoming data connection. Before file transfer begins, the client and server also negotiate the port of the data connection. In case of active connections (where the server connects to the client to transfer data), the server binds on port 20 before connecting to the client. For passive connections, there is no such restriction.
Italy was home to many well-known and influential [[European civilization]]s, including the [[Etruscans]], [[Greeks]] and the [[ancient Rome|Romans]]. For more than 3,000 years Italy experienced [[Migration Period|migrations]] and [[invasion]]s from [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]], [[Celt|Celtic]], [[Frankish]], [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine Greek]], [[Saracen]], [[Normans|Norman]], and the French [[Angevin]], and [[Lombards|Lombard]] peoples, and was divided into many independent states until 1861 when Italy became a [[nation-state]].


While data is being transferred via the [[data stream]], the control stream sits idle. This can cause problems with large data transfers through [[firewall (networking)|firewalls]] which time out sessions after lengthy periods of idleness. While the file may well be successfully transferred, the control session can be disconnected by the firewall, causing an error to be generated.
Italy is called "il Belpaese" (Italian for beautiful country) by its inhabitants, due to the beauty and variety of its landscapes and for having the world's largest artistic patrimony; the country is home to the greatest number of [[UNESCO]] [[List of World Heritage Sites in Europe#Italy|World Heritage Sites]] (41 as of [[July 13]] [[2006]]).


==Objectives of FTP==
Today, Italy is a highly [[developed country]] with the [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|7th]] highest [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] in 2006, a member of the [[G8]] and a founding member of what is now the [[European Union]], having signed the [[Treaty of Rome]] in 1957.
The objectives of FTP, as outlined by its [[Request for Comments|RFC]], are:


# To promote sharing of files (computer programs and/or data).
Inhabitants of Italy are referred to as ''[[Italian people|Italians]]'' ([[Italian language|Italian]]: ''Italiani'' or poetically ''Italici'').
# To encourage indirect or implicit use of [[remote computer]]s.
# To shield a user from variations in file storage systems among different [[Server (computing)|host]]s.
# To transfer [[data]] reliably and efficiently.


==Criticisms of FTP==
==History==
{{expandsection}}
{{main|History of Italy}}


# [[Password]]s and file contents are sent in [[cleartext|clear text]], which can be intercepted by [[eavesdropping|eavesdroppers]]. There are protocol enhancements that circumvent this.
According to [[Dionysius of Halicarnassus]], the word Italy derives either from the name of the king [[Italos]]([[Italus]]) descendant of [[Oenotrus]], or from the [[Homeric Greek|Homer]]ic ([[Aeolic Greek|Aeolic]]) word ιταλός [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/lexica.html], which means "[[Cattle|bull]]". Excavations throughout Italy have found proof of life in Italy dating back to the [[Paleolithic]] period (the "Old Stone Age") some 200,000 years ago. The first Greek settlers, who arrived in Italy from [[Euboea]] island the [[8th century BC]], possibly named their new land "land of bulls".
# Multiple TCP/IP connections are used, one for the control connection, and one for each download, upload, or directory listing. Firewall software needs additional logic to account for these connections.
# It is hard to filter active mode FTP traffic on the client side by using a [[Firewall (networking)|firewall]], since the client must open an arbitrary [[TCP and UDP port|port]] in order to receive the connection. This problem is largely resolved by using passive mode FTP.
# It is possible to abuse the protocol's built-in proxy features to tell a [[Server (computing)|server]] to send data to an arbitrary port of a third computer; see [[FXP]].
# FTP is an extremely high latency protocol due to the number of commands needed to initiate a transfer.
# No integrity check on the receiver side. If transfer is interrupted the receiver has no way to know if the received file is complete or not. It is necessary to manage this externally for example with [[MD5]] sums or [[Cyclic redundancy check|cyclic redundancy checking]].


==Security problems==
Italy has influenced the cultural and social development of the whole [[Mediterranean sea|Mediterranean]] area, deeply influencing [[Culture of Europe|European culture]] as well. As a result, it has also influenced other important [[culture]]s. Such cultures and [[civilization]]s have existed there since [[Prehistoric Europe|prehistoric times]]. After [[Magna Graecia]], the [[Etruscan civilization]] and especially the [[Roman Republic]] and [[Roman Empire|Empire]] that dominated this part of the world for many centuries, Italy was central to [[History of science#European Renaissance from the 12th century|European science]] and [[European art history#The Renaissance|art]] during the [[Renaissance]].
The original FTP specification is an inherently insecure method of transferring files because there is no method specified for transferring data in an encrypted fashion. This means that under most network configurations, user names, passwords, FTP commands and transferred files can be "sniffed" or viewed by anyone on the same network using a [[packet sniffer]]. This is a problem common to many Internet protocol specifications written prior to the creation of [[Secure Sockets Layer|SSL]] such as [[HTTP]], [[SMTP]] and [[Telnet]]. The common solution to this problem is to use either [[SSH file transfer protocol|SFTP]] (SSH File Transfer Protocol), or [[FTPS]] (FTP over [[Secure Sockets Layer|SSL]]), which adds SSL or [[Transport Layer Security|TLS]] [[encryption]] to FTP as specificed in RFC 4217.


==FTP return codes==
Modern Italy became [[nation-state]] belatedly — on [[March 17]] [[1861]], when most of the states of the peninsula were united under king [[Victor Emmanuel II]] of the [[House of Savoy|Savoy dynasty]], which ruled over [[Sardinia]] and [[Piedmont]]. The architects of [[Italian unification]] were [[Count Camillo Benso di Cavour]], the Chief Minister of Victor Emmanuel, and [[Giuseppe Garibaldi]], a general and [[national hero]]. [[Rome]] itself remained for a little less than a decade under the [[Papacy]], and became part of the [[Kingdom of Italy]] only on [[September 20]] [[1870]]. The [[Vatican City|Vatican]] is now an independent [[enclave]] surrounded by [[Rome]]. Italy is currently a republic. The [[Birth of the Italian Republic|Italian Republic]] was created by popular [[Referendum in Italy|referendum]] in 1946 after [[World War II]] and the fall of [[Benito Mussolini|Mussolini]]'s [[fascist]] regime.
''See also: [[List of all FTP server return codes]].''


