Can Rclone mount FTP servers as local drives without sync?

Is that what youre looking for?

what is the output rclone ls?

C:\Users\Oliver>rclone ls
Usage:
rclone ls remote:path [flags]

Flags:
-h, --help help for ls

Use "rclone [command] --help" for more information about a command.
Use "rclone help flags" for to see the global flags.
Use "rclone help backends" for a list of supported services.
Command ls needs 1 arguments minimum: you provided 0 non flag arguments: []

C:\Users\Oliver>
C:\Users\Oliver>rclone ls remote:
2019/09/25 22:44:04 Failed to create file system for "remote:": didn't find section in config file

as i mentioned before you can mount anything.

  1. you have run rclone config and add the ftp server as a remote
  2. run the command rclone ls on the remote that you created in step 1.

But like, doesn't the outputs I get below sort of mean I got a remote ( already went through configuring a remote following the example (and applying my own credentials ofc) at https://rclone.org/ftp/ ?

C:\Users\Oliver>rclone config
Current remotes:

Name Type
==== ====
rclone n ftp

e) Edit existing remote
n) New remote
d) Delete remote
r) Rename remote
c) Copy remote
s) Set configuration password
q) Quit config
e/n/d/r/c/s/q> e
Choose a number from below, or type in an existing value
1 > rclone n
remote>

Or have I done something wrong somewhere?

C:\Users\Oliver>rclone config
Current remotes:

    Name                 Type
    ====                 ====
    rclone n             ftp

    e) Edit existing remote
    n) New remote
    d) Delete remote
    r) Rename remote
    c) Copy remote
    s) Set configuration password
    q) Quit config
    e/n/d/r/c/s/q> e
    Choose a number from below, or type in an existing value
     1 > rclone n
    remote> 1
    --------------------
    [rclone n]
    type = ftp
    host = A
    user = Little
    port = Private
    pass = *** ENCRYPTED ***
    --------------------
    Edit remote
    ** See help for ftp backend at: https://rclone.org/ftp/ **

    Value "host" = "Sort"
    Edit? (y/n)>
    y) Yes
    n) No
    y/n> n
    Value "user" = "Of"
    Edit? (y/n)>
    y) Yes
    n) No
    y/n> n
    Value "port" = "A"
    Edit? (y/n)>
    y) Yes
    n) No
    y/n> n
    Value "pass" = "Little private"
    Edit? (y/n)>
    y) Yes
    n) No
    y/n> n
    Value "tls" = ""
    Edit? (y/n)>
    y) Yes
    n) No
    y/n> n
    Edit advanced config? (y/n)
    y) Yes
    n) No
    y/n> y
    Value "concurrency" = ""
    Edit? (y/n)>
    y) Yes
    n) No
    y/n> n
    Value "no_check_certificate" = ""
    Edit? (y/n)>
    y) Yes
    n) No
    y/n> n
    --------------------
    [rclone n]
    type = ftp
    host = pri
    user = va
    port = te
    pass = *** ENCRYPTED ***
    --------------------
    y) Yes this is OK
    e) Edit this remote
    d) Delete this remote
    y/e/d>

delete that remote you created, it will not work.

let's create a new remote.
for name type test and press enter
for storage type 10 and press enter
for host type the exact name of the ftp server and press enter. the exact same server you used to setup with that cyperduck software, for example ftp.server.com
for user type the exact same username and press enter. the same username you used to setup with the cyperduck software
for port, type the exact same port you used to setup with the cyperduck software, usually it is 21 and press enter.
for ftp password, type y and press enter
for password, type in the exact password and press enter you used to setup cyberduck
you will need to confirm that password, so type the password again and press enter
for Use FTP over TLS, you will need to type true or false and press enter.
for advanced config, type n and press enter
review the info and if it is correct type y and press enter
type q and press enter

now hopefully, you have created the remote so now run this command

rclone ls test:

and you should get a list of folders in the ftp server.

You probably need some concrete examples. Here is how I would do it...

1 - Go through config and make a FTP remote. I name this new remote MyFTP, so this will be what rclone knows it as.

2 - Now I mount it in command-line (or script if im feeling like I want to automate it). I will use a command something like this:

rclone mount MyFTP:\WillysFiles\ X;

This mounts the new rmote I just configured (MyFTP) to act as a windows drive X:
BUt the FTP contains some files for me, and for other people, so I don't just use MyFTP, but MyFTP:\WillysFiles\ so I work on just that folder and it's subfolders.

3 - Use the drive like any other harddrive in windows - through explorer.

Does that make it any clearer?
The error you saw from

remote:path/to/files X:

was because you had no remote named "remote" in your configuration. That is just an example. you have to use the name of the remote you configured (the name is chosen as step#1 when you set up a new remote)

path\to\files just means you can mount a folder on the remote instead of the whole thing.
So if I wanted to make Y: be just for pictures I could do:

mount MyFTP:\Stigmafiles\pictures\secretpornstash Y:

Ah you were right, now that I made a new remote it listed the files on the FTP in the cmd prompt on rclone Is test: :smiley:

So I guess its time to try mounting now, Idk what was up with the one I created tho, I did basically the same thing, lel

excellent, cheers for beers.

now try

rclone mount test: x:

or

rclone mount test:\world x:

C:\Users\Oliver>rclone mount test: Z:
The service rclone has been started.

And then when I go to File Explorer > This PC the drive has appeared and I can see the files from the FTP when opening it :slight_smile:

Do you know if theres a way to make Cmd prompt automatically run the "rclone mount test: Z:" cmd once I open it from a spesefic file or so? (Idk if thats what .bat files are maybe?) so that I dont need to run this cmd every time I want to access a FTP

great.

anything else i can help you with?

Yeah I put a question right above

Yeah lol I didn't realise you were supposed to replace remote lol, I thought it was something in style with a flag, heh

about the .bat file, i will explain that for you but let's not use .bat, instead use .cmd

for a .cmd file is just a text file with a list of command that you would type manually from the command prompt.

in the same folder as rclone.exe create a text file named test.cmd and type the following in it, save the file and then double click it from windows explorer. make sure the name is exactly test.cmd, not test.cmd.txt.

dir
echo cheers for beers
rclone ls test:
pause

Yeah that does something, loads up the FTP files in the prompt and then pauses

What does dir do? ah nvm, it just displays the system directories, no? lol

in just a few minutes:

  1. you create a remote in rclone.
  2. you mounted that remote and you can see it in explorer.
  3. you create a .cmd batch file
  4. you executed a .cmd batch file.

instead of spending money on the cyperduck mount product.

so take a moment and be very happy.

Yeah I am, this feels quite convenient, and I feel this software probably have a lot more features, I dont think I have any more questions for now so thanks for all your help <3

This is exactly how I wanted it to work