Being a unix-like system, OS X includes the SSH remote login service that can be used to administer a system from the command line. Such remote access is convenient to have, as it will allow you to change settings, manage files and folders, and otherwise use your system without needing to be right in front of it. It also communicates over an encrypted connection so you can be sure communications with your system are secured.
Mar 18, 2014 Mount FTP as drive and connect SFTP server to your Mac Finder with a handy system utility - CloudMounter for Mac OS X. This reliable FTP client for Mac provides an easy access to all your data from web services. Choose FTP software with the encryption feature for better security.
In addition to allowing you to log into your system and controlling it through the Terminal, the SSH protocol allows for transfer of files to and from the remote system through the SFTP (secured FTP) protocol. This is generally done with a dedicated FTP client like Cyberduck that supports the SFTP protocol, but you can also use a technology called “File System in Userspace” or FUSE, to manage this connection as a locally-mounted storage volume.
In general, to host a storage format as a mounted drive, OS X will need to have support for it coded in the OS X kernel. This is the case with Apple’s HFS+ format, and FAT32, as well as NTFS which Apple supports in read-only mode; however, FUSE provides a behind-the-scenes interface that routes a number of storage programmable routines to the system for access as a drive-like storage medium. For instance, if you have several cloud-based storage accounts, you can write a small program (called a FUSE client or plug-in) that will interface all of these services with FUSE, and have them mount as a single volume on the system in a similar way as if you had plugged in a USB drive.
While many of the implementations of FUSE (such as combining cloud-based storage for access as a local drive) are experimental and fun, there are some exceptionally useful and well-tested uses that can be beneficial. With regards to the SSH and SFTP connection, one of the more practical uses of FUSE is to handle the SFTP connection so files on a remote system can be directly accessed in the Finder or by other programs.
- Download and install FUSE, followed by installing SSHFS, both of which can be obtained from the OS X FUSE site
- Create a folder on your Mac that you want to use as the mount point (I recommend a folder called “mount” directly within your home directory)
- Open the Terminal and run a command similar to the following to mount a remote folder at the new folder you would like to use as the mount point:
As you can imagine, this might be cumbersome to always do, so if you find yourself using this approach for securely accessing your remote files, then you can use the tool called “Macfusion” to store common server settings and mount them without needing to type in the command manually.
When mounted, the FUSE drive will show instead of your mount folder, and clicking it will reveal the files and folders at the remote path that you specified.
When done, you will be able to open the mounted drive on your Mac and access the files on the remote server directly. When finished, you can right-click and eject the drive as you would with any mounted volume. Finally, this approach does circumvent OS X’s default handling of drives and networked volumes, so you will not see the drive appear in your Finder sidebar and will instead have to locate it manually in your home folder or at the top-level of the filesystem.
Lastly, keep in mind that this technology has its limits. Being managed in Userspace means you have to be logged in for it to work, and then the drive will only be accessible to the account that is managing it. In addition, you might encounter limited performance and perhaps stability issues with some FUSE plugins that have not been fully tested, but overall with SSHFS and other popular options you should have a robust way to access your files.
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Note: In addition to graphical clients, if you arefamiliar with the Mac OS X terminal, you may usecommand-line FTP and secure FTP (SFTP) programsfrom the Unix prompt.