FTP server return codes indicate their status by the digits within them. A brief explanation of various digits' meanings are given below:
==Politics==
<!--Please add new information into relevant articles of the series-->
{{morepolitics|country=Italy}}
[[Image:Giorgio_Napolitano_(EP,_5th_term).jpg|thumb|left|[[Giorgio Napolitano]], [[President of the Italian Republic]] elected on May 10, 2006.]]


*1yz: Positive Preliminary reply. The action requested is being initiated but there will be another reply before it begins.
The 1948 [[Constitution of Italy]] established a [[bicameral]] [[parliament]] (''[[Italian Parliament|Parlamento]]''), consisting of a [[Italian Chamber of Deputies|Chamber of Deputies]] (''Camera dei Deputati'') and a [[Italian Senate|Senate]] (''Senato della Repubblica''), a separate [[judiciary]], and an [[executive branch]] composed of a Council of Ministers ([[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]]) (''Consiglio dei ministri''), headed by the [[Prime Minister of Italy|prime minister]] (''Presidente del consiglio dei ministri'').
*2yz: Positive Completion reply. The action requested has been completed. The client may now issue a new command.
*3yz: Positive Intermediate reply. The command was successful, but a further command is required before the server can act upon the request.
*4yz: Transient Negative Completion reply. The command was not successful, but the client is free to try the command again as the failure is only temporary.
*5yz: Permanent Negative Completion reply. The command was not successful and the client should not attempt to repeat it again.
*x0z: The failure was due to a [[syntax]] error.
*x1z: This response is a reply to a request for information.
*x2z: This response is a reply relating to connection information.
*x3z: This response is a reply relating to accounting and authorisation.
*x4z: Unspecified.
*x5z: This response is a reply relating to the file system.


==Anonymous FTP==
The [[List of Presidents of the Italian Republic|President of the Republic]] (''Presidente della Repubblica'') is elected for seven years by the parliament sitting jointly with a small number of regional delegates. The president nominates the prime minister, who proposes the other ministers (formally named by the president). The Council of Ministers must retain the support (''fiducia'') of both houses.
Many sites that run [[FTP server]]s enable so-called "[[anonymous]] ftp". Under this arrangement, users do not need an [[account (computing)|account]] on the server. The user name for anonymous access is typically 'anonymous' or 'ftp'. This account does not need a password. Although users are commonly asked to send their [[email]] addresses as their passwords for authentication, usually there is trivial or no verification, depending on the FTP server and its configuration. [[Internet Gopher]] has been suggested as an alternative to anonymous FTP, as well as [[Trivial File Transfer Protocol]].


==Data format==
The houses of [[parliament]] are popularly and directly elected through a proportional representation system.
The Chamber of Deputies has 630 members, the Senate 315 elected senators; in addition, the Senate includes former presidents and other persons (no more than five) appointed senators for life by the President of the Republic according to special constitutional provisions. As of 15 May 2006, there are seven [[senator for life|life senators]] (of which three are former Presidents). Both houses are elected for a maximum of five years, but both may be dissolved before the expiration of their normal term.
[[Legislative]] bills may originate in either house and must be passed by a majority in both. The Italian judicial system is based on [[Roman law]] modified by the [[Napoleonic code]] and later [[statute]]s. A constitutional court, the ''Corte Costituzionale'', passes on the constitutionality of laws, and is a post-[[World War II]] innovation.


While transferring data over the network, two modes can be used
All Italian citizens older than 18 can vote. However, to vote for the senate, the voter must be at least 25 or older.


# [[ASCII]] mode
''See also:'' [[Foreign relations of Italy]], [[List of Foreign Ministers of Italy]], [[List of Prime Ministers of Italy]]
# [[Binary]] mode


The two types differ in the way they send the data. When a file is sent using an ASCII-type transfer, the individual letters, numbers, and characters are sent using their ASCII character codes. The receiving machine saves these in a text file in the appropriate format (for example, a Unix machine saves it in a Unix format, a Macintosh saves it in a Mac format). Hence if an ASCII transfer is used it can be assumed [[plain text]] is sent, which is stored by the receiving computer in its own format. Translating between text formats entails substituting the end of line and end of file characters used on the source platform with those on the destination platform, e.g. a Windows machine receiving a file from a Unix machine will replace the [[carriage return]]s with carriage return-[[line feed]] pairs. ASCII transfer is also marginally faster, as the highest-order bit is dropped from each byte in the file.[http://courses.wccnet.edu/computer/mod/na36c.htm]
==Regions==
{{main|Regions of Italy}}
[[Image:Italy.geohive.gif|thumb|300px|right|[[Subnational|Administrative division]]s.]]


