TENTACLE_CLIENT(1)

🌸 TENTACLE_CLIENT(1) — the client file transfer protocol page, bestie edition 🌸

okay so welcome to the manual for tentacle_client, from the TENTACLE_CLIENT manual section 1, aka the "Client file transfer protocol" page. This is the client half of Tentacle, and yes we're doing this whole thing together, grab a snack 🍓

---

✨ NAME ✨

tentacle_client — a client file transfer protocol 💅

---

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

tentacle_client <options>

Tentacle is a client/server file transfer protocol that aims to be:

• Executable programs or shell commands
• System calls (functions provided by the kernel)
• Library calls (functions within program libraries)

---

👑 DESCRIPTION 👑

so here's the lore: Tentacle was created to replace more complex tools like SCP and FTP for simple file transfer/retrieval, and to switch from authentication mechanisms like .netrc, interactive logins and SSH keys over to X.509 certificates. Simple password authentication over a SSL secured connection is supported too, so you have options, queen.

The client and server (TCP port 41121) are designed to be run from the command line or called from a shell script, and no configuration files are needed — literally none, we love a low-maintenance icon ✨

Tentacle is now the default file transfer method for Pandora FMS and Babel Enterprise. Main character energy fr fr.

Tentacle is implemented in Perl and ANSI C (Windows platforms included).

You can download it and get more information at the official Sourceforge website http://tentacled.sourceforge.net/ 🫶

---

💅 OPTIONS 💅

Tentacle Client options, one by one, no skips:

• -a address — Server address (default 127.0.0.1). The classic "who am I even talking to" setting.
• -c — Enable SSL without a client certificate. Security, but make it casual.
• -e cert — OpenSSL certificate file. Enables SSL. Show them your papers 📜
• -f ca — Verify that the peer certificate is signed by a ca. Trust but verify, bestie.
• -g — Get files from the server. (Otherwise you're the one sending.)
• -h — Show help. Your best friend when you're lost 🙈
• -k key — OpenSSL private key file.
• -p port — Server port (default 41121).
• -q — Quiet. Do now print error messages. (Yes, that's exactly what it says — silence, but at what cost 😭)
• -r number — Number of retries for network operations (default 3).
• -t time — Time-out for network operations in seconds (default 1s).
• -v — Be verbose. Spill the tea, tell me everything 🫖
• -w — Prompt for OpenSSL private key password.
• -x pwd — Server password.

---

🌈 EXAMPLES 🌈

here's how it actually looks in the wild:

tentacle_client -a 192.168.1.1 -v /bin/bash

Simple file transfer with maximum file size set to 1MB

---

tentacle_client -a 192.168.1.1 -x password -v /bin/bash

Simple file transfer with password authentication (not secure)

not secure, they said it, not me. read that part twice 💀

---

tentacle_client -a 192.168.1.1 -x password -e cert.pem -k key.pem -v /bin/bash

Secure file transfer with client certificate and password authentication

see? glow-up achieved. certified AND passworded. iconic. ✨

---

🎀 NOTES 🎀

Tentacle requires Perl 5.8 or higher to works 👑 (their words, and honestly, valid.)

---

🦄 SEE ALSO 🦄

tentacle_server(1), pandora_server(1), pandora_agent(1)

go read those next, iykyk 💜

---

and that's the whole page, bestie!! this was version 0.2.0, dated 2010-05-11 — a vintage queen from the TENTACLE_CLIENT(1) manual, and she still slays. mwah 💖✨🎀