File Transfer Protocol (FTP) was the standard method of sending and retrieving files over the Internet without the need to use an email attachment or a browser to open the file. It has been replaced by the Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) and the Secure Copy protocol (SCP) which encrypt your login and data, because old FTP operated insecurely (without encryption).
SFTP and SCP are particularly useful for transmitting or receiving large numbers of files (such as whole directory or a Web site) without having to click on each one individually.
This document explains how to use programs which run SFTP and/or SCP. It describes programs for the three most popular platforms: Microsoft Windows, Unix, and Apple Mac OS X. This document assumes you are completely familiar with using your computer and operating system, and that you know and understand files, folders (directories), Web sites, URIs, and usernames/passwords. If you are uncertain about any of these, please refer to the Training Centre pages for details of courses.
22 March 2009 (rev 4)
5. Transferring files in a graphical system
To connect to the server, click on the connection setting you set up in section 4, ‘Setting up graphical systems’.
All graphical file transfer systems display two main panes in the window. See the screenshots in section 4, ‘Setting up graphical systems’ for examples. The left-hand pane shows your local (PC) folder and the right-hand pane shows your remote (server) folder.
To navigate between directories (shown as folder icons), just double-click on the one you want to open, exactly as with a normal directory window.
Most systems also use little triangles or little boxes with +/- signs beside folder names to let you see or hide the subfolders.
Files are listed in a separate sub-pane beside or beneath the list of folders (see figures in section 4, ‘Setting up graphical systems’)
To transfer a file, open the correct folders in the left-hand and right-hand panes, and double-click the file you want to transfer. Doing this with a file in the left-hand (PC) pane will upload the file from your PC to the server; doing it in the right-hand (server) pane will download the file from the server to your PC.
Remember: upload means from your desktop/laptop to the remote server; download means from the remote server to your desktop/laptop.
To transfer a group of files, use the mouse or keyboard to highlight (select) all of them, then use the Transfer menu or toolbar icon (or arrow buttons between the panes, of provided) to transfer them.
If you include one or more folders in your selection, they and all their files and subfolders will be transferred.
Make sure you click on the Disconnect toolbar icon or menu entry when you are finished.
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, Electronic Publishing Unit • 2009-03-22 • (other) |
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