Move a remote file at an FTP prompt

Question

I don't think it's possible but still I would like to ask if there is any command to transfer a remote file from one directory to other at an FTP prompt.

In more detail: I run ftp to a remote machine. I am at the ftp prompt, in the directory /a. By mistake, I have uploaded a file (via put) to this directory, but that's the wrong directory. I want to move the file from this directory to /a/b on the remote machine. Can I do this from the FTP prompt?

I have checked and I cannot telnet to that machine. If this is impossible in FTP, is there another way I can move the file and avoid having to transfer it again?

Solution 1

I think it depends more on the client that you're using. Take a look at the client, lftp. There's a good tutorial on using it here, titled: Unix: Flexibly moving files with lftp.

If you look through the help for lftp you'll notice the command mv.

$ lftp
lftp :~> help
    !<shell-command>                     (commands)                           alias [<name> [<value>]]             attach [PID]
    bookmark [SUBCMD]                    cache [SUBCMD]                       cat [-b] <files>                     cd <rdir>
    chmod [OPTS] mode file...            close [-a]                           [re]cls [opts] [path/][pattern]      debug [<level>|off] [-o <file>]
    du [options] <dirs>                  exit [<code>|bg]                     get [OPTS] <rfile> [-o <lfile>]      glob [OPTS] <cmd> <args>             help [<cmd>]
    history -w file|-r file|-c|-l [cnt]  jobs [-v]                            kill all|<job_no>                    lcd <ldir>
    lftp [OPTS] <site>                   ln [-s] <file1> <file2>              ls [<args>]                          mget [OPTS] <files>
    mirror [OPTS] [remote [local]]       mkdir [-p] <dirs>                    module name [args]                   more <files>
    mput [OPTS] <files>                  mrm <files>                          mv <file1> <file2>                   [re]nlist [<args>]
    open [OPTS] <site>                   pget [OPTS] <rfile> [-o <lfile>]     put [OPTS] <lfile> [-o <rfile>]      pwd [-p]
    queue [OPTS] [<cmd>]                 quote <cmd>                          repeat [OPTS] [delay] [command]      rm [-r] [-f] <files>
    rmdir [-f] <dirs>                    scache [<session_no>]                set [OPT] [<var> [<val>]]            site <site-cmd>                      source <file>
    torrent [-O <dir>] <file|URL>...     user <user|URL> [<pass>]             wait [<jobno>]                       zcat <files>                         zmore <files>

Solution 2

Use the rename command.

rename /a/myfile /a/b/myfile

I think most ftp clients use rename, not mv like lftp (as in slm's answer).

Comments

[Alessio]

This works but note that you need write permission on both the source directory and the destination directory. and if the file already exists in the target directory, you also need write permission on it.

[Godson]

Great slm, thanks for mentioning the command mv for the purpose.

[slm]

@Ravi - Glad this solved your problem, please mark this as the accepted answer so that others know your issue has been resolved.

[Godson]

I hope the way I marked this as the accepted answer by clicking on the "V" symbol is fine. Thank you slm for your assistance

[slm]

@Ravi - yup, that's how you do it. Thanks for the questions!