Sending a file in binary mode is different. The sending machine sends each file [[bit]] for bit and as such the recipient stores the bitstream as it receives it. Any form of data that is not plain text will be corrupted if this mode is not used.
Italy is subdivided into 20 regions (''regioni'', singular ''regione''). Five of these regions enjoy a [[Autonomous regions with special statute (Italy)|special autonomous status]] that enables them to enact legislation on some of their specific local matters, and are marked by an *:
*[[Abruzzo]] (with capital [[L'Aquila]])
*[[Aosta Valley]]*, ''Valle d'Aosta / Vallée d'Aoste'' ([[Aosta]], ''Aoste'')
*[[Apulia]], ''Puglia'' ([[Bari]])
*[[Basilicata]] ([[Potenza]])
*[[Calabria]] ([[Catanzaro]])
*[[Campania]] ([[Naples]], ''Napoli'')
*[[Emilia-Romagna]] ([[Bologna]])
*[[Friuli-Venezia Giulia]]* ([[Trieste]])
*[[Latium]], ''Lazio'' ([[Rome]], ''Roma'')
*[[Liguria]] ([[Genoa]], ''Genova'')
*[[Lombardy]], ''Lombardia'' ([[Milan]], ''Milano'')
*[[Marche]]s, ''Marche'' ([[Ancona]])
*[[Molise]] ([[Campobasso]])
*[[Piedmont]], ''Piemonte'' ([[Turin]], ''Torino'')
*[[Sardinia]]*, ''Sardegna'' ([[Cagliari]])
*[[Sicily]]*, ''Sicilia'' ([[Palermo]])
*[[Trentino-South Tyrol]]*, ''Trentino-Alto Adige / Trentino-Südtirol'' ([[Trento]], ''Trient'', [[Bolzano-Bozen]])
*[[Tuscany]], ''Toscana'' ([[Florence]], ''Firenze'')
*[[Umbria]] ([[Perugia]])
*[[Veneto]] ([[Venice]], ''Venezia'')


By default, most FTP clients use ASCII mode. Some clients try to determine the required transfer-mode by inspecting the file's name or contents.
All regions except the Aosta Valley are further subdivided into two or more [[Provinces of Italy|provinces]].


==FTP and web browsers==
== Geography ==
{{main|Geography of Italy}}


Most recent [[web browser]]s and [[file manager]]s can connect to FTP servers, although they may lack the support for protocol extensions such as [[FTPS]]. This allows manipulation of remote files over FTP through an interface similar to that used for local files. This is done via an FTP [[URL]], which takes the form ftp(s)<tt>://</tt><''ftpserveraddress''>&nbsp;&nbsp;(e.g., [ftp://ftp.gimp.org/]). A password can optionally be given in the URL, e.g.: &nbsp;&nbsp;ftp(s)<tt>://</tt><''login''><tt>:</tt><''password''><tt>@</tt><''ftpserveraddress''>:<''port''>. Most web-browsers require the use of passive mode FTP, which not all FTP servers are capable of handling. Some browsers allow only the downloading of files, but offer no way to upload files to the server.
Italy consists predominantly of a large [[peninsula]] (the [[Italian Peninsula]]) with a distinctive boot shape that extends into the [[Mediterranean Sea]], where together with its two main islands [[Sicily]] and [[Sardinia]] it creates distinct bodies of water, such as the [[Adriatic Sea]] to the north-east, the [[Ionian Sea]] to the south-east, the [[Tyrrhenian Sea]] to the south-west and finally the [[Ligurian Sea]] to the north-west.


==FTP over SSH==
The [[Apennine mountains]] form the backbone of this peninsula, leading north-west to where they join the [[Alps]], the mountain range that then forms an arc enclosing Italy from the north.
Here is also found a large alluvial plain, the Po-Venetian plain, drained by the [[Po River]] — which is Italy's biggest river with 652 km — and its many tributaries flowing down from the [[Alps]] ([[Dora Baltea]], 160 km, [[Sesia]], 138 km, [[Ticino River|Ticino]], 248 km, [[Adda River|Adda]], 313 km, [[Oglio]], 280 km, [[Mincio]]), 194 km, and [[Apennine]]s ([[Tanaro]], 276 km, [[Trebbia]], 115 km, [[Taro River|Taro]], 115 km, [[Secchia]], 172 km, [[Panaro]], 148 km).


''FTP over SSH'' refers to the practice of tunneling a normal FTP session over an [[SSH]] connection.
Other well-known or importants rivers include the [[Tiber]] (405 km), [[Adige]] (410 km), [[Arno River|Arno]] (241 km), [[Piave]] (220 km), [[Reno River|Reno]] (212 km), [[Volturno]] (175 km), [[Tagliamento]] (170 km), [[Liri-Garigliano]] (158 km), [[Isonzo]] (136 km).


Because FTP (unusual for a TCP/IP protocol that is still in use) uses multiple [[Transmission Control Protocol|TCP]] connections, it is particularly difficult to tunnel over SSH. With many SSH clients, attempting to set up a tunnel for the ''control channel'' (the initial client-to-server connection on port 21) will only protect that channel; when data is transferred, the FTP software at either end will set up new TCP connections (''data channels'') which will bypass the SSH connection, and thus have no [[confidentiality]], [[integrity protection]], etc.
Its highest point is [[Mont Blanc]] (''Monte Bianco'') at 4,810&nbsp;[[metre]]s <!--spelled out per WP:MOSNUM -->(15,781 [[foot (unit of length)|feet]]){{rf|3|montblanc}}. Italy is more typically associated with two famous [[volcano]]es: the currently dormant [[Vesuvius]] near [[Naples]] and the very active [[Etna]] on [[Sicily]].


If the FTP client is configured to use ''passive mode'' and to connect to a [[SOCKS]] server interface that many SSH clients can present for tunnelling, it is possible to run all the FTP channels over the SSH connection.
[[Sicily]] and [[Sardinia]] are the two major [[island]]s of Italy ([[List of islands of Italy|comprehensive list]]).


Otherwise, it is necessary for the SSH client software to have specific knowledge of the FTP protocol, and monitor and rewrite FTP control channel messages and autonomously open new forwardings for FTP data channels. Version 3 of the SSH Communications Security Corp. software is an example of software supporting this. [http://www.ssh.com/support/documentation/online/ssh/adminguide/32/Port_Forwarding.html#indexdef-211]
== Climate ==
{{unreferenced}}
The climate of the coastal areas is very different from that of the interior, particularly during the winter months. The higher areas are cold, wet, and often snowy. The coastal regions, where most of the large towns are located, have a typical [[Mediterranean]] climate with mild winters and hot and generally dry summers. The length and intensity of the summer dry season increases southwards (compare the tables for [[Rome]], [[Naples]], and [[Brindisi]]).


