How To FTP (File Transfer Protocol) on a Mac?
Hi, I'm new to the Mac and trying to figure out how to FTP (file transfer protocol) a file from my Mac to a newspaper server?
I tried using Safari and logging into the newspaper server, with Username and Password. This was done successfully and I could see the folder and files on the Server. I tried dragging my file over to one of the folders but it told me this operation could not be performed.
Then someone told me Safari might not support FTP, but FireFox does. So I opened up the FireFox browser, logged in successfully again, then dragged and dropped a picture to the folder structure. When I let the mouse button go, the picture appeared where the folder list was, but nothing happened. I exited out and logged in again, but my file was not there.
Can anyone help me figure out how to transfer my picture via a "FTP" process from my Mac ??
Any help would be appreciated.
Chris Cox
I tried using Safari and logging into the newspaper server, with Username and Password. This was done successfully and I could see the folder and files on the Server. I tried dragging my file over to one of the folders but it told me this operation could not be performed.
Then someone told me Safari might not support FTP, but FireFox does. So I opened up the FireFox browser, logged in successfully again, then dragged and dropped a picture to the folder structure. When I let the mouse button go, the picture appeared where the folder list was, but nothing happened. I exited out and logged in again, but my file was not there.
Can anyone help me figure out how to transfer my picture via a "FTP" process from my Mac ??
Any help would be appreciated.
Chris Cox
Comments
Finder-Go-Connect to Server, then enter the FTP address... you can browse the FTP server just like any other folder... with delays for the internet
It'll even save the FTP address as a "favorite" if you like to access it often.
Can't you use the Finder for this?
No. Finder doesn't have write support for FTP. That's a long-standing gripe about the Finder.
There are several FTP programs for the Mac, some free some not. A good free/donationware one is Cyberduck.
Further you can add a CyberDuck widget to the dashboard and shortcut into it quickly.
Hi, I'm new to the Mac and trying to figure out how to FTP (file transfer protocol) a file from my Mac to a newspaper server?
I tried using Safari and logging into the newspaper server, with Username and Password. This was done successfully and I could see the folder and files on the Server. I tried dragging my file over to one of the folders but it told me this operation could not be performed.
Then someone told me Safari might not support FTP, but FireFox does. So I opened up the FireFox browser, logged in successfully again, then dragged and dropped a picture to the folder structure. When I let the mouse button go, the picture appeared where the folder list was, but nothing happened. I exited out and logged in again, but my file was not there.
Can anyone help me figure out how to transfer my picture via a "FTP" process from my Mac ??
I don't like FTP. It's archaic and not at all user friendly (as you found out). Which is why I never bothered to learn how it works (odd, of course, because I already was an ICT systems analist and coder in the mid-seventies; before PCs even existed).
To transfer really LARGE files (or folders full of files) I use one of these FREE 11 Large File Transfer services:
• Podmailing.com allows transfer of unlimited numbers of files of unlimited size. I've transferred upto 6GB files without a hitch.
http://www.podmailing.com/
• Yousendit.com is free up to 1GB/month with max 100MB per transfer.
http://www.yousendit.com/
• Pando.com is free up to 1GB of files or folders per transfer.
http://www.pando.com/
• Sendspace.com is free up to 300MB per transfer.
http://www.sendspace.com/
The following are for files (not folders, so zip those):
• Pipebytes.com (beta) up to 300MB per transfer.
http://www.pipebytes.com/
• Youconvertit.com up to 1GB per transfer.
http://www.youconvertit.com/
• Filedropper.com up to 5GB per transfer.
http://www.filedropper.com/
• Transferbigfiles.com up to ???MB/GB per transfer (untested).
http://www.transferbigfiles.com/
• Mailbigfile.com up to ???MB/GB per transfer (untested).
http://www.mailbigfile.com/
• zUPLOAD.com up to ???MB/GB per transfer (untested).
http://www.zupload.com/
• MegauUpload.com up to ???MB/GB per transfer (untested).
http://www.megaupload.com/
Recipients only receive a link in their email INbox (so you're not responsible for clogging it!), so they can download your very big file (or folder full of files) to their PC/Mac at their convenience.
You can also use these Large File Transfer services to make very large files (or folders full of files) available to other people (usually the first 100 to click the link) on e.g. forums and blogs: just send the stuff to your own email address, open that email, copy the link that's in it, and post that link on the forum or blog.
Yousendit.com, Pando.com, and Podmailing.com are my favorites.
Of course the gang here may have more suggestions or other alternative M.O.s.
I don't like FTP. It's archaic and not at all user friendly (as you found out). So to transfer really LARGE files (or folders full of files) I use one of these FREE 11 Large File Transfer services:
Thanks for all the links. They'll probably come in handy. I toned it down a bit because we get that they're all free.
However, none of them do you any good if you have to FTP stuff to a specific server (e.g. a server that houses your webspace)
Thanks for all the links. They'll probably come in handy. I toned it down a bit because we get that they're all free.
However, none of them do you any good if you have to FTP stuff to a specific server (e.g. a server that houses your webspace)
Try a couple of these FTP apps.
But why not use one of those LFT services to send your contact there a link? Then he/she can stick it where, no, must'nt say that, ermmm... they can FTP it to their heart's content!
Let them worry about it!
But why not use one of those LFT services to send your contact there a link? Then he/she can stick it where, no, must'nt say that, ermmm... they can FTP it to their heart's content!
Let them worry about it!
Originally Posted by Rokcet Scientist
But why not use one of those LFT services to send your contact there a link? Then he/she can stick it where, no, must'nt say that, ermmm... they can FTP it to their heart's content!
Let them worry about it!
Note that I said to send your stuff to "your contact there", which (I'm hoping for you) is a person, a live human being! Let that person FTP it wherever they feel it needs to go (e.g. to a webserver).
Note that I said to send your stuff to "your contact there", which (I'm hoping for you) is a person, a live human being! Let that person FTP it wherever they feel it needs to go (e.g. to a webserver).
Er, how is this so hard for you to comprehend?
Let's say as part of their service, your ISP provides you with some space on a webserver so you can have a personal website. So, you design your site; how do you get it onto the server? FTP!
What about if you're a small business and need a website? Typically, you'll "buy" webspace from a "hosting" company, who'll have a room somewhere full of webservers. How do you manage your stuff on the webserver? FTP!
So sometimes, no, you will have no human contact to send to. You need to send to a machine, not a person, and usually you'd use FTP for that.
However, I can see that, if you need to do this more often, like e.g. several times a week, it may well be worth your while to learn how to do it yourself.
OTOH, if you indeed need to do this more often, like e.g. several times a week, then that repetitiveness in itself would be another reason for me to get someone else to worry about it...
OK, thanks. But I would still get someone else to do it if that was an option.
It seems like you think FTP is a lot harder and more complicated than it actually is