Can't FTP Catalog to Yahoo Host

[matthew2582]

I am totally new to osCommerce and certainly no 'rocket' scientist - but I cant't complete FTP of Catalog or Catalog file contents to my Yahoo Host.

 

I get an FTP error message 'Child Transfer Failed'

 

When I look at the log I see this message :

 

COMMAND:> SIZE admin

550 /matthew2582/admin: not a plain file.

STATUS:> Requested action not taken (e.g., file or directory not found, no access).

COMMAND:> CWD /matthew2582/admin

550 /matthew2582/admin: No such file or directory.

STATUS:> Requested action not taken (e.g., file or directory not found, no access).

STATUS:> Checking directory existence: "/matthew2582/admin".

COMMAND:> CWD /matthew2582/admin

550 /matthew2582/admin: No such file or directory.

STATUS:> Requested action not taken (e.g., file or directory not found, no access).

STATUS:> Checking directory existence: "/matthew2582".

COMMAND:> CWD /matthew2582

250 CWD command successful.

STATUS:> PWD skipped. Current folder: "/matthew2582".

COMMAND:> MKD admin

257 "/matthew2582/admin" new directory created.

COMMAND:> CWD /matthew2582/admin

250 CWD command successful.

STATUS:> PWD skipped. Current folder: "/matthew2582/admin".

COMMAND:> TYPE A

200 Type set to A.

COMMAND:> REST 0

350 Restarting at 0. Send STORE or RETRIEVE to initiate transfer.

COMMAND:> PASV

227 Entering Passive Mode (66,218,65,242,177,156)

COMMAND:> LIST

STATUS:> Connecting FTP data socket 66.218.65.242:45468...

150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for /matthew2582/admin .

226 Transfer complete.

ERROR:> Child transfer failed.

 

And in a previous attempt which failed the log said :

 

Connecting FTP data socket 66.218.65.244:57934...

553-The name you specified is not allowed.

553-Names must contain only ASCII letters (a-z,A-Z), digits (0-9), underscore, dot and dash.

553-Names must not start with a dot (.) or dash (-).

553-For additional info please visit:

553-See http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/webhosting/gftp/

553

ERROR:> Access denied.

 

The above error was generated when trying to FTP .htaccess

 

Any advice much appreciated.

 

Matthew

[♥Vger]

Delete the .htaccess file from your osCommerce catalog folders, and all instances .htaccess in folders within 'catalog'. It's only a dummy .htaccess file anyway.

 

Vger

[matthew2582]

Delete the .htaccess file from your osCommerce catalog folders, and all instances .htaccess in folders within 'catalog'.  It's only a dummy .htaccess file anyway.

 

Vger

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Thanks for the repl Rhea - as you will observe from my post the FTP failed for more reasons than just the appearance of a .htaccess.

 

Yahoo hosting regards as illegal the use of a .(full stop) and there are several/many files using that character.

 

Funnily enough - I was able to FTP catalog to another host without problem

 

Anyway - I am going to move to a host like PowWeb or Lunar who have ready to go osC.

 

thanks again

 

Matthew

[♥Vger]

Do a search of these forums on PowWeb before jumping! Can't say about Lunar pages, just that they are low-cost and pack their servers full of sites.

 

Vger

[KLValente]

It seems I get the same error with the .htaccess and .cvsignore.

 

The .htaccess files are used for Apache web servers to protect access to directories while .cvsignore are used for listing files to ignore while uploading source code to the concurrent versions system server.

 

Sources: http://www.javascriptkit.com/howto/htaccess.shtml

https://www.cvshome.org/docs/manual/cvs-1.1..._18.html#SEC177

 

The files that are affected are

oscommerce-2.2ms2\catalog\.htaccess

oscommerce-2.2ms2\catalog\admin\.htaccess

oscommerce-2.2ms2\catalog\download\.htaccess

oscommerce-2.2ms2\catalog\includes\.htaccess

oscommerce-2.2ms2\catalog\pub\.htaccess

oscommerce-2.2ms2\catalog\includes\local\.cvsignore

oscommerce-2.2ms2\catalog\admin\images\graphs\.cvsignore

oscommerce-2.2ms2\catalog\admin\includes\local\.cvsignore

 

My question is I'm using Yahoo! Web Hosting so I can't upload these files obviously. Also, Yahoo! Web Hosting does not us Apache Web Server. Is there a security issue I should be concerned about with directories that contain .htaccess? Am I correct in assuming I shouldn't worry about .cvsignore?

 

Thanks,

 

Kevin Valente

[matthew2582]

Do a search of these forums on PowWeb before jumping!  Can't say about Lunar pages, just that they are low-cost and pack their servers full of sites.

