ncftp

ncftp [options] [ftp://[user[:pass]@]host[:port][/path][#bookmark]] [local-directory]

-4
    Force IPv4 address usage

-6
    Force IPv6 address usage

-a
    Use passive (PASV) mode for data transfers

-A
    Enable automatic login using .netrc or bookmarks

-u username
    Use specified username (default: anonymous)

-p password
    Use specified password

-P port
    Connect to specified port (default: 21)

-j host:port
    Use FTP-over-HTTP proxy gateway

-R
    Enable recursive operation for get/put/mirror

-r seconds
    Set retry interval on connection failure

-d level
    Set debug/log level (1-3)

-e cmdfile
    Execute commands from file then exit

-q
    Quick mode: minimal output

-V
    Print version information

-v
    Verbose mode (default)

-h
    Display help summary

NcFTP is a robust, full-featured FTP client for Unix-like systems, designed to surpass the limitations of the standard ftp command. It offers an intuitive shell-like interface with readline support for command editing, tab completion for remote filenames, and extensive customization. Key features include bookmarking for quick server access, progress meters for transfers, automatic reconnection on failures, support for IPv4/IPv6, FTPS (FTP over SSL), and proxy gateways. Users can browse remote directories interactively with commands like ls, cd, get, put, mirroring via mirror, and editing files with edit. Configuration is stored in ~/.ncftp/ for bookmarks, macros, and site-specific settings, enabling scripting and automation. Ideal for both interactive sessions and batch jobs, NcFTP handles large transfers efficiently with resume capabilities and rate limiting.

Not installed by default; requires ncftp package. Bookmarks and configs in ~/.ncftp/ may conflict with permissions. Passive mode may fail behind firewalls; use -j for proxies.
Deprecated in some distros favoring lftp.

Managed via ncftpbookmarks(1); store in ~/.ncftp/bookmarks for quick host access with #bookmark syntax.

Define programmable macros in ~/.ncftp/macros for automating sessions.

Inside ncftp: open, close, ls -la, get -R, put, mirror, page, set for options like savepw yes.

Developed by Mike Gleason starting in 1991 as an enhanced FTP client. Evolved through versions, with NcFTP 3.2.5 (2014) as the last major release. Widely used for its advanced features until modern alternatives like lftp gained traction. Maintained sporadically; source available on ncftp.com.

ftp(1), lftp(1), curl(1), wget(1), ncftpbookmarks(1)