caturing ftp standard output while using system() and cron

[Nathan Pryor]

I need to capture all standard output of an ftp session that is run
inside a perl program. Short example:

#!/usr/bin/perl
system("ftp -i ftp.gnu.org > results");

I use a .netrc file to list the commands for the ftp session:

machine ftp.gnu.org
login anonymous
password [email]mrtortoise@yahoo.com[/email]
macdef init
lcd /tmp
ls
pwd
bye

I have no problems capturing all standard output, both local and
remote, when I run the script from the command line. However, when I
run the script using a cron job only the standard output from the
remote host shows up in the file. In my real script I am using "mput"
to send several files to the remote host so I need to see the local
standad output in order to verify all files transferred successfully.
Any suggestions?

Perl version: This is perl, v5.6.1 built for i386-linux

[Thens]

On 11 Sep 2003 09:17:31 -0700
[email]mrtortoise@yahoo.com[/email] (Nathan Pryor) wrote:

# I need to capture all standard output of an ftp session that is run
# inside a perl program. Short example:
#
# #!/usr/bin/perl
# system("ftp -i ftp.gnu.org > results");

Why dont you use Net::FTP and save yourself the trouble of Portability
and other issues.

The thumb rule is use perl modules wherever you can.

Regards,
Thens.

[James Willmore]

On 11 Sep 2003 09:17:31 -0700
[email]mrtortoise@yahoo.com[/email] (Nathan Pryor) wrote:

> I need to capture all standard output of an ftp session that is run
> inside a perl program. Short example:
>
> #!/usr/bin/perl
> system("ftp -i ftp.gnu.org > results");

You're redirecting STDOUT to a file ('>') - use 'tee' to see both
STDERR and STDOUT -and- redirect STDOUT to a file ;)

<snip>

> I have no problems capturing all standard output, both local and
> remote, when I run the script from the command line. However, when
> I run the script using a cron job only the standard output from the
> remote host shows up in the file. In my real script I am using
> "mput" to send several files to the remote host so I need to see the
> local standad output in order to verify all files transferred
> successfully. Any suggestions?

<snip>

perldoc -q "Why can't I get the output of a command with system()?"
perldoc -q "How can I capture STDERR from an external command?"

So, basically, you could do ...
==untested==
#notice there's no '> results'
open(CMD, "ftp -i ftp.gnu.org |");
my @results = <CMD>;
close CMD;

You could also look at the Net::FTP module ;)

HTH

--
Jim

Copyright notice: all code written by the author in this post is
released under the GPL. [url]http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt[/url]
for more information.

a fortune quote ...
A language that doesn't have everything is actually easier to
program in than some that do. -- Dennis M. Ritchie

[Dave Saville]

On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 21:53:51 +0530, Thens wrote:

>On 11 Sep 2003 09:17:31 -0700
>mrtortoise@yahoo.com (Nathan Pryor) wrote:
>
># I need to capture all standard output of an ftp session that is run
># inside a perl program. Short example:
>#
># #!/usr/bin/perl
># system("ftp -i ftp.gnu.org > results");
>
> Why dont you use Net::FTP and save yourself the trouble of Portability
>and other issues.
>
> The thumb rule is use perl modules wherever you can.

Assuming you know that there *is* one :-)

Regards

Dave Saville

NB switch saville for nospam in address

[Tintin]

"Dave Saville" <dave.nospam@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:qnirfnivyyragyjbeyqpbz.hl2m0um.pminews@text.n ews.ntlworld.com...

> On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 21:53:51 +0530, Thens wrote:
>

> >On 11 Sep 2003 09:17:31 -0700
> >mrtortoise@yahoo.com (Nathan Pryor) wrote:
> >
> ># I need to capture all standard output of an ftp session that is run
> ># inside a perl program. Short example:
> >#
> ># #!/usr/bin/perl
> ># system("ftp -i ftp.gnu.org > results");
> >
> > Why dont you use Net::FTP and save yourself the trouble of Portability
> >and other issues.
> >
> > The thumb rule is use perl modules wherever you can.

>
> Assuming you know that there *is* one :-)

Hence the reason everyone uses [url]http://search.cpan.org/[/url]

[Nathan Pryor]

<snip>

> > >
> > > Why dont you use Net::FTP and save yourself the trouble of Portability
> > >and other issues.
> > >
> > > The thumb rule is use perl modules wherever you can.

> >
> > Assuming you know that there *is* one :-)

>
> Hence the reason everyone uses [url]http://search.cpan.org/[/url]

I'm looking at the module now. Thanks for the tip everyone.