 

Vger

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Well perhaps you could point me in the right direction. One of the things I like about PowWeb and Lunar is that they both have community forums on topics such as osCommerce.

 

But I am certainly open to suggestions.

 

Thanks

[♥Vger]

If you can't use .htaccess then that's a major drawback. Just for one instance, without .htaccess how do you stop some lowlife from embedding your images in his website, and calling them from your website and using up your bandwidth? The polite description of this is 'spongeing', it's actually bandwidth theft - and happens far too frequently! Not a rare occurence at all, unfortunately.

 

The file .cvsignore in admin deals only with banners, so I'd say it's not something you have to worry about, but the .cvsignore in includes/local deals with not uploading configure.php - so you'd just have to be careful not to overwrite your configure.php with a local version (shouldn't happen anyway if configure.php is set to chmod 400).

 

Vger

It seems I get the same error with the .htaccess and .cvsignore.

 

The .htaccess files are used for Apache web servers to protect access to directories while .cvsignore are used for listing files to ignore while uploading source code to the concurrent versions system server.

 

Sources: http://www.javascriptkit.com/howto/htaccess.shtml

  https://www.cvshome.org/docs/manual/cvs-1.1..._18.html#SEC177

 

The files that are affected are

oscommerce-2.2ms2\catalog\.htaccess

oscommerce-2.2ms2\catalog\admin\.htaccess

oscommerce-2.2ms2\catalog\download\.htaccess

oscommerce-2.2ms2\catalog\includes\.htaccess

oscommerce-2.2ms2\catalog\pub\.htaccess

oscommerce-2.2ms2\catalog\includes\local\.cvsignore

oscommerce-2.2ms2\catalog\admin\images\graphs\.cvsignore

oscommerce-2.2ms2\catalog\admin\includes\local\.cvsignore

 

My question is I'm using Yahoo! Web Hosting so I can't upload these files obviously.  Also, Yahoo! Web Hosting does not us Apache Web Server.  Is there a security issue I should be concerned about with directories that contain .htaccess?  Am I correct in assuming I shouldn't worry about .cvsignore?

 

Thanks,

 

Kevin Valente

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[♥Vger]

Users of this forum have had major problems in trying to get the shared ssl working with PowWeb, there are multiple posts on it.

 

You have to remember that low-cost hosts which offer large or unlimited bandwidth allowances, large or unlimited e-mail addresses and mysql databases, can only do so by packing as many sites onto a server as possible, and by locating all of the sql databases on the same servers (not on seperate servers). This last is not too much of a problem if you have a low-site density (150-250 sites on a big server), but if you have between 1000 and 1500 sites on a server, plus all of the sql databases - well, you get what you pay for!.

 

Vger

Well perhaps you could point me in the right direction. One of the things I like about PowWeb and Lunar is that they both have community forums on topics such as osCommerce.

 

But I am certainly open to suggestions.

 

Thanks

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Guest]

Wherever you go, make sure that you read as many non-biased reviews of the host as possible. I've been w/Lunarpages. Note the use of past tense.

 

-jared

[matthew2582]

Wherever you go, make sure that you read as many non-biased reviews of the host as possible. I've been w/Lunarpages.  Note the use of past tense.

 

-jared

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hi Jared

 

Past tense noted. Where to find unbiased reviews ? I've read tons of reviews from review sites that claim to be totally independent. And as on all of them - hosts like Lenar, Infiniology, StartLogic rate highly - then I guess you might dismiss them as lousy review sites.

 

So which review site(s) or hosts do you recommend for a small osC store ?

 

Thanks

 

Matthew

[Guest]

We're not allowed to advertise hosts here, but I've read that many review sites are signed up with affiliate programs for websites, giving the highest reviews to webhosts with the highest $$ for referrals.

 

I've no direct knowledge of whether or not this has any basis in reality, but I found it interesting nonetheless.

 

Here, IMO, is the best way to choose a host:

1) Read as many reviews as possible

2) Don't sign up if they don't have a 30-day money back guarantee

3) Sign up for 3 or 4 of your favorites and see which one you like the best.

4) Use the helpdesk, email support, forum support, phone support, etc. find out personally how well they can answer your questions. Make up questions if you have to - - ask them to explain DNS transfer or something. Ask how many accounts they typically put on one server. Find out what kind of hardware they are using.

5) Use their features - - phpMyAdmin, shell (if provided), control panel, ftp access. Test for speed. Some hosts are MUCH faster than others.

6) After you've had 2-3 weeks to test the waters with each one, using them as test sites, cancel all but your favorite account.

 

You may notice at this point that these are the same things that many of the review sites say that they do. Ultimately, though, the review sites don't pay for bad hosting experiences; you do.

