@jalsoedesign/dockline-cli

The dockline terminal command for FTP, FTPS and SFTP: download, upload, list and remove files using a YAML connection. Part of Dockline.

Install

Install the CLI and selected protocol clients from npm. For development, use build from source.

Global terminal command

npm i -g @jalsoedesign/dockline-cli @jalsoedesign/dockline-ftp-client @jalsoedesign/dockline-sftp-client
dockline --help

Keep only the FTP or SFTP client if one protocol is enough. The dockline command is available on your terminal's path after a global installation.

Local project dependency

npm i @jalsoedesign/dockline-cli @jalsoedesign/dockline-sftp-client
npm exec -- dockline --help

Use @jalsoedesign/dockline-ftp-client instead for FTP/FTPS. In npm scripts, use dockline directly; from an ordinary terminal, prefix the commands below with npm exec -- after a local install. Install the CLI and selected clients in the same location: a global CLI uses globally installed clients, while a local CLI uses its project's clients.

Core and abstract are required dependencies. Protocol clients are optional peers, so Dockline does not install either unless selected. Help and version work without a client or configuration file.

Download a file

Create dockline.server.yml:

version: 1
connection:
    protocol: ftp
    host: ${FTP_HOST}
    username: ${FTP_USERNAME}
    password: ${FTP_PASSWORD}

Set the environment variables, then run the installed executable:

dockline download --source-file "/home/ftp/blabla.txt" --destination-file "blabla.txt" --config dockline.server.yml

The source is remote; the destination is local. Missing local parent directories are created. Downloads refuse to replace an existing local file unless --overwrite replace is selected. Use ftps or ftps-implicit when your server supports TLS.

Everyday commands

dockline upload -s "./hello.txt" -d "/home/ftp/hello.txt"
dockline list -p "/home/ftp"
dockline list -p "/home/ftp" --recursive
dockline remove -p "/home/ftp/hello.txt"
dockline --help

Uploads replace by default, matching the SDK. SFTP supports --overwrite fail; portable FTP rejects that no-replace policy. Removing a nonempty directory requires --recursive. --no-recursive can override configured recursion. Recursive jobs default to 32 levels and 100000 examined entries; incomplete removal inventories are rejected before deletion, while failures during deletion can leave partial results. Remote root, dot, parent-traversal and symlink/special removal targets are refused.

--config defaults to dockline.server.yml. Advanced options live in YAML. Flags override command-specific YAML, then shared defaults, then connection operation settings. Local paths in YAML resolve from the config directory; local paths passed as flags resolve from the working directory. A leading / selects an absolute remote path.

SFTP uses managed host trust by default: interactive unknown-host approval can be remembered, unknown noninteractive hosts and changed keys are rejected. For automation, configure connection.trust.fingerprint with an independently verified fingerprint. Quiet mode still permits interactive host approval; JSON mode and piped runs do not prompt. The CLI does not prompt for passwords.

--json provides structured results for scripts; --quiet suppresses routine human output. Exit codes are 0 success, 1 transfer/connection error, 2 usage/configuration error and 130 cancellation. Cleanup completes before the executable exits.

See commands, configuration, CLI integration and the sample YAML files in this package's examples/ directory.