Instructions for Anonymous FTP Uploaders
If you would like someone to anonymously FTP something to you, give the person these instructions:
- FTP to ftp.divms.uiowa.edu, ftp.cs.uiowa.edu, ftp.math.uiowa.edu, or ftp.stat.uiowa.edu.
- Log in as anonymous.
- Give an email address as the password.
- Change directory to /incoming.
- Upload the files.
- Logout.
How to Retrieve Anonymous Uploads
Every half hour (on the hour and half-hour), anonymous FTP uploads are automatically moved to /group/ftp.incoming and made world-readable. When you know that a file has been uploaded for you, wait about half an hour or longer. Then, check in /group/ftp.incoming. You can copy whatever is there. (Note that you cannot delete or move anything in that directory.) Files in /group/ftp.incoming are deleted after a couple of weeks, so be sure to copy whatever you want within a few days after the upload.
Uploading Sensitive Materials
If you are expecting an upload that contains information you would like to be private or secure, then you and the person doing the upload must take some extra precautions. You must agree on some method of encrypting the uploaded material so that no one else can make sense of it. Otherwise, anyone with an account in Mathematical Sciences will be able to copy and read the upload.
Why Can't Anonymous Users Upload Files to my Home Directory?
Anonymous FTP sessions are potential security risks; they allow anyone to access the FTP server. Therefore, anonymous sessions are restricted to a specific area. (This area can also be accessed as a directory by users who have accounts in Mathematical Sciences. Whenever you login to an account in Mathematical Sciences, you can find the anonymous FTP area in the directory /group/ftp.)
Why Can't I Access Uploads in /group/ftp/incoming?
The CSG has configured the anonymous FTP server to be as secure as possible. As a result, files transfered anonymously are owned by the user nobody and are unreadable by anyone else. Anonymous FTP users also are not allowed to change permissions on uploaded files. These restrictions ensure that the FTP server cannot be misused as a point of exchange for software pirates and others who would take advantage of a wide-open FTP site.
