Implement `pscp-select-backend'.

[sgt/putty] / doc / pscp.but

diff --git a/doc/pscp.but b/doc/pscp.but
index c4ccc64..c69b022 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/pscp.but
+++ b/doc/pscp.but
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-\versionid $Id: pscp.but,v 1.26 2004/04/24 12:25:08 jacob Exp $
+\versionid $Id: pscp.but,v 1.27 2004/04/25 22:18:19 jacob Exp $

 
 \#FIXME: Need examples
 
 
 \#FIXME: Need examples
 


@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ use PSCP:
 \c   -batch    disable all interactive prompts
 \c   -unsafe   allow server-side wildcards (DANGEROUS)
 \c   -V        print version information
 \c   -batch    disable all interactive prompts
 \c   -unsafe   allow server-side wildcards (DANGEROUS)
 \c   -V        print version information

+\c   -scp      force use of SCP protocol
+\c   -sftp     force use of SFTP protocol

 
 (PSCP's interface is much like the Unix \c{scp} command, if you're
 familiar with that.)
 
 (PSCP's interface is much like the Unix \c{scp} command, if you're
 familiar with that.)


@@ -113,7 +115,8 @@ pattern.
 PSCP will attempt to use the newer SFTP protocol (part of SSH 2)
 where possible, which does not suffer from this security flaw. If
 you are talking to an SSH 2 server which supports SFTP, you will
 PSCP will attempt to use the newer SFTP protocol (part of SSH 2)
 where possible, which does not suffer from this security flaw. If
 you are talking to an SSH 2 server which supports SFTP, you will

-never see this warning.
+never see this warning. (You can force use of the SFTP protocol,
+if available, with \c{-sftp} - see \k{pscp-usage-options-backend}.)

 
 If you really need to use a server-side wildcard with an SSH 1
 server, you can use the \c{-unsafe} command line option with PSCP:
 
 If you really need to use a server-side wildcard with an SSH 1
 server, you can use the \c{-unsafe} command line option with PSCP:


@@ -222,6 +225,36 @@ This may help PSCP's behaviour when it is used in automated
 scripts: using \c{-batch}, if something goes wrong at connection
 time, the batch job will fail rather than hang.
 
 scripts: using \c{-batch}, if something goes wrong at connection
 time, the batch job will fail rather than hang.
 

+\S2{pscp-usage-options-backend}\c{-sftp}, \c{-scp} force use of
+particular protocol
+
+As mentioned in \k{pscp-usage-basics}, there are two different file
+transfer protocols in use with SSH. Despite its name, PSCP (like many
+other ostensible \cw{scp} clients) can use either of these protocols.
+
+The older SCP protocol does not have a written specification and
+leaves a lot of detail to the server platform. Wildcards are expanded
+on the server. The simple design means that any wildcard specification
+supported by the server platform (such as brace expansion) can be
+used, but also leads to interoperability issues such as with filename
+quoting (for instance, where filenames contain spaces), and also the
+security issue described in \k{pscp-usage-basics}.
+
+The newer SFTP protocol, which is usually associated with SSH 2
+servers, is specified in a more platform independent way, and leaves
+issues such as wildcard syntax up to the client. This makes it more
+consistent across platforms, more suitable for scripting and
+automation, and avoids security issues with wilcard matching.
+
+Normally PSCP will attempt to use the SFTP protocol, and only fall
+back to the SCP protocol if SFTP is not available on the server.
+
+The \c{-scp} option forces PSCP to use the SCP protocol or quit.
+
+The \c{-sftp} option forces PSCP to use the SFTP protocol or quit.
+When this option is specified, PSCP looks harder for an SFTP server,
+which may allow use of SFTP with SSH 1 depending on server setup.
+

 \S{pscp-retval} Return value
 
 PSCP returns an \cw{ERRORLEVEL} of zero (success) only if the files
 \S{pscp-retval} Return value
 
 PSCP returns an \cw{ERRORLEVEL} of zero (success) only if the files