Looking for free FTP software

[Spoiler]

Hi All,
I am looking for a free FTP software program. It has to handle SFTP and be able to be scripted. I was using WinSCP, which I really liked. I was told that I can't use it to work on a new server so I am looking for something close to winscp.

Thanks

[patio]

Smart FTP...

[Spoiler]

Looks good Patio....except not free....

I like it though....

[patio]

Used to be...sorry...
Filezilla works pretty well although it may not have all the features you need...

Here's a few others...

[soybean]

I am looking for a free FTP software program. It has to handle SFTP ...

SFTP simply means secure FTP, right?  So, aren't most FTP programs in that arena?  In other words, if logon to the server requires a password and the password can be used in the FTP program, isn't it secure?  Or, does SFTP mean more than that?

It has to be able to be scripted.

Meaning automated?

I was using WinSCP, which I really liked. I was told that I can't use it to work on a new server so I am looking for something close to winscp.

Just curious, what aspect of WinSCP makes it unacceptable at work?

[Computer_Commando]

CoreFTP Lite:  http://www.coreftp.com/

[kpac]

Filezilla is one of the most popular. EFTP is another good one.

[DaveLembke]

I like Filezilla, but you will want to patch is as soon as newer versions are available. I learned hard way not to just set it and forget it in the corner when it was hacked by a vulnerability in the version I was running even though I had a complex uncommon passphrase password. It was running for about 2 years without any problems and then it got nailed.

Just like all other software etc its important to stay up with the times and critical patches or version releases. RealVNC is another software that bit me when it was hacked by BlackVNC hacker that didnt require password to remote on in. Fortunately the system that was hit by the VNC vulnerability was just a junk system I was using as a ventrillo server and hosting the guild website with apache. Caught the hacker in there, severed the network connection, rebuilt it from ghost image I made of it to undo the hackers intents, and updated VNC to newer version that didnt have the Black VNC vulnerability.

[DaveLembke]

These days I am actually using MS Home Server for secure FTP needs, although its not free.

[Spoiler]

soybean
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSH_File_Transfer_Protocol

Its a secure method of file transport using SSH. In my case I am using a key exchange to create the connection.

Yes I mean automated.

WinSCP has a know bug. The server I am connceting to sends a packet after the authorization to start the SFTP session which is not accepted.

Start of log file.......

2011-04-14 10:44:43.582 Using username "XXXXXX".
. 2011-04-14 10:44:45.454 Offered public key
. 2011-04-14 10:44:46.109 Offer of public key accepted
! 2011-04-14 10:44:46.109 Authenticating with public key "XXXXXXXXX"
. 2011-04-14 10:44:46.718 Access granted
. 2011-04-14 10:44:46.749 Opened channel for session
. 2011-04-14 10:44:48.387 Started a shell/command
. 2011-04-14 10:44:48.387 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
. 2011-04-14 10:44:48.387 Using SFTP protocol.
. 2011-04-14 10:44:48.387 Doing startup conversation with host.
> 2011-04-14 10:44:48.403 Type: SSH_FXP_INIT, Size: 5, Number: -1
< 2011-04-14 10:44:48.418 Type: SSH_FXP_STATUS, Size: 111, Number: 0
. 2011-04-14 10:44:48.434 Attempt to close connection due to fatal exception:
* 2011-04-14 10:44:48.434 Cannot initialize SFTP protocol. Is the host running a SFTP server?
* 2011-04-14 10:44:48.434 (Exception) Error decoding SFTP packet (111, 4, 111).
. 2011-04-14 10:44:48.434 Closing connection.
. 2011-04-14 10:44:48.434 Sending special code: 12
. 2011-04-14 10:44:48.434 Sent EOF message
* 2011-04-14 10:44:48.434 (ESshFatal) Error decoding SFTP packet (111, 4, 111).
* 2011-04-14 10:44:48.434 Cannot initialize SFTP protocol. Is the host running a SFTP server?


End of log

As you can see it can't create a SFTP session. I talked to the guy running the server and he said that WinSCP and another program called Chilkat. Never heard of that one. Are not supported.

From what I found the server sends a non standard header in the packet which WinSCP can't handle. So it closes the connection.

[soybean]

Found any viable solutions yet?

Why is SFTP required, as opposed to FTP?  Is regular FTP not secure enough?  I believe most web developers just use FTP.  I guess you have some sensitive data to transfer to the server.  Is that the general situation in this case?

[Spoiler]

Soybean,
Standard FTP is not secure enough for what I am doing. Its not web work. Think banking.

I am checking out coreftp. The lite version seems to be a close match to what I was doing with WinSCP.

On a side note, the way regular FTP works is to send the user name and password in clear text. After you login the data it also not protected so it is possible to capture it and read it. Using SFTP makes the whole thing encrypted.

I will let everyone know how coreFTP works out for me.