up/download via sftp does not work against OpenVMS servers

[Rainer Hochschild]

Up/downloading files via sftp does not work against an OpenVMS server. The messages listed below show the behavior when trying to download a single file (login.com;3) using sftp (not successful) and via ftp (successful, using the same host). Real usernames/hostnames/IPs have been replaced by dummy values. Opening connections via sftp does work and the directory content of the initial server side directory is correctly listed. However, traversing the directory tree on the server does not work, reporting similar error messages (wrong server side path specs).

Messages for sftp (unsuccessful)

Status: Disconnected from server
Status: Connecting to myHost.de...
Response: fzSftp started
Command: open "myAccount@…" 22
Command: Pass: *
Status: Connected to myHost.de
Status: Retrieving directory listing...
Command: pwd
Response: Current directory is: "/QS$DISK/TEST"
Status: Directory listing successful
Status: Connecting to myHost.de...
Response: fzSftp started
Command: open "myAccount@…" 22
Command: Pass: *
Status: Connected to myHost.de
Status: Starting download of QS$DISK/TESTLOGIN.COM;3
Command: cd "QS$DISK/TEST"
Error: Directory /QS$DISK/TEST/QS$DISK/TEST: no such file or directory
Command: mtime "QS$DISK/TESTLOGIN.COM;3"
Error: get attrs for /QS$DISK/TEST/QS$DISK/TESTLOGIN.COM;3: no such file or directory
Command: get "QS$DISK/TESTLOGIN.COM;3" "C:\tmp\LOGIN.COM;3"
Error: /QS$DISK/TEST/QS$DISK/TESTLOGIN.COM;3: open for read: no such file or directory

Messages for ftp (successful)

Status: Resolving address of myHost.de
Status: Connecting to 10.10.10.10:21...
Status: Connection established, waiting for welcome message...
Response: 220 myHost.de FTP Server (Version 5.6) Ready.
Command: USER myAccount
Response: 331 Username myAccount requires a Password
Command: PASS *
Response: 230 User logged in.
Command: SYST
Response: 200 VMS OpenVMS V8.3 on node myHost.de.
Command: FEAT
Response: 502 FEAT is unimplemented.
Status: Connected
Status: Retrieving directory listing...
Command: PWD
Response: 257 "QS$DISK:[TEST]" is current directory.
Command: TYPE I
Response: 200 TYPE set to IMAGE.
Command: PASV
Response: 227 Entering Passive Mode (10,10,10,10,251,166)
Command: LIST
Response: 150 Opening data connection for QS$DISK:[TEST]*.*;* (11.11.11.11,3255)
Response: 226 LIST Directory transfer complete.
Status: Directory listing successful
Status: Resolving address of myHost.de
Status: Connecting to 10.10.10.10:21...
Status: Connection established, waiting for welcome message...
Response: 220 myHost.de FTP Server (Version 5.6) Ready.
Command: USER myAccount
Response: 331 Username myAccount requires a Password
Command: PASS *
Response: 230 User logged in.
Status: Connected
Status: Starting download of QS$DISK:[TEST]LOGIN.COM;3
Command: CWD QS$DISK:[TEST]
Response: 250-CWD command successful.
Response: 250 New default directory is QS$DISK:[TEST]
Command: PWD
Response: 257 "QS$DISK:[TEST]" is current directory.
Command: TYPE A
Response: 200 TYPE set to ASCII.
Command: PASV
Response: 227 Entering Passive Mode (10,10,10,10,251,167)
Command: RETR LOGIN.COM;3
Response: 150 Opening data connection for QS$DISK:[TEST]LOGIN.COM;3 (11.11.11.11,3257) (2688 bytes)
Response: 226 Transfer complete.
Status: File transfer successful

[Rainer Hochschild]

FileZilla client version is 3.3.1 (using the PortableApps version).

[Tim Kosse]

Command: pwd
Response: Current directory is: "/QS$DISK/TEST"

Status: Starting download of QS$DISK/TESTLOGIN.COM;3
Command: cd "QS$DISK/TEST"

Your server appears to be using a proper UNIX style path syntax, yet you seem to have manually forced FileZilla to use VMS as path syntax. Is that intended?

[Tim Kosse]

Remark: Damn Trac is converting square brackets into wiki links...

[Rainer Hochschild]

In the site manager, the connection is configured to be servertype VMS. My first guess is that the extra path translation normally applied for VMS is incorrect (or only partially/not required) when using sftp. Right after your question, I have reconfigured the servertype to be autodetect and then almost everything works correctly, i.e. file upload/download, except the display/interpretation of the server directory tree. Traversing the tree works but the currently selected directory is displayed twice (e.g. one named test and the second one named TEST.DIR;1).

