ftp: missing chown command

hi,

I'm connecting to a web server with ftp protocol and I would like to change some folders and files owner. I tried chown but it is not available.

I typed "help" and this is the list I got. Is possible that the chown command is not installed on the server ? Or I don't have permissions ? thanks

Commands may be abbreviated. Commands are:

! features mls prompt site
$ fget mlsd proxy size
account form mlst put sndbuf
append ftp mode pwd status
ascii gate modtime quit struct
bell get more quote sunique
binary glob mput rate system
bye hash mreget rcvbuf tenex
case help msend recv throttle
cd idle newer reget trace
cdup image nlist remopts type
chmod lcd nmap rename umask
close less ntrans reset unset
cr lpage open restart usage
debug lpwd page rhelp user
delete ls passive rmdir verbose
dir macdef pdir rstatus xferbuf
disconnect mdelete pls runique ?
edit mdir pmlsd send
epsv4 mget preserve sendport
exit mkdir progress set

The ftp command set is not the same as the unix command set though there are many commands with the same name. The ftp command set is in "man ftpd" for the target computer.

ftp> man ftpd
?Invalid command.

ok, I googled for it and I saw there is chown for ftp protocol. Is not always available ? Or am I wrong ?

The "man" command is a unix command not a ftp command. It has to be typed at a unix command prompt on the target server.

Unluckily I don't have unix account, only ftp.

Is possible that i don't have a chown for ftp protocol. Is not always available ? Or am I wrong ?

I personally have never seen a "chown" command in ftp but I have also never needed the command within a ftp environment. You usually ftp files to the account of the future owner.
Some versions of ftp allow more commands as parameters to the ftp "site" command but again I have never seen "chown". To my mind it would be a basic security hole.

I'm working on Drupal and I need to assign the ownership of some folders to Drupal. (Owner: _www)
After I copied them to the server the ownership changed.

Typically, for reasons of security, this is not something that an ftp server will allow you to do. If this is something that you will need to do on a regular basis the administrator of the ftp server can configure the server so that the correct ownership and permissions are assigned to the uploaded files.

There are two ways to solve that (without bothering the server admin):

1) get a web script (like webadmin.php or make your own) that you can use to upload files with.

-OR- (the better/easier solution)

2) chmod 666 file

FTP, as with most other means of file transfer, doesn't preserve unix-style ownership information.