FTP Instructions

Back to main page for Instructions for data contributors.

Overview

To ensure the security of the account information and any potentially sensitive data, we have setup a FTP server which uses encryption for both authentication and data transfer. The encryption method is called "TLS/SSL" So, you will need to have an FTP client which will work with "TLS/SSL".

Basic settings

The following are the basic settings that are common to all clients:

• Site: ftp.crcns.org
• Port: 8021
• Username: testuser
• Password: secret
• Transfer type: TLS/SSL (The name of this option will vary by client).

Testing your FTP client

The first step is to get a working ftp client. The testuser account (given above) is only for testing ftp clients so you can find one that works with your system. The test account has a quota limit of 100MB and is shared with all the data contributors. Any files in the account are automatically deleted approximately twenty minutes after they were last accessed. When you get an ftp client that logs into the test account, try uploading and downloading to make sure it's working.

Getting your personal account

After you have a working client, we will provide you via phone your individual account information. This is done for security reasons and University regulations, which do not permit the plaintext transmission of account information by email or posting to a webpage. When you are ready to obtain your personal account information, send an email to Jeff Teeters [jteeters@berkeley.edu], specifying:

• Your name
• An estimate of how much space you will need (in Gigabytes).
• A phone number and a good time for him to call you.

He will setup your account and call you to give you the account information.

Clients

As mentioned, you will need a FTP client which supports TLS/SSL. The clients listed below are all free and we have tested them and verified that they work.

One client (FileZilla) worked on almost all systems (Windows, newer Mac's, Linux) but not on a pre-Intel Mac laptop. So, for most systems, (other than a pre-Intel Mac) we recommend FileZilla. But feel free to use any client that works, even those not listed below. Undoubtedly, many clients that we have not tested are suitable.

Windows:

Filezilla

Download the the Filezilla client, then install it. Use File menu => Site Manager to configure the site. Select "New Site", enter the name "crcns". Other fields:

• Host: ftp.crcns.org
• Port: 8021
• Servertype: FTPES - FTP over explicit TLS/SSL
• Logontype: Normal
• User: testuser
• Password: secret

Then click "Ok" to save or "Connect" to both save and connect. The first time you connect, there will be a popup warning message about an "Unknown Certificate." Check the box "Always trust certificate in future."

Once you are connected, the local file system will be on the left and the remote file system (crcns.org) on the right. Transfer files by dragging and dropping from the left to the right.

Core-ftp

Instructions for using it are here. Additional information you will need (for step 1, connecting to a server) are: On lower left of site manager, select AUTH TLS. This should cause options SSL Listings, SSL Transfers, and open SSL to be automatically checked. Port is 8021. For testing, user is: testuser, password is secret.

Mac (newer, Intel chips)

FileZilla

(See instructions above under Windows).

CyberDuck

To connect, specify FTP-TLS as the connection type. To prevent repeated popup windows asking to accept the certificate, select "accept all certificates" (or equivalent) in the Preferences => SSL/TLS settings form.

Fetch

Note: A single-user license of Fetch costs $25, but there is a free 15-day trial and educational users may apply for a free license. A version later than 5.2.1 is required for TLS/SSL. The latest version is 5.3.

Mac (older, non-Intel chips)

CyberDuck

(See instructions above).

Linux

Filezilla

To install Filezilla on the Fedora distribution of linux, use the command "yum install filezilla". For other distributions, try to find a packaged version (google "filezilla rpm", found this list).

Once installed, usage is the same as the windows version. See instructions above.

lftp

lftp is a command line utility. For most users, a graphical FTP client (like Filezilla) is probably preferable. But lftp has been tested and works. So it's included on this list. Once installed, man lftp will display usage instructions. No special settings are needed for the TLS/SSL to work. It's detected automatically.