Instructions on HowToSetupAQueue using Linux and lftp
Someone feel free to generalize these instructions for all servers!
You will need the lftp software to setup a queue under Linux. You probably already have it installed, as it comes with most Linux distributions. Under RedHat and Mandrake it's usually available as an rpm on the main distribution CD. To see if it is installed, simply type 'lftp' at the command prompt - if you have it you will now see:
lftp :~>
If you don't have it installed, you can find the latest version at:
http://lftp.yar.ru
Once you have lftp up and running, you're ready to begin...
In these instructions, I'm assuming you are connecting to my main server, garcia.etree.org, with the settings needed for that site. You may need the options to be set differently for different sites. In addition, I'm using one of my favorite shows as an example, but of course you will change this to suit your taste. Commands to be typed are enclosed in single quotes ', but you will obviously omit the quotes when you type the commands.
1) 'cd' to the directory on your local computer where you would like to store your shows
2) type 'lftp'
3) the first thing you need to do is to adjust some settings. you can see a list of all current settings by typing 'set -a'. Options are set with the command 'set <variable> <value>'. for example you want to set the following at a minimum:
- 'set ftp:passive-mode off'
- 'set net:reconnect-interval 120'
These settings do not stick between lftp sessions, you have to set them every time you start lftp. For instructions on how to make your settings permanent, read the man page - 'man lftp'.
4) you will also want to turn debug mode on; without it it's hard to tell what is going on:
- 'debug 10'
5) now you can connect to garcia with the browse account:
- 'connect garcia.etree.org'
6) set the username and password:
- 'user browse'
and then when asked for password:
- 'ar0und' <- that's a zero in place of the o
7) you can now navigate around garcia to find your desired show. lftp acts much like a Linux shell at this point. you can type 'ls' to list directories, and 'cd' to change directories. at this point, you want to navigate to one of the main directories that hold shows (Etree1, Etree2, or Other). for example:
- 'cd pub'
- 'cd Etree1'
- 'ls'
8) write down the exact name of the show you want, including the path, for example: "/pub/Etree1/gd73-10-29.shnf"
9) now that we know the show we want, it's time to change the username/password to the real download account:
- 'user etree' <- or 'user public', whichever account you have
and then for the pass:
- '********' <- corresponding password included in your login info email
10) now you can use the mirror command to grab the show. if the etree login is busy, lftp will keep trying every 120 seconds:
- 'mirror /pub/Etree1/gd73-10-29.shnf'
11) if you'd like, you can even exit lftp and it will place itself in the background as long as the machine is not rebooted. you first send the current job to the background with 'CTRL+Z', then you can type 'CTRL+D' to exit. lftp will tell you that it has placed the job into the background to complete the transfer.
At any time you can simply type 'help' or 'help <command>' for lftp's builtin help.
That's it! Good luck and enjoy the tunes!