FTP over SSH is sometimes referred to as '''secure FTP'''; this should not be confused with other methods of securing FTP, such as with SSL/TLS ([[FTPS]]). Other methods of transferring files using SSH which are not related to FTP include [[SSH file transfer protocol|SFTP]] or [[Secure copy|SCP]]; in both of these, the entire conversation (credentials and data) is always protected by the SSH protocol.
There is no great difference in the temperatures at sea level from north to south. The east coast of the [[peninsula]] is not as wet as the west coast. The east coast north of [[Pescara]] is occasionally affected by the cold bora winds in winter and spring, but the wind is less strong here than around [[Trieste]].


==References==
The whole of peninsular Italy and the large islands of [[Sicily]] and [[Sardinia]] have very changeable weather in autumn, winter, and spring in marked contrast to the settled sunny weather of summer. Disturbed weather can continue into late May and may commence any time after early September. Throughout the winter, however, cloudy rainy days alternate with spells of mild, sunny weather.


The protocol is [[Standardization|standardized]] in [[Request for Comments|RFC]] 0959 by the [[IETF]] as:
The least number of rainy days and the highest number of hours of sunshine occur in the extreme south of the mainland and in [[Sicily]] and [[Sardinia]]. Here sunshine averages from four to five hours a day in winter and up to ten or eleven hours in summer.


* RFC 0959 File Transfer Protocol (FTP). J. Postel, J. Reynolds. Oct-1985. This obsoleted the preceding RFC 765 and earlier FTP RFCs back to the original RFC 114.
Generally, the hottest month is July (where temperatures can reach 32°C/34°C); the coldest month is January; the wettest month is November, with an average rainfall of 129mm; while the driest month is July, with an average rainfall of 15mm.
* See also RFC 1579 Firewall-Friendly FTP.


== Demographics ==
==See also==
{{main|Demographics of Italy}}


* [[Archie search engine]]
Italy is largely homogeneous in language and religion but is diverse culturally, economically, and politically. The country has the fifth-highest population density in Europe at 193 persons per square kilometre<!--spelled out per WP:MOSNUM --> (499/[[square mile|sq.&nbsp;mi]]). For a country of 58.7 million people, Italy has a smaller number of immigrants than France and Germany.
* [[FTP client]]
* [[List of all FTP server return codes]]
* [[Ident]]
* [[TCP Wrapper]]


===FTP-like protocols===
Since the beginning of Roman civilization, important ethnic groups like [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] settlers, [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] and [[Celt|Celtic]] invaders and plunderers, and [[Normans|Norman]] French colonisers have all left important impressions on the people today.
* [[FTPFS]]
* [[FTPS]], FTP run over SSL
* [[Simple File Transfer Protocol]] (SFTP), the historic protocol RFC 913
* [[SSH file transfer protocol]] (SFTP), a protocol running over [[secure shell|SSH]]
* [[Trivial File Transfer Protocol]] (TFTP)


===Software===
The number of immigrants or foreign residents in Italy has steadily increased to reach 2,402,157, according to the latest figures (1/2005) of [[ISTAT]]. They currently make up a little more than 4% of the official total population. The majority of immigrants in Italy come from other surrounding European nations, and they number 1,122,276, and chiefly come from [[Albania]], [[Romania]], the [[Ukraine]], and [[Poland]]. French nationals living in Italy, according to ISTAT figures, are more commonly women than men. The next largest group consists of North African [[Arab]] groups, and they number some 447,310 chiefly from [[Morocco]], and [[Tunisia]]. Smaller groups consists of Asians, South Americans, and sub-saharan Africans.
Top 5 largest foreign minorities are [[Albanians|Albanian]] (316,659), [[Moroccan]] (294,945), [[Romanian people|Romanian]] (248,849{{rf|1|Romanian}}), [[Overseas Chinese|Chinese]] (111,712), and [[Ukrainians|Ukrainian]] (93,441).


* [[Comparison of FTP clients]]
'''Italian City Provinces, Urban Areas and Metropolitan Areas'''
* [[List of FTP servers]]

*[[Milan]] (Milano, Lombardia): 3,869,037 - 4.240.000 - 7.500.000
*[[Rome]] (Roma, Lazio}: 3,831,959 - 3,831,959 - 3,831,959.
*[[Naples]] (Napoli, Campania): 3,086,622 - 3.800.000 - 5.000.000
*[[Turin]] (Torino, Piemonte): 2,242,775 - 2,242,775 - 2,242,775

== Religion ==
{{expandsection}}
[[Roman Catholicism]] is by far the most popular religion in the country. Although the [[Catholic]] church has been separated from the state, it still plays a role in the nation's political affairs partly due to [[Holy See]]'s location in Rome. Some 90%[http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/it.html#People] of Italians are [[Roman Catholic]] of which one-third are active members. Other Christian groups in Italy include Jehovah's Witnesses 400,000[http://www.jw-media.org/region/europe/italy/english/releases/religious_freedom/ita_e000321.htm] and the [[Waldensians]] (35,000).

In the past two decades, Italy has been receiving many waves of immigrants from all over the world especially eastern Europe and North Africa. As a result, some 825,000[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4385768.stm#italy] Muslims (1.4%) live in Italy, although other estimates indicate that there are up to one million Muslims [http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1110/p07s01-woeu.html] as well as, 75,000 Hindus [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51560.htm], 60,000 [[Buddhists]], and a historical community of 30,000 [[Jewish]] members.


*[[Islam in Italy]]

== Economy ==
{{main|Economy of Italy}}

According to GDP calculations, as measured by purchasing power parity (PPP), Italy is ranked as the seventh largest economy in the world in 2006, behind the [[United States]], [[Japan]], [[Germany]], [[China]], [[United Kingdom|UK]], and [[France]], and the fourth largest in Europe. According to the OECD, in 2004 Italy was the world's sixth-largest exporter of manufactured goods. This [[capitalism|capitalistic]] economy remains divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less developed [[agriculture|agricultural]] south.
Most raw materials needed by industry and more than 75% of energy requirements are imported. Over the past decade, Italy has pursued a tight fiscal policy in order to meet the requirements of the [[Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union|Economic and Monetary Union]] and has benefited from lower interest and inflation rates. Italy joined the [[Euro]] from its conception in 1999.

