binary Verified current stable Not installed? Networking

Binary / Switch To Binary Transfer Mode

Switch To Binary Transfer Mode

Switch to binary transfer mode, allowing the transfer of non-text files such as images or executables.

$
Terminal
binary

When To Use

When transferring binary files to prevent corruption due to encoding issues.

Pro Tip

Use 'binary' mode before initiating any transfer to avoid data loss, especially when dealing with large files. There’s an undocumented flag '-v' that enables verbose output during transfers, useful for debugging.

Anatomy of Output

Understanding the result

200 Switching to Binary mode. Response Code

Indicates that the server has accepted the command.

226 Transfer complete. Completion Message

Confirms that the binary file was successfully transferred.

Power User Variants

Optimized versions

binary -v

Activate verbose output for tracking issues during the transfer.

Troubleshooting

Common pitfalls

500 Illegal PORT command.

Solution: Ensure the correct data port is active.

425 Can't open data connection.

Solution: Check firewall settings that may block data transfer.

553 Can't rename file: Permission denied.

Solution: Verify file permissions on the server.

Command Breakdown

What each part is doing

binary
Base Command
The executable that performs this operation. Here it runs Binary before the shell applies any redirect operators.

Alternative Approaches

Comparable commands in other tools

Alternative networking tools for the same job.