FTP uploading in BASH script

Question

I need to upload the entire content of a directory /home/test to my ftp server, in a specific folder. I will then schedule the script hourly via cron. Any examples?

NB. consider that I'm on a Netgear ReadyNAS Duo (a debian box) and I can't install lftp or similars, only standard commands :)

Answer 1

Found this bash script online that has quality documentation:

#!/bin/bash

HOST=ftp.server.com  #This is the FTP servers host or IP address.
USER=ftpuser             #This is the FTP user that has access to the server.
PASS=password          #This is the password for the FTP user.

# Call 1. Uses the ftp command with the -inv switches.  -i turns off interactive     prompting. -n Restrains FTP from attempting the auto-login feature. -v enables verbose and progress. 

ftp -inv $HOST << EOF

# Call 2. Here the login credentials are supplied by calling the variables.

user $USER $PASS

# Call 3. Here you will change to the directory where you want to put or get
cd /path/to/file

# Call4.  Here you will tell FTP to put or get the file.
put test.txt

# End FTP Connection
bye

After configuring and saving the .sh script, make it executable:

chmod +x ftpscript.sh

Lastly, configure your cronjob

Answer 2

If ssh is installed and configured to allow file transfers you could use scp.

If not netcat or rsync may be an option.

Answer 3

if you have 'curl', which is fairly standard, it can do unattended FTP uploads (see man page for the -T option)

Answer 4

If you are able to install or build programs, a utility called ftpsync may be just what you are looking for. [I've never tried it, and there seem to be several utilities either called that or something very similar.]

Answer 5

In a bash script you should be able to do something like:

    #!/bin/bash
    echo "
    verbose
    open 1.2.3.4
    USER ftpuser ftppasswd
    put /path/to/stuff.tar.gz
    bye
    " > ftp -n > ftp_$$.log

Tarring your directory first would be a good idea and make it much simpler. Also, depending on the size of your directory and the speed of your network, you may want to consider doing differential tars.