Italy's economic performance has at times lagged behind that of its [[EU]] partners, and the current government has enacted numerous short-term reforms aimed at improving competitiveness and long-term growth. It has moved slowly, however, on implementing certain structural reforms favoured by economists, such as lightening the high tax burden and overhauling Italy's rigid labour market and expensive [[pension]] system, because of the current economic slowdown and opposition from [[labor union|labour unions]].
*[[List of Italian companies]]

== Culture ==
[[Image:Mona_Lisa.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Mona Lisa]]'' by [[Leonardo da Vinci]]]]
{{see also|Culture of Italy}}

Italy, as a country, did not exist until the unification of its [[city states]], the [[Risorgimento]], came to a conclusion around the year [[1861]]. Due to this comparatively late unification, and the historical autonomy of the many regions that comprise the [[Italian Peninsula]], many traditions and customs that we now recognize as distinctly Italian can be identified by their regions of origin, which further reflect the influence of the many different peoples that occupied those areas, and of the importance of religion, especially [[Roman Catholicism]]. Despite the pronounced political and social isolation of these regions that prevailed throughout Italy's history, Italy's contributions to the cultural and historical heritage of [[Europe]] remain immense.

Italy has been a seminal place for many artistic and intellectual movements that spread throughout Europe and beyond, including the [[Renaissance]] and [[Baroque]]. Perhaps Italy's greatest cultural achievements lie in its long artistic heritage, of which is often validated through the names of [[Michelangelo]], [[da Vinci]], [[Donatello]], [[Botticelli]], [[Fra Angelico]], [[Tintoretto]], [[Caravaggio]], [[Bernini]], [[Titian]] and [[Raphael]], among many others. Beyond art, Italy's contributions to the realms of literature, science and music cannot be overlooked.

With the basis of the modern [[Italian language]] established through the eminent [[Florentine]] poet, [[Dante Alighieri]], whose greatest work, the [[Divina Commedia]] is often considered the foremost literary statement produced in Europe during the [[Middle Ages]], we find no shortage of celebrated literary figures; [[Giovanni Boccaccio|Boccaccio]], [[Baldassare Castiglione|Castiglione]] and [[Pirandello]], and the poets [[Tasso]], [[Ariosto]], [[Leopardi]], and [[Petrarch]], whose best known vehicle of expression, the [[sonnet]], was invented in Italy. Prominent philosophers include [[Giordano Bruno|Bruno]], [[Ficino]], [[Machiavelli]], [[Giambattista Vico|Vico]], [[Giovanni Gentile|Gentile]], and [[Umberto Eco|Eco]].

In science, we find [[Galileo Galilei]], whose advancements toward the [[scientific revolution]] are considerable, and [[Leonardo da Vinci]], the quintessential [[Polymath|Renaissance Man]]. Other notable Italian scientists and inventors include [[Enrico Fermi|Fermi]], [[Giovanni Domenico Cassini|Cassini]], [[Alessandro Volta|Volta]], [[Joseph Louis Lagrange|Lagrange]], [[Fibonacci]], [[Guglielmo Marconi|Marconi]], and [[Meucci]].

From [[Italian folk music|folk music]] to [[European classical music|classical]], music has always played an important role in Italian culture. Having given birth to [[opera]], for example, Italy provides many of the very foundations of the classical music tradition. Some of the instruments that we often associate with classical music, including the [[piano]] and [[violin]], were invented in Italy, and many of the existing classical music forms can trace their roots back to innovations of 16th and 17th century Italian music (such as the [[symphony]], [[concerto]], and [[sonata]]). Some of Italy's most famous composers include the Renaissance composers [[Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina|Palestrina]] and [[Claudio Monteverdi|Monteverdi]], the Baroque composers [[Arcangelo Corelli|Corelli]] and [[Antonio Vivaldi|Vivaldi]], the Classical composers [[Niccolò Paganini|Paganini]] and [[Gioacchino Rossini|Rossini]], and the Romantic composers [[Giuseppe Verdi|Verdi]] and [[Giacomo Puccini|Puccini]]. Modern Italian composers such as [[Luciano Berio|Berio]] and [[Luigi Nono|Nono]] proved significant in the development of experimental and electronic music.

[[Football (soccer)|Football]] (''[[Football in Italy|calcio]]'') is a popular spectator and participation sport. The [[Italian national football team|Italian national team]] has won the [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] four times ([[1934]], [[1938]], [[1982]] and [[2006]]) and is the current titleholder, while major Italian clubs frequently compete at a high level of [[UEFA|European competitions]].

* [[Cuisine of Italy]]
* [[Music of Italy]]
* [[Cinema of Italy]]
* [[Art of Italy]]
* [[Italian Literature]]
* [[List of Italians]]

== Languages ==
{{main|Languages of Italy}}
The official language of Italy is [[Italian language|Standard Italian]], descendant of [[Tuscan]] dialect and a direct descendant of [[Latin]]. (Some 75% of Italian words are of Latin origin.) However, when Italy was unified, in 1861, Italian existed mainly as a [[literary language]], and was spoken by less than 3% of the population. Different languages were spoken throughout Italian peninsula, many of which were [[Romance language]]s which had developed in every region, due to political fragmentation of Italy{{rf|2|dialects}}.
Indeed, each historical region of Italy had its own so-called ‘dialetto’ (with ‘[[Italian dialects|dialect]]’ usually meaning, improperly, a non-Italian Romance language), with variants existing at the township-level.
[[Image:gondola.arp.750pix.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Venice]]]]

Massimo d'Azeglio, one of Cavour's ministers, is said to have stated, following Italian unification, that having created Italy, all that remained was to create Italians. Given the high number of languages spoken throughout the peninsula, it was quickly established that 'proper' or 'standard' Italian would be based on the [[Tuscan dialect|Florentine dialect]] spoken in most of [[Tuscany]] (given that it was the first region to produce authors such as [[Dante Alighieri]], who between 1308 and 1321 wrote the ''[[Divina Commedia]]''). A national education system was established - leading to a decrease in variation in the languages spoken throughout the country over time. But it was not until the 1960s, when economic growth enabled widespread access to the television programmes of the state television broadcaster, [[RAI]], that Italian truly became broadly-known and quite standardised.