Mac Os X Ftp Server
The following clients are the most widely used. In addition to FTP,many (but not all) are also capable of SFTP:
Captain FTP has the ability to split files, download each segmentindividually, and then reassemble the pieces. Particularly whenconnecting to servers that limit the bandwidth for eachconnection, this can greatly improve download speeds. Captain FTP isalso an SFTP client. It is shareware available from: |
Fetch has a long history and enjoys tremendous popularityin the Mac OS community. Though it was not updated for several years,in version 4 it re-emerged as a modern, OS X-native FTP client,supporting server-to-server transfers, resumable downloads, and sitemirroring. Developed by Jim Matthews, formerly of Dartmouth, it is available freeof charge to users affiliated with academic institutions. For others,Fetch is available as shareware. Visit the Fetch web site at: |
Although Hefty FTP does not have a particularly intuitive interface, itdoes have a few unique features, such as the ability to scheduledownloads and play MP3 files. It also has a separate windowthat you can use to queue file transfers, pause and restart downloads,and adjust the priority of queued items. It is shareware from Black Diamond; you canvisit the Hefty FTP web site at: |
Formerly called Anarchie, Interarchy has enjoyed a longhistory as a favored Mac OS, and now Mac OS X, FTP client. It is oneof the most advanced programs of its kind, offering several featuresunavailable in other FTP clients, such as integration with the Mac OSX Network Utility, and supports a number of protocols includingSFTP. It behaves much like the Finder in the way itdisplays and manipulates files on FTP servers, making it easy to usefor those familiar with Mac OS X. Developed by Stairways Software, itis now a commercial product. Visit the Interarchy web site at: |
NetFinder offers an interface that looks and behaves more like theFinder than any of the other programs. It is very customizable andhas a strong feature set. Perhaps its most useful feature is itsability to move files between directories and servers without usingthe hard drive as an intermediary. Created by Peter Li and VincentTan, NetFinder is available as shareware. Visit the NetFinder web site at: |
osXigen is an FTP and SFTP client with several advanced features,including a time zone manager that makes it easier to synchronize withdistant sites. It is shareware available from JomoSoft. You maydownload it from: |
RBrowser is a Mac OS X-only application that provides a graphicalinterface for the FTP, SFTP, and SSH programs built intothe operating system. It is a commercial product developed by RobertVasvari. You may download a demo from the RBrowser web site: |
As its name indicates, SimpleFTP is an FTP and SFTP client thatforgoes advanced features for ease of use. Although its interfacedoesn't attempt to mimic the Finder, it is straightforward anduncluttered. SimpleFTP is shareware available from On-Core, Inc. Youmay download it from: |
Transmit combines elements of Fetch and the Finder,resulting in a very easy-to-use FTP and SFTP program. Transmit offersa compact and attractive interface that lets you view remote and localdirectories in the same window. Developed by Panic, Transmit isavailable as shareware from: |
Although primarily a web browser, Microsoft'sInternetExplorer also doubles as an FTP client. It has fewer featuresthan the dedicated FTP clients, but its downloading capabilities arebetter than Netscape's or Mozilla's. Visit the web site for InternetExplorer for Mac OS X at: |
Mozilla is the open source web browser upon which recent versions ofNetscape are based. It is updated more frequently than Netscape, butits feature set is more experimental. It is less functional thandedicated FTP clients, but has the advantage of combining severalfunctions in a single application. Visit Mozilla's web site at: |
Netscape, which is Mac OS X-native in version 6 and later, is afreeware web browser that also functions as an FTPclient. It has fewer features than the dedicated FTP clients, but hasthe advantage of providing several services in one application. Visitthe Netscape web site at: |
Client comparison table
For a side-by-side comparison of the clients discussed in thisdocument, refer to the following table. Aside from the standardfunctions of FTP and SFTP, all clients allow you to bookmark sites andoffer at least limited support for drag and drop.
Feature | Captain FTP 2.x | Fetch 4.x | Hefty FTP 1.x | Interarchy 6.x | NetFinder 2.3.x | osXigen 2.0.x | RBrowser 3.x | SimpleFTP 1.0.x | Transmit 2.x | Internet Explorer 5.x | Netscape 7.x/Mozilla |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Resumed downloads* | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
HTTP download | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
SFTP support | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
Multithreaded | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes1 | |
Move remote files between servers** | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Session transcript | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No2 | No2 |
View remote file | Yes3 | Yes | Yes | Yes3 | Yes | Yes3 | Yes3 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
MacBinary upload | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
Finder-like interface | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
Classic version available*** | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Notes:
*The server must also support this feature.
**This implies that the move does not involve the localhard drive. Both remote servers must support this feature.
Os X Ftp Server
***Either as a separate version or as a Carbon applicationthat will work in either Mac OS X or in earlier versions of theoperating system
1Possible with Composer, which is the web editor componentof Netscape and Mozilla
2The web browsers have a history feature that approximatesa very primitive transcript.
3It will download the file and open it in the appropriateapplication. It has no built-in capability to display text files, however.