Problems using ftp to pull from Debian mirrors

Here are two attempts from a UK debian mirror:

ftp ftp.uk.debian.org
Connected to debian.hands.com.
220 (vsFTPd 2.0.7)
Name (ftp.uk.debian.org:mark): anonymous 331 Please specify the password.
Password:
230 Login successful.
Remote system type is UNIX.
Using binary mode to transfer files.
ftp> cd debian/pool
250 Directory successfully changed.
ftp> ls
500 Illegal PORT command.
ftp: bind: Address already in use
ftp> ls
421 Service not available, remote server has closed connection ftp> quit

I'll try again:

ftp ftp.uk.debian.org
Connected to debian.hands.com.
220 (vsFTPd 2.0.7)
Name (ftp.uk.debian.org:mark): anonymous 331 Please specify the password.
Password:
230 Login successful.
Remote system type is UNIX.
Using binary mode to transfer files.
ftp> cd debian/pool
250 Directory successfully changed.
ftp> ls
200 PORT command successful. Consider using PASV. 150 Here comes the
directory listing.

The computer sits waiting at this point and the directory listing never
appears.

I try a third time. The results are the same as above.

As a forth attempt, I try things differently:

ftp ftp.uk.debian.org
Connected to debian.hands.com.
220 (vsFTPd 2.0.7)
Name (ftp.uk.debian.org:mark): anonymous 331 Please specify the password.
Password:
230 Login successful.
Remote system type is UNIX.
Using binary mode to transfer files.
ftp> passive
Passive mode on.
ftp> cd /debian/pool
250 Directory successfully changed.
ftp> ls
227 Entering Passive Mode (83,142,228,128,159,5) 150 Here comes the
directory listing.
drwxr-xr-x 38 1069 1072 4096 Dec 15 2009 contrib
drwxr-xr-x 62 1069 1072 4096 Apr 14 22:32 main
drwxr-xr-x 40 1069 1072 4096 Feb 14 23:03 non-free
226 Directory send OK.
ftp> cd main
250 Directory successfully changed.
ftp> ls
227 Entering Passive Mode (83,142,228,128,28,92) ftp: connect: Connection
timed out

What is going wrong here?

Mark.

--
Mark Hobley
Linux User: #370818 http://markhobley.yi.org/

Mark Hobley <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:

> Here are two attempts from a UK debian mirror:
>
> ftp ftp.uk.debian.org
> Connected to debian.hands.com.
> 220 (vsFTPd 2.0.7)
> Name (ftp.uk.debian.org:mark): anonymous 331 Please specify the password.
> Password:
> 230 Login successful.
> Remote system type is UNIX.
> Using binary mode to transfer files.
> ftp> cd debian/pool
> 250 Directory successfully changed.
> ftp> ls
> 500 Illegal PORT command.
> ftp: bind: Address already in use
> ftp> ls
> 421 Service not available, remote server has closed connection ftp> quit

You can probably use 'debug' to get the client to report the commands
it's sending to the server.

> I'll try again:
>
> ftp ftp.uk.debian.org
> Connected to debian.hands.com.
> 220 (vsFTPd 2.0.7)
> Name (ftp.uk.debian.org:mark): anonymous 331 Please specify the password.
> Password:
> 230 Login successful.
> Remote system type is UNIX.
> Using binary mode to transfer files.
> ftp> cd debian/pool
> 250 Directory successfully changed.
> ftp> ls
> 200 PORT command successful. Consider using PASV. 150 Here comes the
> directory listing.
>
> The computer sits waiting at this point and the directory listing never
> appears.

At a guess you have a firewall blocking the connection back from the
server.

> I try a third time. The results are the same as above.
>
> As a forth attempt, I try things differently:
>
> ftp ftp.uk.debian.org
> Connected to debian.hands.com.
> 220 (vsFTPd 2.0.7)
> Name (ftp.uk.debian.org:mark): anonymous 331 Please specify the password.
> Password:
> 230 Login successful.
> Remote system type is UNIX.
> Using binary mode to transfer files.
> ftp> passive
> Passive mode on.
> ftp> cd /debian/pool
> 250 Directory successfully changed.
> ftp> ls
> 227 Entering Passive Mode (83,142,228,128,159,5) 150 Here comes the
> directory listing.
> drwxr-xr-x 38 1069 1072 4096 Dec 15 2009 contrib
> drwxr-xr-x 62 1069 1072 4096 Apr 14 22:32 main
> drwxr-xr-x 40 1069 1072 4096 Feb 14 23:03 non-free
> 226 Directory send OK.
> ftp> cd main
> 250 Directory successfully changed.
> ftp> ls
> 227 Entering Passive Mode (83,142,228,128,28,92) ftp: connect: Connection
> timed out
>
> What is going wrong here?