Today, despite regional variations in the form of accents and vowel emphasis, Italian is fully comprehensible to most throughout the country. Nevertheless certain dialects have become cherished beacons of regional variation—the [[Neapolitan dialect]] which is extensively used for the singing of popular folk-songs, for instance—and in recent years many people have developed a particular pride in their dialects.

In addition to the various regional variations and dialects of standard Italian, a number of truly separate languages are spoken:
*In the north, the province of [[South Tyrol]] (''Südtirol'' in German, ''Alto Adige'' in Italian) is almost entirely [[German language|German]]-speaking; the area was awarded to Italy following the First World War and her defeat of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Pockets of German speakers also persist in other north-eastern Italian regions&mdash;a remnant of the old Austrian influence on this area of Italy. In total some 300,000 or so Italians speak German as their first language and indeed many identify themselves as ethnic Austrian Germans.
*Some 120,000 or so people live in the [[Aosta Valley]] region, where a dialect of [[Franco-Provençal language|Franco-Provençal]] is spoken that is similar to ''[[patois]]'' dialects spoken in [[France]]. About 1,400 people living in two isolated towns in [[Province of Foggia|Foggia]] speak another dialect of Franco-Provençal.
*About 80,000 [[Slovenian language|Slovene]]-speakers live in the north-eastern region of [[Friuli-Venezia Giulia]] near the border with Slovenia.
*In the [[Dolomites|Dolomite]] mountains of [[Trentino-South Tyrol]] and [[Veneto]] there are some 40,000 speakers of the [[Rhaetian languages|Rhaetian]] language [[Ladin]].
*A very large community of some 700,000 people in [[Friuli]] speak [[Friulian]]&mdash;another Rhaetian language.
*In the [[Molise]] region of central-south Italy some 4,000 people speak [[Serbo-Croatian]]. These are the [[Molise Croats]], descendants of a group of people who migrated from the Balkans in the Middle Ages.
*Scattered across [[southern Italy]] ([[Salento]] and [[Calabria]]) are a number of some 30,000 [[Greek language|Greek]]-speakers&mdash;considered to be the last surviving traces of the region's Greek heritage. (Ancient Greek colonists reached southern Italy and Sicily about 1500 BC.) They speak a Greek dialect, [[Griko]].
*Some 15,000 [[Catalan language|Catalan]] speakers reside around the area of [[Alghero]] in the north-west corner of [[Sardinia]]&mdash;believed to be the result of a migration of a large group of Catalans from [[Barcelona]] in ages past.
*The [[Arbëreshë]], of whom there are around 100,000 in southern Italy and in central [[Sicily]]—the result of past migrations—are speakers of the Arbëresh dialect of [[Albanian language|Albanian]].
*Finally, the largest group of non-Italian speakers, some 1.6 million people, are those who speak [[Sardinian language|Sardinian]], a Romance language which retains many pre-Latin words.

==Notes==
<div class="references-small">
{{ent|1|Romanian}} According to Mitrica, an October 2005 Romanian report estimates that 1,061,400 Romanians are living in Italy, constituting 37.2% of 2.8 million immigrants in that country [http://www.evz.ro/eveniment/?news_id=201813] but it is unclear how the estimate was made, and therefore whether it should be taken seriously or not.
{{ent|2|dialects}} See also (in Italian): ''L. Lepschy e G. Lepschy, La lingua italiana: storia, varietà d'uso, grammatica, Milano, Bompiani''
{{ent|3|montblanc}} Official French maps show the border detouring south of the main summit, and claim the highest point in Italy is Mont Blanc de Courmayeur (4,748 m), but these are inconsistent with an 1861 convention and topographic watershed analysis.
</div>

== References ==
<div class="references-small">
:''Other references can be found in the more detailed articles linked to in this article.''
*Mitrica, Mihai [http://www.evz.ro/article.php?artid=201813 Un milion de romani s-au mutat in Italia] ("One million Romanians have moved to Italy"). ''Evenimentul Zilei'', [[October 31]] [[2005]]. Visited [[April 11]] [[2006]].
</div>


==External links==
==External links==
* RFC 959 &mdash; File Transfer Protocol (FTP). J. Postel, J. Reynolds. Oct-1985., also [http://www.rfcsearch.org/rfcview/RFC/959.html RFC0959 in html format]
{{sisterlinks|Italy}}
* RFC 1579 &mdash; Firewall-Friendly FTP
{{portal}}
* RFC 2228 &mdash; FTP Security Extensions

*[http://pintday.org/whitepapers/ftp-review.shtml FTP Reviewed] &mdash; a review of the protocol notably from a security standpoint
===Official sites===
*[http://www.nsftools.com/tips/RawFTP.htm Raw FTP command list]
* [http://www.quirinale.it/ Presidenza della Repubblica] - Official site of the President of the Republic of Italy (in Italian)
*[http://www.eventhelix.com/RealtimeMantra/Networking/FTP.pdf FTP Sequence Diagram] (in [[Portable Document Format|PDF]] format)
* [http://www.parlamento.it/ Parlamento] - Official site of the Italian Parliament (Senate in Italian only)
* [http://english.camera.it/ The Chamber of Deputies] - First Parliament Branch (few languages)
* [http://www.senato.it The Senate of The Italian Republic] - Second Parliament Branch (in Italian)
* [http://www.italia.gov.it/ Italia.gov.it] - Main institutional portal (in Italian)
* [http://www.governo.it The Italian Government ] - The official Website of The President of the Council of Ministries
* [http://www.cortecostituzionale.it/ Corte Costituzionale ] - Italian High Court

