How do I zip and unzip files on my server?

[deelight]

Hello JD and all!

I use YummyFTP with an older version for more than 5 years now and am always happy with the program. Now I think about upgrading to 1.8.3 and downloaded the trial version because of it´s ability to create ZIP files on the server.

Now, how do I get ZIPs from my files? I have SoftShell access, use SFTP connection and then in YummyFTP go to the folder of the files I need to zip, activate maybe 10 files, click right, SoftShell-Commands, Create ZIP-Archive. Click.

No ZIP is created, I get the following message for each of the activated files:

.......
bash: line 0: cd: /downloads: No such file or directory
zip error: Nothing to do! (try: zip -rq P_0807_2.jpg.zip . -i P_0807_2.jpg)
.......

What do I have to do? Please notice: I am not a server geek, so please answer in easy words  Thanks!

Best regards, deelight

[JD]

I think you'll need to contact your server administrator to resolve this issue, but from what I can tell your login home directory in SFTP isn't the same as when you acces the server via shell (SoftShell). It is the latter which Yummy uses to send the zip commands to the server. So, when Yummy tells the server to look at a full path for the file to zip (/downloads in this case) the folder doesn't exist.

If you don't understand, don't worry - I'm sure the server administrator will know what I mean and how to rectify it so this will work.

Note that this is the exception - normally this feature 'just works' because the login home paths are the same.

I'm interested to know which old version of Yummy you were using? The zip feature has been there for the longest time!

[deelight]

Dear JD,

thanks for your reply. Well, I am on 1.1.5 and always have been happy with it, just checked and could not find the SoftShell commands on rightclick. Any other possibility? 

Regarding the problem - it's my server (provider managed) and I am the admin Sure, I am not a geek, but until now I could resolve all problems and with each new I am always learning...

I contacted the hotline of my server provider, they said I would need to run gzip or something similar and implement it as a file at the home directory of my server. Until now I do not know if this is correct and how to realize. Maybe also I did not understand 100% correct what they meant.

I also learned that server commands can be undertaken by the use of MAC Terminal, but in this particular case trying around without exactly knowing what one is doing might not be the perfect way to learn 

So, if you have an idea what needs to be done to correct the path so that YummyFTP works please let me know.

Thanks & best regards!

deelight

[JD]

From what your provider is saying it sounds like you would need to install the zip program 'gzip' before you could create and expand zip archives. That normally comes as standard, but your provider should help you do that.

Once that hurdle is out of the way, the issue with zip files directly in Yummy is to do with SSH vs SFTP access to the server.

When Yummy is performing the zip function, it is actually not using SFTP to do this at all - behind the scenes it opens an SSH connection and issues the exact same commands that you would enter if you were using the Mac Terminal app.

And this is where the problem lies:

When connecting via SFTP the connected directory end up as (for example):

/users/yourname/sftp/home/

And when connecting via SSH it might be (again just an example):

/users/yourname/

So you can imagine that if there is a 'downloads' folder inside 'home', when Yummy connects via SSH there is no folder called 'downloads'

Now, if both home folders were the same on both SFTP and SSH then it would work.

Again, I don't know how to set both home folders the same for your server, but I expect your server provider will be able to tell you.

[deelight]

Alright, thanks, it seems that my provider is the one to speek to... Hotlines are not really my favourite partners when it comes to solving problems... I will keep you updated what happens.

Thanks & best regards, deelight