'ftp' command does what...?

[Peter Risdon]

Kirk Strauser wrote:
> On Tuesday 2004-06-22 01:36 pm, Chuck Swiger wrote:
> 
> 
>>ftp ftp://ftp.andrew.cmu.edu
> 
> 
> ...is not a valid URL in that no path component is specified (even a 
> trailing '/') - at least, that's my understanding of it.  Try this instead:
> 
>   ftp ftp://ftp.andrew.cmu.edu/
> 
> which works as expected from here.

Or:

bash-2.05b$ ftp ftp.andrew.cmu.edu
Connected to ASG2.WEB.cmu.edu.
220 asg2.web.cmu.edu FTP server (Version 6.00+Heimdal 20031031+KTH-KRB 
1.3-20031030) ready.
Name (ftp.andrew.cmu.edu:peter): anonymous
331 Guest login ok, type your name as password.
Password:
230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply.
Remote system type is UNIX.
Using binary mode to transfer files.
ftp>

Same behaviour with ftp.freebsd.org:

bash-2.05b$ ftp ftp://ftp.freebsd.org
[snip]
200 Type okay.
501 Syntax error in parameters.
221 Goodbye.

bash-2.05b$ ftp ftp.freebsd.org
[snip]
331 Guest login ok, send your complete e-mail address as password.
Password:
230-You are user #78 of 450 simultaneous users allowed.
230-
230 Logged in anonymously.
Remote system type is UNIX.
Using binary mode to transfer files.
ftp>


Might have something to do with the auto-fetch part of ftp's functionality.

Peter.