* [http://www.esteri.gov.it/eng/ Ministero degli Affari Esteri] - Italian Foreign Office
* [http://www.interno.it Ministero dell'interno] - Ministry of Interior (in Italian)
* [http://www.istruzione.it Ministero dell'Istruzione, Università e Ricerca] - Ministry of Education, University and Research
* [http://www.study-in-italy.it/ Study in Italy] - International changes - Ministry of Education
* [http://www.ministerosalute.it Ministero della Salute] - Ministry of Health
* [http://www.difesa.it/ Ministero della Difesa] - Ministry of Defence
* [http://www.ministeroitalianinelmondo.it/ Ministero per gli Italiani nel Mondo] - Foreign-Italian Ministry
* [http://www.welfare.gov.it Ministero del lavoro] - Ministry of Welfare
* [http://www.attivitaproduttive.gov.it/ Ministero delle Attività Produttive] - Ministry of Industry
* [http://www.politicheagricole.gov.it/ Ministero dell'Agricoltura] - Ministry of Agriculture
* [http://www.giustizia.gov.it Ministero di Grazia e Giustizia] - Ministry of Justice
* [http://www.istat.it Istituto nazionale di statistica] - National Statistics Office (in Italian)

===Others===
* [http://eudocs.lib.byu.edu/index.php/History_of_Italy:_Primary_Documents History of Italy: Primary Documents]
* [http://www.britannica.com/nations/Italy Encyclopaedia Britannica's Italy country page]
* [http://www.trenitalia.it/en/index.html Italian Railways] <!--*[http://www.italia.it Italian Tourism portal (coming soon)]-->
* [http://www.enit.it/default.asp?an=uin&Lang=UK ENIT] - Italian State Tourism Board
* [http://www.parks.it/Eindex.html Italian Parks - National and regional parks and protected areas]
* [http://www.fastionline.org List and maps of archaeological sites in Italy]
*[http://www.map-of-italy.net Map of Italy]
*[http://vlib.iue.it/hist-italy/Index.html WWW-VL: History: Italy] at IUE
* {{wikitravel}}


===Tutorial/overview===
{{EU countries}}
*[http://www.ftpplanet.com/ftpresources/basics.htm New users guide] Useful introduction.
{{NATO}}
*[http://www.ncftp.com/libncftp/doc/ftp_overview.html An Overview of the File Transfer Protocol] &mdash; explains how the FTP works at the protocol level
{{Europe}}
*[http://slacksite.com/other/ftp.html Active vs. Passive FTP explained and illustrated]
{{Mediterranean}}
*[http://dmoz.org/Computers/Internet/Protocols/FTP/ Dmoz directory about FTP]
{{G8}}
*[http://www.ncftp.com/ncftpd/doc/misc/ftp_and_firewalls.html The FTP and Your Firewall] &mdash; details FTP's problems with firewalls and how to deal with them
*[http://www.bitkinex.com/ftpfiletransfer.php FTP File Transfers] Basics of the FTP communication.


[[Category:European Union member states]]
[[Category:Clear text protocols]]
[[Category:Italy| ]]
[[Category:Internet protocols]]
[[Category:Seafaring nations]]
[[Category:Internet standards]]
[[Category:Italian-speaking countries]]
[[Category:File transfer protocols]]
[[Category:German speaking countries]]
[[Category:FTP]]
[[Category:French speaking countries]]
[[Category:World Wide Web]]
[[Category:G8 nations]]
[[Category:Network-related software]]
[[Category:Servers]]
[[Category:Internet history]]


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Revision as of 14:04, 21 July 2006

See file transfer protocol (disambiguation) and FTP for alternative meanings.
Internet protocol suite
Application layer
Transport layer
Internet layer
Link layer

FTP or file transfer protocol is a commonly used protocol for exchanging files over any network that supports the TCP/IP protocol (such as the Internet or an intranet). There are two computers involved in an FTP transfer: a server and a client. The FTP server, running FTP server software, listens on the network for connection requests from other computers. The client computer, running FTP client software, initiates a connection to the server. Once connected, the client can do a number of file manipulation operations such as uploading files to the server, download files from the server, rename or delete files on the server and so on. Any software company or individual programmer is able to create FTP server or client software because the protocol is an open standard. Virtually every computer platform supports the FTP protocol. This allows any computer connected to a TCP/IP based network to manipulate files on another computer on that network regardless of which operating systems are involved (if the computers permit FTP access). There are many existing FTP client and server programs, and many of these are free.

Overview

FTP is commonly run on two ports, 20 and 21, and runs exclusively over TCP. The FTP server listens on port 21 for incoming connection from FTP clients. A connection on this port forms the control stream, on which commands are passed to the FTP server. For the actual file transfer to take place, a different connection is required. Depending on the transfer mode, the client (active mode) or the server (passive mode) can listen for the incoming data connection. Before file transfer begins, the client and server also negotiate the port of the data connection. In case of active connections (where the server connects to the client to transfer data), the server binds on port 20 before connecting to the client. For passive connections, there is no such restriction.

While data is being transferred via the data stream, the control stream sits idle. This can cause problems with large data transfers through firewalls which time out sessions after lengthy periods of idleness. While the file may well be successfully transferred, the control session can be disconnected by the firewall, causing an error to be generated.

Objectives of FTP

The objectives of FTP, as outlined by its RFC, are:

  1. To promote sharing of files (computer programs and/or data).
  2. To encourage indirect or implicit use of remote computers.
  3. To shield a user from variations in file storage systems among different hosts.
  4. To transfer data reliably and efficiently.