[Rainer Hochschild]

I can't rule out this assumption since I am not able to completely disable the virus scanner but I have strong doubts that this is the correct explanation.
The scan engine has been replaced in the meantime (this issue is 4 years old!) and the problem still persists. I have rerun the basic scenario again and attached the corresponding log. In the first part, the target server is configured as a VMS host and the chdir operation fails. In the second part, the target server is configured to use autodetection for the host type and then the chdir operation works. Please doublecheck the way the target directory path is concatenated in both scenarios. I don't believe this is due to some scan engine interaction. There are obvious syntax errors in the VMS path that is created (the correct native VMS path is QS$DISK:[hochrai.tools] aka /qs$disk/hochrai/tools).
Have you ever had the chance to run FileZilla against a VMS (OpenVMS) host? Do you know VMS path specifiers?

2014-01-02 10:39:58 33408 5 Status: Verbinde mit myHost.de...
2014-01-02 10:39:58 33408 5 Antwort: fzSftp started
2014-01-02 10:39:58 33408 5 Befehl: open "hochrai@…" 22
2014-01-02 10:39:59 33408 5 Befehl: Pass:
2014-01-02 10:39:59 33408 5 Status: Connected to myHost.de
2014-01-02 10:39:59 33408 5 Status: Empfange Verzeichnisinhalt...
2014-01-02 10:39:59 33408 5 Befehl: pwd
2014-01-02 10:39:59 33408 5 Antwort: Current directory is: "/QS$DISK/hochrai"
2014-01-02 10:39:59 33408 5 Befehl: ls
2014-01-02 10:39:59 33408 5 Status: Listing directory /QS$DISK/hochrai
2014-01-02 10:39:59 33408 5 Status: Berechne Zeitzonenabweichung des Servers...
2014-01-02 10:39:59 33408 5 Befehl: mtime "TCPIP$SSH_SFTP-SERVER2.LOG;19"
2014-01-02 10:39:59 33408 5 Antwort: 1388655535
2014-01-02 10:39:59 33408 5 Status: Zeitzonenabweichungen: Server: 0 Sekunden. Lokal: 3600 Sekunden. Differenz: 3600 Sekunden.
2014-01-02 10:39:59 33408 5 Status: Anzeigen des Verzeichnisinhalts abgeschlossen
2014-01-02 10:40:07 33408 5 Status: Empfange Verzeichnisinhalt...
2014-01-02 10:40:07 33408 5 Befehl: cd "[/QS$DISK/hochrai.TOOLS^.DIR]"
2014-01-02 10:40:07 33408 5 Fehler: Directory /QS$DISK/hochrai/[/QS$DISK/hochrai.TOOLS^.DIR]: no such file or directory
2014-01-02 10:40:07 33408 5 Fehler: Verzeichnisinhalt konnte nicht empfangen werden
2014-01-02 10:41:36 33408 5 Status: Verbindung zum Server getrennt

2014-01-02 10:42:13 33408 5 Status: Verbinde mit myHost.de...
2014-01-02 10:42:13 33408 5 Antwort: fzSftp started
2014-01-02 10:42:13 33408 5 Befehl: open "hochrai@…" 22
2014-01-02 10:42:14 33408 5 Befehl: Pass:
2014-01-02 10:42:14 33408 5 Status: Connected to myHost.de
2014-01-02 10:42:14 33408 5 Status: Empfange Verzeichnisinhalt...
2014-01-02 10:42:14 33408 5 Befehl: pwd
2014-01-02 10:42:14 33408 5 Antwort: Current directory is: "/QS$DISK/hochrai"
2014-01-02 10:42:14 33408 5 Befehl: ls
2014-01-02 10:42:14 33408 5 Status: Listing directory /QS$DISK/hochrai
2014-01-02 10:42:15 33408 5 Status: Berechne Zeitzonenabweichung des Servers...
2014-01-02 10:42:15 33408 5 Befehl: mtime "TCPIP$SSH_SFTP-SERVER2.LOG;20"
2014-01-02 10:42:15 33408 5 Antwort: 1388655696
2014-01-02 10:42:15 33408 5 Status: Zeitzonenabweichungen: Server: 0 Sekunden. Lokal: 3600 Sekunden. Differenz: 3600 Sekunden.
2014-01-02 10:42:15 33408 5 Status: Anzeigen des Verzeichnisinhalts abgeschlossen
2014-01-02 10:42:20 33408 5 Status: Empfange Verzeichnisinhalt...
2014-01-02 10:42:20 33408 5 Befehl: cd "/QS$DISK/hochrai/TOOLS.DIR;1"
2014-01-02 10:42:20 33408 5 Antwort: New directory is: "/QS$DISK/hochrai/tools"
2014-01-02 10:42:20 33408 5 Befehl: ls
2014-01-02 10:42:20 33408 5 Status: Listing directory /QS$DISK/hochrai/tools
2014-01-02 10:42:20 33408 5 Status: Anzeigen des Verzeichnisinhalts abgeschlossen
2014-01-02 10:42:20 33408 5 Status: Anzeigen des Verzeichnisinhalts abgeschlossen
2014-01-02 10:42:28 33408 5 Status: Verbindung zum Server getrennt