I would love to have command line access to my files so that I could move, rename, copy etc... without using dot.net panel or ftp.  

Is this a possibility?

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-Ben

Assuming you are using Windows, you could try the DOS "FTP" command.  If you have repetitive tasks you could create batch files.

Or are you looking to map a network drive to your hosting account?

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William Eaton, MCSE
iTech Computer Solutions, LLC
www.itechcs.com

To be honest, there isnt really a reason you actually need command line access, and that would be quite a big security hole...

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Senior C#.net Developer

I only need a four commands not the entire command prompt.  I would need cd, copy, move, del to work with files.  This would be only to avoid having to use dotnet panel or ftp to move large directories around.

 

Is it possible to get such a limited command prompt?

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-Ben

You could create a batch file to automatically connect you via FTP and then you can CD, COPY, MOVE and DEL from there.

The only other way you would be able to use your FTP space at the command line as if it were a local drive on your PC would be via a VPN connection and I don't see that as a possibility for a shared hosting plan.  If you had a dedicated server, you might be able to, but I doubt it and wouldn't recommend it.

Here's how you can create a batch file that automatically logs into your FTP:

File1 - In notepad, create a file named "ftpfile1.ftp" and enter the following information:

<your ftp username>
<your ftp password>
binary  (<---this is an optional ftp command, but I found it necessary when downloading files from one of my other FTP sites)

File2 - In notepad, create a file named ftplaunch.bat and enter the following information:

ftp -s:ftpfile1.ftp ftp.yourdomain.com  (you can use an IP address instead of a FQDN)

Save both files in the same directory.  When you launch the batch file (file #2), it will automatically open a command prompt and log you into the FTP site you entered in file #2.  Then you can just issue FTP commands to cd, copy, move and delete files.  I think this is about as close as you're going to get to having command line access to your hosting

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William Eaton, MCSE
iTech Computer Solutions, LLC
www.itechcs.com

Really, this request isn't that important except to bring back what I am used too.  I come from using linux for many years and am very comfortable using command line file tools.   (I know, windows command line is nothing like a bash prompt, but it is better than nothing.)

Moving files over ftp is not what I had in mind.  Try moving a large folder (300mb) around using ftp!  On the command line, I could do large file moves super fast.  Compared to dotnet panel, it was much easier for me. (Mabye I was experiencing a slow day, but moving folders in dotnetpanel was very slow and cumbersome

I am overall happy with dotnet panel--this is just my suggestion.

-Ben

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-Ben

It depends on what you're really trying to do.  Although having true DOS command line access to your hosting account may never happen, there may be a work around using the FTP prompt commands.

Here is how you could move an entire directory of files (dir1) from one folder to another (/archive).  At the FTP prompt:

rename dir1 archive/dir1

You could do the same with a file (file1.txt) and move it to another folder (/archive).  At the FTP prompt:

rename file1.txt archive/file1.txt

Here's how to move a file up one directory.  From the top (destination) directory:

rename folder1/file1.txt file1.txt 

Move a file between two directories:

rename folder1/file1.txt folder2/file1.txt

Move a file between two directories and rename the file at the same time: 

rename folder1/file1.txt folder2/file2.txt

Test it out and see if that works.

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William Eaton, MCSE
iTech Computer Solutions, LLC
www.itechcs.com

I think you may have solved my problem.  I was trying to avoid actually transferring the files during the move. But, I just tested this and my GUI ftp client has this rename/move functionality built in.  Either way, I can use the the DOS command ftp or my GUI ftp (coreFTP) to move large folders.

 

I appreciate your help, you solved a problem I didn't know I had. 

 

-Ben

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-Ben

Glad I could help.

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William Eaton, MCSE
iTech Computer Solutions, LLC
www.itechcs.com