"Couldn't stat remote file: No such file or directory": Using FTP in shell script from *nix to Win

Question

I'm using a Bash script to backup my webfiles via FTP. As the title says, I have an Ubuntu webserver and am backing up to a Windows machine. I have an ssh program and FileZilla Server on the Windows machine, and can SSH and SFTP into it. The core of the script looks like this:

SRCDIR="C:\\Users\\Tech1\\testserverbackup"
DATAIN="/var/www/html/"
FILENAME="-r *"

sshpass -e sftp -oBatchMode=no -b - ${USER}@${LANHOST} << EOF
cd  ${SRCDIR}
lcd ${DATAIN}
mkdir $(date -I)
cd $(date -I)
put ${FILENAME}
bye
echo made it
EOF

The others vars are a bit sensitive, so I don't want to post them, but the credentials have been working for me so far.

The error I'm getting looks like this:

sftp>       cd  C:\Users\Tech1\testserverbackup
Couldn't stat remote file: No such file or directory

I've ssh'd into the folder and sftp'd, so I'm not really sure what the issue is. AFAIK, cd is the native windows command, not just the FTP one.

Any ideas what's going wrong? Thank you.

Solution

sftp>       cd  C:\Users\Tech1\testserverbackup
Couldn't stat remote file: No such file or directory

This is due to FTP servers not having the concept of drive letters for mounts, as Windows systems do.

You can use pwd to while connected to FTP to determine the directory you're currently in:

sftp> pwd
/C/Users/Tech1

...which shows that in your environment, the FTP administrator mapped a Windows C: drive to a regular folder called C within the FTP server (and mapped all the other mounted drives to folders).

Comments

[admdrew]

FTP hosts do not have the concept of mounted drives, as Windows systems do. As the error says, there is no file/directory with C: in the path while connecting via FTP.

[admdrew]

It means that when you're connected via FTP (ie, on the sftp> prompt), there isn't a C: drive to connect to, so trying to cd to that path simply won't work.

[admdrew]

cd isn't Windows-specific, that's not the problem. Using C: as part of the file/folder path is Windows-specific, and has no meaning when on an FTP host.

[admdrew]

You can still use absolute paths, but when connecting to an FTP host, it likely uses the Linux/Unix convention, so it likely starts with / (like the path in your $DATAIN variable).

[Jacqlyn]

Replacing C:\ with / returns the same error.

[admdrew]

Yes, the entire path is probably incorrect. What's your output when you type just pwd while logged into FTP?

[Jacqlyn]

Ah, good point. It's /C/Users/Tech1, so that's what I'll use. Thank you for your help.

[admdrew]

Ahhh ok perfect, that makes sense. Glad to help!

[Jacqlyn]

@admdrew Interesting, so that means that / is above C, and going there, I can view all mounted drives.

[admdrew]

Yes, / is the top-level/root folder. In your environment, the FTP administrator mapped a Windows C: drive to a regular folder called C within the FTP server (and mapped all the other mounted drives to folders).

[glenn jackman]

@jfa, you should answer your own question and accept it, so that others who have the same question don't have to pore through the comments.