[bug-inetutils] de facto standards: -p and passive connections

[uzs33d]

Package: inetutils-ftp
Version: 1.4.2
Severity: normal

I'm firewalled. After updating the system and having inetutils-ftp
installed, all our ftp scripts stopped working and we were puzzled.
We need to initiate passive ftp connections, and our scripts did this by 
calling "ftp -p ...". Inetutils-ftp accepts the -p switch, so we didn't 
get a error message, but it uses this -p swith for setting the ftp 
command line prompt, a relatively unimportant feature in my opinion.

I think you can pretty much say that -p is the de facto standard option 
for initiating a passive connection for ftp programs. I would like to 
urge you to

1) add at least some switch for initiating passive connections other 
than at the ftp prompt, as this makes scripting much easier.

2) please consider using "-p" for this switch, as this increases 
compatibility and is a pseudo-standard for ftp programs.

Thanks,

Josh Buhl