Touch Remote Files on Pure-FTPd

[ScottB]

Running BC version 3.3.5 (build 15075). Trying to touch timestamps on a Pure-FTPd [privsep] server (unknown version).

BC is using 'SITE UTIME' on this server. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, even in the same session.

Server is UNIX and all files I'm trying to touch are '-rwxrwxrwx'.

I've attached a BC log. Line numbers added for reference. Here's a summary...

Line 37: BC issues a 'SITE UTIME' command which fails with a server 550 error.

Lines 42, 46, and 50: A few minutes later, I successfully touch three files (same directory, same permissions).

Line 55: 'SITE UTIME' fails again at the server.

Line 60: I try to touch a remote file, and it doesn't look like BC even sends a command to the server; it fails with a "Container does not support requested file operation" message (which looks local).

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Scott

[Zoë]

Linux (locally or over FTP) only allows touching files if you're the owner of them. I'm guessing that the FTP server is the owner for the files that you can successfully touch but not the one that fails.

The reason it's not sending the command at all for the last command is a glitch in BC. Since "SITE UTIME" isn't included in the FEAT response, it doesn't know whether touching timestamps is supported until it tries to set one. Once that's done it caches whether the attempt succeeded or not so it doesn't keep sending them if it will always fail. It looks like that cached "touching works" flag gets set for every new connection, rather than just initially. I'll add that to the bug list.

[ScottB]

Thanks, Craig. I did a little experimenting, and the behavior I'm seeing corroborates your guess.

I don't have shell access, so I'll see if the server admin will chown for us.

Thanks again,
Scott