FTP Protocol Related Documents

RFC	Title	Date
The assignment of version numbers and brief comments for each are intended to assist the reader; the FTP does not use version numbers in the actual specifications.  View the version numbers as indications of compatibility; a change in the major version number indicates the protocol was changed significantly enough that newer servers and clients would, most likely, be unable to communicate with older ones. At times, discussion was about future work rather than the existing specification.  Scribe lines separate comments about the existing specification (which appears above the comment) and discussions about future work (which appears below). Boldface indicates current RFCs which describe the current protocol specification. Note the RFCs are ordered by date, not number.  This was a result of the RFC Editor assigning numbers to un-published documents; a practice which has since ceased.
Version 1
This was not so much a specification as a proposal that some form of File Transfer Protocol be developed.  As follow-up comments show, while there was some discussion about how the protocol would work, and it was viewed more as an example than an actual specification.
0114	File Transfer Protocol	Apr-10-1971
0133	File Transfer and Recovery	Apr-27-1971
0141	Comments on RFC 114: A File Transfer Protocol	Apr-29-1971
0163	Data transfer protocols	May-19-1971
Version 2
This represents the first actual attempt to specify a fully working File Transfer Protocol.  The separation into two protocols can be viewed as an early recognition that some form of generalized, reliable data transfer was needed.  This could be viewed as an early attempt at what will eventually become TCP.
0171	The Data Transfer Protocol	Jun-01-1971
0172	The File Transfer Protocol	Jun-23-1971
0238	Comments on DTP and FTP proposals	Sep-29-1971
0250	Some thoughts on file transfer	Oct-07-1971
0269	Some Experience with File Transfer	Dec-06-1971
0281	Suggested addition to File Transfer Protocol	Dec-08-1971
Version 2.1
As work on the protocol progressed, the earlier specification was re-written to include the experiences and observations, and to clarify or correct errors.
0265	THE FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL	Dec-17-1971
0264	The Data Transfer Protocol	Jan-04-1972
0294	The Use of "Set Data Type" Transaction in File Transfer Protocol	Jan-25-1972
0309	Data and File Transfer Workshop Announcement	Mar-17-1972
0310	Another Look at Data and File Transfer Protocols	Apr-03-1972
0327	Data and File Transfer workshop notes	Apr-27-1972
Version 3
The major changes here were to eliminate DTP in favor of the TELNET protocol, and to begin using human-readable ASCII commands over a TELNET control connection.
0354	File Transfer Protocol	Jul-08-1972
0385	Comments on the File Transfer Protocol	Aug-18-1972
0418 (not online)	Server file transfer under TSS/360 at NASA Ames	Nov-27-1972
0414	File Transfer Protocol (FTP) status and further comments	Dec-29-1972
0438	FTP server-server interaction	Jan-15-1973
0430	Comments on File Transfer Protocol	Feb-07-1973
Version 3.1
RFC 454 was never adopted as an "official" release.  Most of the discussion which follows was spurred by the impending change of the TELNET specification; which was probably also the reason RFC 454 was never adopted.
0454	File Transfer Protocol - meeting announcement and a new proposed document	Feb-16-1973
0458	Mail retrieval via FTP	Feb-20-1973
0463	FTP comments and response to RFC 430	Feb-21-1973
0448	Print files in FTP	Feb-27-1973
0475 (not online)	FTP and network mail system	Mar-06-1973
0468	FTP data compression	Mar-08-1973
0480	Host-dependent FTP parameters	Mar-08-1973
0486	Data transfer revisited	Mar-20-1973
0478	FTP server-server interaction - II	Mar-26-1973
0487	Free file transfer	Apr-06-1973
0501	Un-muddling "free file transfer"	May-11-1973
0505	Two solutions to a file transfer access problem	Jun-25-1973
0520	Memo to FTP group: Proposal for File Access Protocol	Jun-25-1973
0506	FTP command naming problem	Jun-26-1973
0532	UCSD-CC Server-FTP facility	Jul-12-1973
