mudFTP
mudFTP is a protocol used for transfer of text files between a MUD server and a mudFTP client program. The text files can be notes, programs, room descriptions, etc. Once the file is transferred to the client, it is edited locally using the user's favorite text editor.
Installation
In order to install mudFTP on your server, your server must have a centralized mechanism for editing text entries. In case of most MERC derivatives, this happens via the function string_append which takes a char** and takes over the control over input from the user, reallocating the text string as necessary. In any case, a fair knowledge of the C programming language and your MUD server is required in order to install mudFTP.
How it works
Once installed on the server side, mudFTP will listen on another port - typically you'd wand this to be 6 higher than the normal port (e.g. if your mud is on port 4444, your mudFTP port would be on port 4450).
You users then use the mudFTP client program to connect. The client program identifies itself to the server with the MUD username/password and then waits for a request.
When a user with mudFTP enabled then edits a text using the text editing mechanism, it notices that there is a mudFTP connection and sends the text there instead of to the normal user screen. The user's mudFTP client reads the text, saves it to a temporary file and spawns an editor. The user edits the file, and when satisfied, exits the editor. This causes the mudFTP client to send the text back to the server - which in turn replaces the text the user was editing with the new text from the client.
Compatibility
The server code has been ported to the following platforms:- Diku-like servers:
- Envy 2.2 with ILAB OLC
- Mythran 3.1.6b
- ROM 2.4b6 with Ivan's OLC 1.72 (by Jessica Boyd)
- ROT 1.4 (by Dominic J. Eidson)
- Circle 3.0 (by George Greer)
- Non-Diku
- LDMUD (by Markus Peter) - should be portable to any LP
![[New!]](/images/new.gif)
- LDMUD (by Markus Peter) - should be portable to any LP
If you are interested in porting to a new server platform, please email me. mudFTP should be portable to your server as long as your server has some central mechanism for editing text strings.
The C version of the client code works under the following platforms:
- Linux (libc5 as well as glibc)
- Any UNIX (untested, but the code is fairly compatible)
- Windows 95 and NT (port by Cath Allen)
- Windows 98 (untested)
The Java version of the client will work on any Java-capable platform.
I'd very much like someone to port the client to the Macintosh platform.
Downloading
| Filename | File size | Description |
| mudftp-full.tar.gz | 181k | Version 2.4 of the full server and client source and Windows32 binary |
| mudftp-unix.tar.gz | 45k | Client source and Linux libc5 binary |
| mudftp-win.zip | 61k | Windows32 binary and documentation |
| FAQ | 2k | Frequently asked questions about mudFTP |
| COPYING | 17k | Client license (GPL) |
| CREDITS | 1k | Who's responsible for this? |
| Protocol | 8k | Description of the mudFTP protocol |
| Install | 1k | Installation information |
NOTE: All the files that are not compressed (i.e. COPYING, Install) are included here for browsing convenience only - they are also contained within the full server package.
Support and information
Please read all the documentation, then the FAQ.
Licensing
The client is under GPL - i.e. you may copy and modify it freely, but if you give someone a binary, you must also make it possible for them to get the source. The server code is copyrighted, but can be used freely as long as you keep the credits.
If you use mudFTP, feel free to download and put this image on your homepage, linking to
this page. The HTML code for this is:
<a href="http://www.andreasen.org/mudftp/"> <img border=0 src="mudftp.gif" align=left></a>
If you use mudFTP, mail me, and I will add your MUD to the list of MUDs that support it
Revision history
| Version | Date | What happened |
| 1.0 | 1997 | Earliest version, used internally on AR |
| 2.0 | 1998 | New PUSH protocol provides greater flexibility |
| 2.1 | Spring 1998 | Request for porting help sent to several mailing lists |
| 2.2 | August 1998 | First version with Windows client and 2 ports released. This page created |
| 2.3 | September 1998 | New version with support for Circle |
| 2.4 | July 2001 | Support for LP/LDMUD |
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