VLC does not properly handle subfolders in FTP

Description

When navigating a server using plain FTP connection the directories are shown with VLC icon with question mark and clicking on them plays the first (lexicographical) media file found in the first (lexicographical) directory tree available. In the FTP server this looks like VLC tries to read it as file, requesting SIZE first, and when receiving negative answer doing CWD to switch to directory and NLST to get the directory listing. If SIZE succeeds it plays the file.

I'll note here that FTP server used is vsftpd. Also this issue was posted two months ago here: #2313 however I'll accept if it is some known issue of VLC-vsftpd interoperation. From looking into FTP command log I've gathered that it requires passive mode enabled, which I did.

Expected behavior

I'm able to navigate the subdirectories on FTP servers by myself without manipulating their lexicographical ordering

Actual behavior

VLC plays the first item only, falling back to navigating further in directory tree if first item seems like directory

Steps to reproduce

1. Add a simple FTP server to VLC
2. Tap the subfolder
3. Be somewhat disappointed

Context

App version

3.5.0 Beta 3

Android version

10

Device model

H9436 (Sony Xperia XZ3)

App mode

Smartphone

Also https://code.videolan.org/videolan/vlc-android/-/issues/644 seems to be exactly the thing. The problem is still there though

vsftpd does not support MLST, which was introduced to the FTP protocol in 2007 and is currently required by VLC to describe directories and their contents.

The cross-platform ticket is here: vlc#26798

marked this issue as a duplicate of vlc#26798

closed

marked this issue as related to vlc#26798