Version 4
The main reason for this rewrite was a major change of the TELNET protocol.  Some RFCs refer to older specifications as "FTP-1" and to this and later ones as "FTP-2".  This also marks the point at which the FTP listening socket was placed on port 21.  (FTP was originally on port 3.)  The move to port 21 was considered temporary, while the change-over to the new TELNET was rolled out; but, as we've seen the move became permanent.
0542	File Transfer Protocol	Jul-12-1973
0535 (not online)	Comments on File Access Protocol	Jul-25-1973
0573 (not online)	Data and file transfer: Some measurement results	Sep-14-1973
0571 (not online)	Tenex FTP problem	Nov-15-1973
0593	Telnet and FTP implementation schedule change	Nov-29-1973
0607	Comments on the File Transfer Protocol	Jan-07-1974
0614	Response to RFC 607: "Comments on the File Transfer Protocol"	Jan-28-1974
0624	Comments on the File Transfer Protocol	Feb-28-1974
0630	FTP error code usage for more reliable mail service	Apr-10-1974
0640	Revised FTP reply codes	Jun-05-1974
0662	Performance improvement in ARPANET file transfers from Multics	Nov-26-1974
0683	FTPSRV - Tenex extension for paged files	Apr-03-1975
0686	Leaving well enough alone	May-10-1975
0691	One more try on the FTP	May-28-1975
0697	CWD command of FTP	Jul-14-1975
0737	FTP extension: XSEN	Oct-31-1977
0743	FTP extension: XRSQ/XRCP	Dec-30-1977
0751	Survey of FTP mail and MLFL	Dec-10-1978
Version 5
The major changes in this rewrite were the switch to using TCP/IP instead of ICP and NCP, and the addition of mail-oriented commands.
0765	File Transfer Protocol specification	Jun-01-1980
0775	Directory oriented FTP commands	Dec-01-1980
0949	FTP unique-named store command	Jul-01-1985
Version 5.1
This revision adds several commands having to do with directory structure on the server, and eliminates the mail-related commands.
0959	File Transfer Protocol	Oct-01-1985
1122	Requirements for Internet hosts - communication layers	Oct-01-1989
1123	Requirements for Internet hosts - application and support	Oct-01-1989
1127	Perspective on the Host Requirements RFCs	Oct-01-1989
1545	FTP Operation Over Big Address Records (FOOBAR)	Nov-1989
1579	Firewall-Friendly FTP	Feb-1994
1639	FTP Operation Over Big Address Records (FOOBAR)	Jun-1994
2228	FTP Security Extensions	Oct-1997
2389	Feature negotiation mechanism for the File Transfer Protocol	Aug-1998
2428	FTP Extensions for IPv6 and NATs	Sep-1998
2640	Internationalization of the File Transfer Protocol	Jul-1999
2773	Encryption using KEA and SKIPJACK	Feb-2000
IETF FTP Working Group Draft Specifications
These are not RFCs; they are works-in-process which represent new features being considered. Boldface indicates drafts which can be expected to proceed to RFC "PROPOSED STANDARD" status.
mlst	Extensions to FTP Summary In order to overcome the problems caused by the undefined format of the current FTP LIST command output, a new command is needed to transfer standardized listing information from Server-FTP to User- FTP. Commands to enable this are defined in this document. In order to allow consenting clients and servers to interact more freely, a quite basic, and optional, virtual file store structure is defined. This proposal also extends the FTP protocol to allow character sets other than US-ASCII[1] by allowing the transmission of 8-bit characters and the recommended use of UTF-8[2] encoding. Much implemented, but long undocumented, mechanisms to permit restarts of interrupted data transfers in STREAM mode, are also included here.	Apr-2002
ftp-ssl	Securing FTP with TLS Summary This document describes a mechanism that can be used by FTP clients and servers to implement security and authentication using the TLS protocol defined by [RFC-2246] and the extensions to the FTP protocol defined by [RFC-2228]. It describes the subset of the extensions that are required and the parameters to be used; discusses some of the policy issues that clients and servers will need to take; considers some of the implications of those policies and discusses some expected behaviours of implementations to allow interoperation. This document is intended to provide TLS support for FTP in a similar way to that provided for SMTP in [RFC-2487].	Oct-2002
