readfile...

DaveTMN

Hi !

I have a pb with the readfile function, when the file is stored on a remote server.

Actually I have the following script :

<?php
  $u = "username" ;
  $p = "password" ;
  $h = "123.123.123.123" ;
  $c = "/dir/subdir/file.txt" ;

  set_time_limit(0);
  readfile("ftp://$u:$p@$h$c") ;
?>

This code works... or not !!
And I'm not able to understand why !!!

When I set the variables to use my own FTP server, it doesnt work.
Whereas it works fine when I use any other FTP, like the one where my website is hosted...

I have checked that this file access rights are the same on my FTP server than on the other FTP server I've called for test purpose. So this is not the reason why it doesnt work.

The error I get is :
"Warning: readfile("ftp://...@.123.123.123/dir/subdir/file.txt") - No such file or directory in /www/ftp.php on line 8"

Far much weird :
when I directly enter the url "ftp://username: [email]password@123.123.123.123/dir/subdir/file.txt[/email]" in any web browser (IE, Opera, Firefox...), it works fine : I get the file !!!

So, why the same URL works when directly entered in web browser, and not when as parameter for readfile() ?!!!

FYI the file size is very small... some kB...

Any idea ? 🙁((

toplay

The manual doesn't list FTP as a supported protocol to be used with readfile() like that:
http://us2.php.net/manual/en/wrappers.php

You may want to use the FTP related functions instead:
http://us2.php.net/manual/en/ref.ftp.php#AEN49599

FYI:
http://us2.php.net/manual/en/wrappers.ftp.php

DaveTMN

Hi,

and thank you for answer.

Anyway, I'm sorry but it seems that FTP should be accepted as a parameter in readfile, no ?

Tip: You can use a URL as a filename with this function if the fopen wrappers have been enabled. See fopen() for more details on how to specify the filename and Appendix L for a list of supported URL protocols.

see here : http://fr2.php.net/readfile

Anyhow, I didn't solve my pb at all.
I'm not sure, but I'm almost convinced that readfile("ftp//...") only works with FTP passive mode connexion... which is not implemented on my FTP server.
This may explain why it doesnt work.

So, now, this is my problem.
Of course I could use PHP FTP features. But it only allows to download a file from FTP server to a local directory on PHP/Web server. But, I dont want this file to be stored on the PHP/web server, but on the client host !!!
How could I redirect the data to the client host, instead of server storage?

The only way I see is readfile... 🙁

Moreover I don't have the possibility to store this file temporary on the Web server, until it is downloaded by client host (and then delete, so).
And this would furthermore make the download time twice longer...

But, hell! there are lot of sites herearound, offering to download large files on FTP server, via web GUI !!! How is it I could not perform the same !

Any suggestion ? 😢