Criticisms of FTP

  1. Passwords and file contents are sent in clear text, which can be intercepted by eavesdroppers. There are protocol enhancements that circumvent this.
  2. Multiple TCP/IP connections are used, one for the control connection, and one for each download, upload, or directory listing. Firewall software needs additional logic to account for these connections.
  3. It is hard to filter active mode FTP traffic on the client side by using a firewall, since the client must open an arbitrary port in order to receive the connection. This problem is largely resolved by using passive mode FTP.
  4. It is possible to abuse the protocol's built-in proxy features to tell a server to send data to an arbitrary port of a third computer; see FXP.
  5. FTP is an extremely high latency protocol due to the number of commands needed to initiate a transfer.
  6. No integrity check on the receiver side. If transfer is interrupted the receiver has no way to know if the received file is complete or not. It is necessary to manage this externally for example with MD5 sums or cyclic redundancy checking.

Security problems

The original FTP specification is an inherently insecure method of transferring files because there is no method specified for transferring data in an encrypted fashion. This means that under most network configurations, user names, passwords, FTP commands and transferred files can be "sniffed" or viewed by anyone on the same network using a packet sniffer. This is a problem common to many Internet protocol specifications written prior to the creation of SSL such as HTTP, SMTP and Telnet. The common solution to this problem is to use either SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol), or FTPS (FTP over SSL), which adds SSL or TLS encryption to FTP as specificed in RFC 4217.

FTP return codes

See also: List of all FTP server return codes.

FTP server return codes indicate their status by the digits within them. A brief explanation of various digits' meanings are given below:

  • 1yz: Positive Preliminary reply. The action requested is being initiated but there will be another reply before it begins.
  • 2yz: Positive Completion reply. The action requested has been completed. The client may now issue a new command.
  • 3yz: Positive Intermediate reply. The command was successful, but a further command is required before the server can act upon the request.
  • 4yz: Transient Negative Completion reply. The command was not successful, but the client is free to try the command again as the failure is only temporary.
  • 5yz: Permanent Negative Completion reply. The command was not successful and the client should not attempt to repeat it again.
  • x0z: The failure was due to a syntax error.
  • x1z: This response is a reply to a request for information.
  • x2z: This response is a reply relating to connection information.
  • x3z: This response is a reply relating to accounting and authorisation.
  • x4z: Unspecified.
  • x5z: This response is a reply relating to the file system.

Anonymous FTP

Many sites that run FTP servers enable so-called "anonymous ftp". Under this arrangement, users do not need an account on the server. The user name for anonymous access is typically 'anonymous' or 'ftp'. This account does not need a password. Although users are commonly asked to send their email addresses as their passwords for authentication, usually there is trivial or no verification, depending on the FTP server and its configuration. Internet Gopher has been suggested as an alternative to anonymous FTP, as well as Trivial File Transfer Protocol.

Data format

While transferring data over the network, two modes can be used

  1. ASCII mode
  2. Binary mode

The two types differ in the way they send the data. When a file is sent using an ASCII-type transfer, the individual letters, numbers, and characters are sent using their ASCII character codes. The receiving machine saves these in a text file in the appropriate format (for example, a Unix machine saves it in a Unix format, a Macintosh saves it in a Mac format). Hence if an ASCII transfer is used it can be assumed plain text is sent, which is stored by the receiving computer in its own format. Translating between text formats entails substituting the end of line and end of file characters used on the source platform with those on the destination platform, e.g. a Windows machine receiving a file from a Unix machine will replace the carriage returns with carriage return-line feed pairs. ASCII transfer is also marginally faster, as the highest-order bit is dropped from each byte in the file.[1]

Sending a file in binary mode is different. The sending machine sends each file bit for bit and as such the recipient stores the bitstream as it receives it. Any form of data that is not plain text will be corrupted if this mode is not used.

By default, most FTP clients use ASCII mode. Some clients try to determine the required transfer-mode by inspecting the file's name or contents.

FTP and web browsers

Most recent web browsers and file managers can connect to FTP servers, although they may lack the support for protocol extensions such as FTPS. This allows manipulation of remote files over FTP through an interface similar to that used for local files. This is done via an FTP URL, which takes the form ftp(s)://<ftpserveraddress>  (e.g., [2]). A password can optionally be given in the URL, e.g.:   ftp(s)://<login>:<password>@<ftpserveraddress>:<port>. Most web-browsers require the use of passive mode FTP, which not all FTP servers are capable of handling. Some browsers allow only the downloading of files, but offer no way to upload files to the server.

FTP over SSH

FTP over SSH refers to the practice of tunneling a normal FTP session over an SSH connection.

Because FTP (unusual for a TCP/IP protocol that is still in use) uses multiple TCP connections, it is particularly difficult to tunnel over SSH. With many SSH clients, attempting to set up a tunnel for the control channel (the initial client-to-server connection on port 21) will only protect that channel; when data is transferred, the FTP software at either end will set up new TCP connections (data channels) which will bypass the SSH connection, and thus have no confidentiality, integrity protection, etc.

If the FTP client is configured to use passive mode and to connect to a SOCKS server interface that many SSH clients can present for tunnelling, it is possible to run all the FTP channels over the SSH connection.

Otherwise, it is necessary for the SSH client software to have specific knowledge of the FTP protocol, and monitor and rewrite FTP control channel messages and autonomously open new forwardings for FTP data channels. Version 3 of the SSH Communications Security Corp. software is an example of software supporting this. [3]

FTP over SSH is sometimes referred to as secure FTP; this should not be confused with other methods of securing FTP, such as with SSL/TLS (FTPS). Other methods of transferring files using SSH which are not related to FTP include SFTP or SCP; in both of these, the entire conversation (credentials and data) is always protected by the SSH protocol.

References

The protocol is standardized in RFC 0959 by the IETF as:

  • RFC 0959 File Transfer Protocol (FTP). J. Postel, J. Reynolds. Oct-1985. This obsoleted the preceding RFC 765 and earlier FTP RFCs back to the original RFC 114.
  • See also RFC 1579 Firewall-Friendly FTP.

See also

FTP-like protocols

Software

Tutorial/overview

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