Linux – wget FTP: how to recursively download a whole directory WITHOUT .listing files

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I want to download a whole directory from my FTP server, and it can be done by using wget with -m option. 

wget -m --ftp-user=aaaa --ftp-password=bbbb ftp://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/dir

However, I noticed that .listing files are created under all directories, and I don't want these files. I learned that wget has the option --no-remove-listing, but it seems there is no option to do the opposite. Is it possible to mirror directories without creating the .listing files? Or, is there any better tool than wget?

Best Answer

I learned that wget has the option --no-remove-listing, but it seems there is no option to do the opposite.

There's no need for such option. You just don't use --no-remove-listing. In your case this option is implicitly set because of -m.

From man 1 wget:

-m
--mirror
Turn on options suitable for mirroring. This option turns on recursion and time-stamping, sets infinite recursion depth and keeps FTP directory listings. It is currently equivalent to -r -N -l inf --no-remove-listing.

Conclusion: instead of -m use equivalent options without --no-remove-listing, i.e. -r -N -l inf:

wget -r -N -l inf --ftp-user=aaaa --ftp-password=bbbb ftp://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/dir

Another approach: curlftpfs (with cp or whatever). See this answer of mine.

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