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    Symantec bumbles: Users upset PDF Print E-mail
    Written by W. Curtis Preston   
    Wednesday, 28 May 2008
    Symantec turned off LIST access to their FTP server, forcing customer to go through their website to get patches, documentation, etc.  Click Read More to see what I think of that.

    A while ago, I posted a similar blog entry about how Symantec wasn't making it easier to patch their software.  At least we had the FTP option.  Well, apparently, they've now taken that away.  You can point your web browser to ftp://ftp.nbu.support.veritas.com, but you will be greeted with a rather non-friendly error that says that the LIST command is disabled.  You'll get the same if you login to ftp.nbu.support.veritas.com using an FTP client. This means that you'll have no choice but to use the not-so-easy-to-use web page to find ever manual and patch that you need. 

    This isn't so bad if you're downloading one or two patches.  But what if you just upgraded to 6.5.1 and want all the manuals?  You have to point and click your way through dozens of pages to get the files you want.  Prior to this change, a simple "mget *pdf" would do.

    I've heard two versions of the story behind this story.  One says that this was an accidental consequence of what supposed to be an "invisible" move to a new FTP server, and that it will be corrected.  Another says that this was done on purpose.  If that's what Symantec is telling you when YOU call, I would suggest you scream LOUDLY -- VERY LOUDLY.

    Come on Symantec.  Do the right thing.  Put the LIST command back. 

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    Tim Kimball     |2008-05-28 22:27:57
    Actually I'm surprised that they still allowed FTP.

    Sun turned off patch access from FTP years ago (in part due to Solaris 10's update model, but a well-crafted wget can go far in downloading files automatically anyway).

    EMC's public FTP site is much more restricted than it used to be when it was Legato's, and I'm sure that many can attest to Powerlink's 'so-so' interface for our download/update needs.

    So it would not surprise me if they're simply doing the same thing everyone else is. Not that I *like* that change of heart (I'm a loyal Ghost user at home), but I wish the community luck in getting FTP 'fixed.'

    --TSK
    W. Curtis Preston  - That doesn't make it right   |2008-05-29 11:08:59
    FWIW, I blasted Sun on this blog when they did that.

    Explain to me the business reason for making it harder for customers to get patches and documentation.
    Tim Kimball   |2008-05-29 12:19:22
    Never said I liked Sun's change either - pretty much our entire group has been unhappy about that since it happened (in particular since the work proxy at times will drop the end of a large HTTP download).

    Personally I think Sun has been of two minds about that, and as their recent 'open source' mentality takes root the patch/doc issues may partially revert back to the old days. I'm awaiting the results of the 'wiki' replacement for SunSolve before posting final judgement.

    --TSK
    Reed Robins  - Do I sound upset?   |2008-05-30 10:11:24
    Even more frustrating since they don't want to send the media to people either. The last client install I went to, they had to pull teeth to get the Symantec folks to send them the CD's. At another install, the only access to the servers was command-line, no gui, therefore no web access, therefore no way to get the software to the servers. Had to yell and scream to get a special ftp directory temporarily put in place to download the software via ftp. The delay to the project did not make the customer happy. At least there, I could download the patches without any grief, unlike now.

    I don't understand this trend at all. Is it that companies really don't want people to use their software? Does it suck that much? Is their licensing that weak that they think everyone will just run it illegally? What's with all the export restrictions? Are there nuclear launch sequences embedded in the coding? Do any of these measures stop any of their concerns, whatever they may be, or just hinder those of us trying to get our job done? When it's easier to get unauthorized copies via some bit torrent rather than through the appropriate channel, then it seems like something is seriously broken.

    I can only imagine that it is some prelude to LiveUpdate and if we just use that everything will magically update itself, seemlessly, while solving world hunger even.

    Sorry for the rant.
    -r
    Reed Robins  - wget for patches from symantec   |2008-05-30 14:27:50
    Since I had to go through this again today, I thought I'd share this.

    If you have wget, then create a file with a list of the files you wish to download. Here are some that I downloaded today:

    NB_ORA_6.5.1_294667.tar
    NB_JAV_6.5.1.winnt.x86_294663.exe
    NB_6.5.1A.winnt.x86_296215.exe
    NB_JAV_6.5.1_294661.tar
    NB_VLT_6.5.1_294673.tar
    NB_CLT_6.5.1_294657.tar
    NB_6.5.1.solaris_294651.tar
    NB_6.5.1.linuxR_x86_294650.tar
    NB_6.5.1.linux_294643.tar

    Then just run this:
    for i in `cat file`;do
    echo "Downloading $i"
    wget http://download1.veritas.com/support/products/NetBackup_Enterprise_Server/$i
    echo "Done with $i"
    done

    That worked for me, though it doesn't have any error checking.
    -r
    rob worman  - this change has been reverted   |2008-06-05 11:36:12
    I see that it is now once again possible to easily grab NBU patches via commandline FTP (including "ls" and "mget" capabilities)

    e.g.
    ftp ftp.support.veritas.com
    anonymous
    user@example.com
    cd /pub/support/products/NetBackup_Enterprise_Server
    ls
    mget *6.5.1*
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