FTP macros for automated ftp tasks

FTP macros are nothing but an ordered set of ftp commands grouped with a macro name, similar to a bash function/script. You can use the macro name like another command and execute the commands included with it. You can add a macro while inside an ftp session using the macdef command. Alternatively you can add it into the .netrc file inside your home directory. The usage of .netrc file is explained here.

Let us try creating a macro inside an ftp session. This macro will just change to a directory inside the ftp root and copy a file to local directory.

Each macro starts with a macro name on first line, followed by single ftp command on each line. The macro termination is given by a blank line.

ftp> macdef getmacro
Enter macro line by line, terminating it with a null line
cd /home/safeer/pub/site_backup/
get webdata.tar.gz


Once you create the macro run it from the ftp prompt with $ prepended to the macro name.
ftp> $getmacro
cd /home/safeer/pub/site_backup/
250 Directory successfully changed.
get webdata.tar.gz
local: webdata.tar.gz remote: webdata.tar.gz
200 PORT command successful. Consider using PASV.
150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for webdata.tar.gz (0 bytes).
226 File send OK.

A macro defined in an ftp session remains active till the close command is issued. If you want re-usable macros, you need to add them to your netrc file. The above mentioned link has the details on how to set it up. A macro defined by the name "init" (in netrc file) will be run every time you login to the corresponding ftp host.

Macro Arguments

If you want to take arguments inside your macro, use $1,$2,$3 etc... where $1 will be the first argument, $2 will be the second argument and so on. If you want to iterate through each argument of the macro, use the special variable $i. The characters "$" and "\" are special in macros and need to be escaped with "\" if you want them "as it is" in the macros.

Eg:

ftp>macdef 2args
Enter macro line by line, terminating it with a null line
cd /home/safeer/docs
get $1
put $2

Above macro will now download local.txt and upload remote.txt

ftp>$2args local.txt remote.txt
cd /home/safeer/docs
250 Directory successfully changed.
get local.txt
local: local.txt remote: file1.txt
200 PORT command successful. Consider using PASV.
150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for local.txt (47 bytes).
226 File send OK.
47 bytes received in 0.00 secs (91.1 kB/s)
put remote.txt
local: remote.txt remote: remote.txt
200 PORT command successful. Consider using PASV.
150 Ok to send data.
226 File receive OK.
47 bytes sent in 0.00 secs (454.4 kB/s)

ftp>macdef getmulti
Enter macro line by line, terminating it with a null line
cd /home/safeer/docs
get $i

Above macro will now change to the directory docs in ftp root and recursively download the files given as arguments to macro

ftp> $getmulti file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt
cd /home/safeer/docs
250 Directory successfully changed.
get file1.txt
local: file1.txt remote: file1.txt
200 PORT command successful. Consider using PASV.
150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for file1.txt (47 bytes).
226 File send OK.
47 bytes received in 0.00 secs (82.3 kB/s)
cd /home/safeer/docs
250 Directory successfully changed.
get file2.txt
local: file2.txt remote: file2.txt
200 PORT command successful. Consider using PASV.
150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for file2.txt (47 bytes).
226 File send OK.
47 bytes received in 0.00 secs (118.6 kB/s)
cd /home/safeer/docs
250 Directory successfully changed.
get file3.txt
local: file3.txt remote: file3.txt
200 PORT command successful. Consider using PASV.
150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for file3.txt (47 bytes).
226 File send OK.
47 bytes received in 0.00 secs (154.5 kB/s)
There is an maximum 8 character limit for macro names defined on command line. In netrc file this restriction is not there. Per ftp session, there is a limit of 16 macros and 4096 total characters in all defined macros.