I think that I have finaly figured out what is causing the PASSIVE /
PASSV FTP lockups that I have been experiencing!

I THINK IT IS THE "ERROR CHANNEL" !

When I am on a MicroSoft FTP server, and I issue an 'LS' instead of a
'DIR', I get a PASSV "lock-up" !  What I think is happening, is that
error diagnostics are being sent to a "pop-up window" on the system
console, and the process is waiting for a CLICK or a RETURN, ergo "the
hang" (real bright for a "remote" protocol to send diagnostics to the
console?...).

The solution?  Send an INTERRUPT!  A CONTROL-C or other type of "signal
break" should work both remotely and from the system console.

SO....  If you issue an LS in PASSV and the system hangs, send a
CONTROL-C, a carriage return, and then issue a DIR.

The converse must be true as well.  If you issue a DIR and the system
hangs, then send a CONTROL-C, a carriage return, and then issue a LS.

The SYSOP is probably completely unaware of this "hanging error
diagnostic window" because FTP is normally run in the background, in a
minimized window as a background task!  Who runs an FTP server in the
foreground, after all ?

That is probably why the FTP user sees nothing and experiences a hang,
because the error message is being sent to the "important person", i.e.
the server owner who bought the software, rather than the user who
actually needs the information!  I am almost sure that that's it!
It would be just like MicroSoft to do it that way!

--- ViaMAIL!/WC v1.60d