CAT 3550 - copy flash tftp problem

trying to copy the IOS to a tftp server this is the output i'm getting any idea what i'm doing wrong?

Directory of flash:/

2 -rwx 0 Jan 01 1970 00:02:15 +00:00 env_vars
3 -rwx 344 Jan 01 1970 00:02:15 +00:00 system_env_vars
4 -rwx 3685 Jun 11 1993 19:22:59 +00:00 config.text
5 -rwx 5 Jun 11 1993 19:22:59 +00:00 private-config.text
8 drwx 192 Mar 01 1993 00:05:57 +00:00 c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-22.EA
a

15998976 bytes total (8989696 bytes free)
PRKSW01_GF#copy flash tftp
Source filename []? c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-22.EA1a
Address or name of remote host []? 1.0.84.205
Destination filename [c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-22.EA1a]? c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-22.EA1a
%Error reading flash:c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-22.EA1a (Is a directory)
PRKSW01_GF#

kind Regards
J mac

trying to copy the IOS to a tftp server this is the output i'm getting any idea what i'm doing wrong?

Directory of flash:/

2 -rwx 0 Jan 01 1970 00:02:15 +00:00 env_vars
3 -rwx 344 Jan 01 1970 00:02:15 +00:00 system_env_vars
4 -rwx 3685 Jun 11 1993 19:22:59 +00:00 config.text
5 -rwx 5 Jun 11 1993 19:22:59 +00:00 private-config.text
8 drwx 192 Mar 01 1993 00:05:57 +00:00 c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-22.EA
a

15998976 bytes total (8989696 bytes free)
PRKSW01_GF#copy flash tftp
Source filename []? c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-22.EA1a
Address or name of remote host []? 1.0.84.205
Destination filename [c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-22.EA1a]? c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-22.EA1a
%Error reading flash:c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-22.EA1a (Is a directory)
PRKSW01_GF#

kind Regards
J mac

Try dir flash:/c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-22.EA1a.

Once you know the name of the images, then you can tftp it using the full path:

Source filename []? c3550-i9q3l2-mz.121-22.EA1a/<imagename.bin>

Putting the image in a directory is allowed per the IOS docs, but can be kind of pain to work with.

some people like doing that for organization but i don't find it overly useful unless you have a large flash that can hold multiple images or if you use the device as a tftp server for other devices.

Hey, thats spot on thanks alot.

Good to know, thanks...

try copy the hole directory to a tar file on the tftpsever. Coping only the bin image doesnot archive the htm files that give hte possibility to manege the switch from the web and doesnot allow to build a switch cluster. the comand to archive the cisco software on the new swithches is "archive upload sw ..... "

Just FYI, the string of characters in the second column of a flash directory listing (-rwx) are identical to UNIX file permissions. The first character will denote whether or not the file is a directory (d), and so on for (r)eadable, (w)ritable, and e(x)ecutable.