macOS Automator + Applescript > copy files from folder

[belgrowa]

I want to make backup of remote ftp folder to local folder. In Automator, I had an applescript that mount my remote ftp:

on run {input, parameters}
#Connect to server
tell application "Finder"
mount volume "ftp://server_name/path_to_folder/img" as user name "user_name" with password "password"
end tell
return input
end run

It Is working - my remote ftp is mounted.

What next step to use to copy the contents of the "img" folder to my local folder? Automator "Copy Finder items" not work. I get error "Copy the Finder stuff was not delivered with the required data".

Please help.

 

[kryten2]

Why not use a dedicated ftp program to do this? I gave up on Automator as I don't have time to test things. Here's an AppleScript example :

-- Connect to server, Mount the volume
set fileSpecifierForMountedVolume to (mount volume "ftp://192.168.204.1/Afbeeldingen/Webcam" as user name "******" with password "*******") --as alias

-- Get users pictures folder path as an example
set picturesFolderPath to path to pictures folder

-- Duplicate the stuff using the Finder
tell application "Finder"
    -- Duplicate every file of folder fileSpecifierForMountedVolume to folder picturesFolderPath
    duplicate files of folder fileSpecifierForMountedVolume to picturesFolderPath
    -- Duplicate folder Webcam to folder picturesFolderPath
    duplicate fileSpecifierForMountedVolume to picturesFolderPath
end tell

Note : The Copy Finder Items needs files/folders as input. I'm also guessing that the Run Applescript action is the first one and it receives no input yet you return input in the handler.

 

[belgrowa]

Kryten2 Thanks! But in my case, this work:

-- Connect to server, Mount the volume
set fileSpecifierForMountedVolume to (mount volume "
mount volume "ftp://192.168.204.1/Afbeeldingen/Webcam" as user name "******" with password "*******"
) --as alias

-- Get users pictures folder path as an example
set picturesFolderPath to "/Users/name/Desktop/backup" as POSIX file

-- Duplicate the stuff using the Finder
tell application "Finder"

-- Duplicate every file of folder fileSpecifierForMountedVolume to folder picturesFolderPath
#duplicate files of folder fileSpecifierForMountedVolume to picturesFolderPath
-- Duplicate folder Webcam to folder picturesFolderPath
duplicate fileSpecifierForMountedVolume to picturesFolderPath with replacing

end tell

But there is problem - it is very slow I have got an error: Finder got an error: AppleEvent timeout.

Why? Can I fix it?

 

[kryten2]

I'm sorry about that. Forgot to put in a warning in the example to not use the Finder for any kind of heavy file operation in AppleScript. If you really must use :

with timeout of (30 * 60) seconds -- 30 minutes!
   tell application "Finder"
       -- do stuff
   end tell
end timeout

No AppleScript needed for this. Just use ftp.
Info: https://www.eduonix.com/blog/shell-scripting/how-to-automate-ftp-transfers-in-linux-shell-scripting/

 

[superscape]

+1 for the AppleScriptless solution.

Depending on what kind of access you have to the remote server, and what OS it's running, you could also maybe look at using rsync instead of ftp:

https://www.digitalocean.com/commun...to-sync-local-and-remote-directories-on-a-vps