ftpext-utf-8	UTF-8 Option for FTP Summary This document specifies an extension to the File Transfer Protocol(FTP) which provides for inter-operation between existingimplementations and those supporting the exchange of UTF-8 encodedpathnames, and clarifies certain issues involved with UTF-8 encoding.It introduces a new option, UTF-8, negotiated by use of the OPTScommand. Through use of this option, the user informs the server ofits willingness to accept UTF-8 encoded pathnames. The proposedextension requires that neither party transmit UTF-8 encodedpathnames without having first successfully negotiated this option.	May-2002
conn-assure	FTP Data Connection Assurance Summary This document specifies an extension to the File Transfer Protocol(FTP) by which a user and server can exchange data port connectioninformation which may then be used to provide connection assurance.Two new commands are introduced. Through use of these commands andtheir replies, the user and server exchange information allowingverification of the socket addresses for a data connection prior toactual data transmission over the connection.Implementation of this extension is RECOMMENDED.	May-2002
TLS-FIREWALL	TP/TLS Friendly Firewalls Summary This document discusses some of the issues with running FTP, secured with TLS as defined in [FTP-TLS], through firewalls. FTP is known to be a bit of a problem for firewalls (see [RFC-1579] for a discussion of normal FTP and firewalls). Some of the problems have been fixed by adding intelligence into the firewall. With secured FTP, where the control connection is encrypted, some of these techniques fail. Whilst this document confines itself to issues of FTP over TLS, the issues will probably be relevant for most secured FTP protocols that conform to [RFC-2228]. Some of the discussions will also be relevant to any protocol that firewalls do clever things with.	June-2002
ftpmd5	The 'MD5' and 'MMD5' FTP Command Extensions Summary This document specifies two additions to the File Transfer Protocol(FTP). These additions (new Server commands) would give FTP Servers the ability to generate (or otherwise obtain) and return MD5 checksums for the files it has available for transfer.It is the author's belief that this would provide a great benefitto the Internet community, because it would allow automatedtransfer agents, as well as Web Browsers and other'click-to-download' applications to be able to automatically verifythe data of a downloaded file, and hence be able to detect any datatampering and/or corruption that may occurred while 'on the wire',or possibly while the file was on the Server (a virus infection).	May-2002
Miscellaneous
These RFCs do not pertain directly to the evolution of the FTP.  They do, however, contain information which may be of interest to users and developers.
0412	User FTP Documentation	Nov-27-1972
0479	Use of FTP by the NIC Journal	Mar-08-1973
0913	Simple File Transfer Protocol	Sep-01-1984
1068	Background File Transfer Program (BFTP)	Aug-1998
1635	How to Use Anonymous FTP	May-1994
2415	Simulation Studies of Increased Initial TCP Window Size	Sep-1998
2577	FTP Security Considerations	May-1999
These are the URL specifications.  They do not effect FTP server implementations, but those working on clients or proxies should consider them.
1630	Universal Resource Identifiers in WWW	Jun-1994
1737	Functional Requirements for Uniform Resource Names	Dec-1994
1738	Uniform Resource Locators (URL)	Dec-1994
1736	Functional Recommendations for Internet Resource Locators	Feb-1995
1808	Relative Uniform Resource Locators	Jun-1995
2141	URN Syntax	May-1997
2368	The mailto URL scheme	Jul-1998
2396	Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI): Generic Syntax	Aug-1998

These are other FTP related informational resources. Those working on ftp related software review them.

FTPEXT Working Group Charter

FTPEXT Working Group Hope Page

FTP: File Transfer Protocol (Dan Bernstein)