< networking > An interactive service provided by many Internet hosts allowing any user to transfer documents, files, programs, and other archived data using File Transfer Protocol . The user logs in using the special user name "ftp" or "anonymous" and his e-mail address as password . He then has access to a special directory hierarchy containing the publically accessible files, typically in a subdirectory called "pub". This is usually a separate area from files used by local users.
A reference like
ftp: euagate.eua.ericsson.se /pub/eua/erlang/info
means that files are available by anonymous FTP from the host called euagate.eua.ericsson.se in the directory (or file) /pub/eua/erlang/info. Sometimes the hostname will be followed by an Internet address in parentheses. The directory will usually be given as a path relative to the anonymous FTP login directory. A reference to a file available by FTP may also be in the form of a URL starting "ftp:".
See also Archie , archive site , EFS , FTP by mail , World-Wide Web .
(1995-11-26)