 

It isn't a guarantee that you'll get the best host, but at least you'll be better informed, and hopefully comfortable with your choice.

 

-jared

[♥Vger]

You've just named several reasons why hosts should NOT offer a 30 day money back guarantee. I would define someone doing the things you advocate as a 'complete and total time waster'.

 

Vger

We're not allowed to advertise hosts here, but I've read that many review sites are signed up with affiliate programs for websites, giving the highest reviews to webhosts with the highest $$ for referrals.

 

I've no direct knowledge of whether or not this has any basis in reality, but I found it interesting nonetheless.

 

Here, IMO, is the best way to choose a host:

1) Read as many reviews as possible

2) Don't sign up if they don't have a 30-day money back guarantee

3) Sign up for 3 or 4 of your favorites and see which one you like the best.

4) Use the helpdesk, email support, forum support, phone support, etc.  find out personally how well they can answer your questions. Make up questions if you have to - - ask them to explain DNS transfer or something.  Ask how many accounts they typically put on one server.  Find out what kind of hardware they are using.

5) Use their features - - phpMyAdmin, shell (if provided), control panel, ftp access.  Test for speed.  Some hosts are MUCH faster than others.

6) After you've had 2-3 weeks to test the waters with each one, using them as test sites, cancel all but your favorite account.

 

You may notice at this point that these are the same things that many of the review sites say that they do.  Ultimately, though, the review sites don't pay for bad hosting experiences; you do.

 

It isn't a guarantee that you'll get the best host, but at least you'll be better informed, and hopefully comfortable with your choice.

 

-jared

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[matthew2582]

Thanks Jared for all the advice. I appreciate the time you spent.

 

Best wishes

 

Matthew

[Guest]

You've just named several reasons why hosts should NOT offer a 30 day money back guarantee.  I would define someone doing the things you advocate as a 'complete and total time waster'.

 

Vger

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

It appears that you've had better luck than I finding a decent host. I've previously been with other hosts who were highly recommended by various review sites. I've had back experiences with most of them. One has even had a class-action lawsuit since brought against them for failure to deliver on sold services. I wasn't particularly surprised, based on my experience with them.

 

Though I disagree with your characterization of me as a "complete and total time waster" (though I do spend a fair bit of time on the boards), I'm curious what methods you employ to find a good host?

 

I'd love to have a better method than what you're characterizing as worthless.

 

I suppose that a reasonable alternative to cancelling within the 30 day period would be to sign up and pay for a single month, assuming you can get a monthly contract.

I don't see anything wrong with that. It does seem silly, though, to sign up for a year-plus contract without having any first-hand knowledge of that particular host.

 

-jared

[♥Vger]

Though I disagree with your characterization of me as a "complete and total time waster"

 

I didn't characterise YOU in that way. I just think that anyone who signs up with three or four hosts only intending to use one, who then bombards their support with questions which they may even 'make up' because they already know the answer is actually taking support time away from genuine customers.

 

Vger

[Guest]

My apologies for misinterpreting

I would define someone doing the things you advocate as a 'complete and total time waster'.

.

 

I have to agree with you though - - it's probably not the best to make up questions, but you do have to find out some way to work with their support techs. Since different techs have different levels of knowledge, customer service skills, etc., I think that you should try to contact them at least twice.

 

I have had wildly differing support experiences with different hosts. Just to give you an idea, when my path-sensitive scripts all stopped working one day, I found out that the host had added a SAN to their network and changed many users' home paths without letting everyone know. That would have been a good thing except they were having lots of problems with the SAN, and my site dropped about 50% in speed.

 

It took several more phone calls and emails to get them to switch me back off the SAN.

 

If you leave them as a customer, they lose one customer. If they cause you problems, you may lose many sales/customers.

 

Bottom line, IMO: Do as much research as you can before signing a long-term committment with a host. You're putting a significant component of your business in their hands while you host with them. It's MUCH better to do the homework up front and find a reliable host, even though it's a pain, than to keep switching hosts every few months because of unforseen problems.

 

No guarantees, but it seems to me that luck favors the well-prepared.

 

-jared

[♥Vger]

You can never be truly sure. You can talk to one person on tech support, and they know what they are doing. The next shift - the person on tech support doesn't have a clue if it's not on the crib sheet on the screen in front of them.

 

You only have to take a look at some of the posts on the Web Hosting Talk forum to see some real disaster stories, like "Help, my server is being hacked, and I don't know how to lock it down, my customers are going ape! I'll pay 10$ to anyone who can help me!" Yeah, like anyone is going to lock down a server for 10$!!!!

 

Vger