How do I get an FTP directory on sonic.net?

If you are dialed into sonic.net directly, you can use the Manage Directories tool located in our Member Tools page to make your WWW, and CGI directories.

Where is my FTP directory?

You are given the path and URL to your FTP directory when you first create it. For most users, your path will be:

/pub/users/loginname/

and your URL will be

ftp://ftp.sonic.net/pub/users/loginname/

loginname is your login name on sonic.net note: this is your FTP directory. For information on publishing to your web directory, please see our [/support/web_resources/publish/FTP Web Publishing FAQ].

How do I display a message to visitors when they enter my FTP directory?

Create a message file in your FTP directory called .message. When a visitor enters your FTP directory, the server displays the file .message if it exists. You can have a message file in your main FTP directory as well as in any subdirectories.

Will every visitor see the message?

No. The server displays the message to the client and it is up to the client to display the message to the visitor. You can NOT guarantee that every client will display the message. If your message is important, consider copying it to a README file in the same directory for visitors to read on their own.

Why don't I see the message when I enter my FTP directory?

There could be several reasons for this. First, the message is only displayed when you enter your directory using an FTP client of some sort. If you are entering your directory from the shell prompt, the message will not be displayed. Second, the message file might not be readable to everyone. Check the message file permissions and make sure everyone has permission to read. Type:

chmod a r .message

from the shell prompt just to be safe. Third, the message is only displayed once per session. Fourth, your client might not display messages.

Why does my FTP client automatically log me in anonymously?

If you are using ftp host  from the shell prompt, this is common. You have a file named .netrc  in your home directory which contains information on the default login name and password to use when FTPing files. You can use the -n option when FTPing. $ ftp -n host or simply remove the .netrc file.

How do I make a folder for people to put files in?

To make an incoming folder you have to take certain precautions to make sure that you don't open up your ftp directory to misuse. When an incoming folder is set up correctly, it will prevent you from getting into trouble with Sonic or the law. Your incoming folder will be open for people to put files into. Once they put the folder there, they can't see it or access it. Only you can access the files or manipulate them by logging into your account. This means that software pirates can't use you and your account for illegal software trading.

• Connect to ftp.sonic.net using the FTP program of your choice.
• Log in using your Sonic.net username and password so you will have the appropriate permissions
• Use your FTP program's "make directory" tool to create a subdirectory for use as a dropbox
• Use the appropriate tool in your FTP program to change the permissions of your dropbox to rwx-wx-wx (so that only you can read the contents of the dropbox, but anybody can write to it)

Is SFTP Available?

No, but we do support ftp with TLS/SSL.