Perhaps the server is broken or overloaded, or perhaps your firewall is
so strict it won't even allow some outbound connections.

If you just wanted a particular file, rather than to debug insane file
transfer protocols from the dawn of time, use http instead.

--
http://www.greenend.org.uk/rjk/

On Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:25:37 +0100, Richard Kettlewell wrote:

> You can probably use 'debug' to get the client to report the commands
> it's sending to the server.

Ok. I will look at that.

> At a guess you have a firewall blocking the connection back from the
> server.

I am connected via routers that utilize network address translation
technology.

> Perhaps the server is broken or overloaded, or perhaps your firewall is
> so strict it won't even allow some outbound connections.

I don't know. The external router is an Edimax 3G-6200n, if that matters.

> If you just wanted a particular file, rather than to debug insane file
> transfer protocols from the dawn of time, use http instead.

I can do that, but I actually prefer ftp, and I would like to try and get
ftp working.

Mark.

--
Mark Hobley
Linux User: #370818 http://markhobley.yi.org/

Mark Hobley <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>On Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:25:37 +0100, Richard Kettlewell wrote:
>> At a guess you have a firewall blocking the connection back from the
>> server.
>
>I am connected via routers that utilize network address translation
>technology.

That "technology" is a quirk which needs special support for ftp.
Which is not present in most el cheapo routers.

>
>> If you just wanted a particular file, rather than to debug insane file
>> transfer protocols from the dawn of time, use http instead.
>
>I can do that, but I actually prefer ftp, and I would like to try and get

ftp refuses to die. But is should. Quickly.

Greetings
Marc
--
-------------------------------------- !! No courtesy copies, please !! -----
Marc Haber | " Questions are the | Mailadresse im Header
Mannheim, Germany | Beginning of Wisdom " | http://www.zugschlus.de/
Nordisch by Nature | Lt. Worf, TNG "Rightful Heir" | Fon: *49 621 72739834

Marc Haber <mh+(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> That "technology" [NAT] is a quirk which needs special support for ftp.
> Which is not present in most el cheapo routers.

Unfortunately I've found enough of the "special support" in many cheapo
routers for them to comprehensively mangle the protocol beyond use.

> ftp refuses to die. But is should. Quickly.

Agreed.

Chris

On Sat, 30 Apr 2011 19:29:41 +0200, Marc Haber wrote:
>
> ftp refuses to die. But is should. Quickly.

Why do you think this?

Mark.

--
Mark Hobley
Linux User: #370818 http://markhobley.yi.org/

Mark Hobley <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:
> On Sat, 30 Apr 2011 19:29:41 +0200, Marc Haber wrote:

>> ftp refuses to die. But is should. Quickly.
> Why do you think this?

Because other protocols achieve the same ends more simply, efficiently,
securely and reliably.

--
http://www.greenend.org.uk/rjk/

On Sat, 07 May 2011 09:15:17 +0100, Richard Kettlewell wrote:

> Because other protocols achieve the same ends more simply, efficiently,
> securely and reliably.

I have used ftp for years without a problem. It is only this last year that
things have become broken.

Either something has happened to apt-get or a server side bug has been
introduced into vsftpd.

I wonder if there is a Debian mirror that uses different ftp software server
side.

Mark.

--
Mark Hobley
Linux User: #370818 http://markhobley.yi.org/

Mark Hobley <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:
> On Sat, 07 May 2011 09:15:17 +0100, Richard Kettlewell wrote:

>> Because other protocols achieve the same ends more simply, efficiently,
>> securely and reliably.
>
> I have used ftp for years without a problem. It is only this last year
> that things have become broken.

"unreliably" doesn't mean "it never works", it means "it sometimes
fails". Evidently you've lately run into the 'sometimes'!

--
http://www.greenend.org.uk/rjk/