sftp
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OneWay for fast S/FTP uploads
OneWay is a free utility that does one thing: uploads to SFTP/FTP servers directly through a context menu in the Finder. This is very handy for those times when you just want to get a file to a server with the minimal amount of fuss possible. This isn't for doing a full sync or anything complicated -- for that you want something more like Interarchy or Transmit. It's not even for downloading; hence the name "OneWay." Instead, it's for fast and painless uploads. There's only one feature that I would really like to see added: the ability to copy a public URL for a file after uploading it to a web server. I suggested this to the author, who agreed and said to look for that feature in a future update. OneWay requires 10.5 or above. Source code is available on GitHub, and you can find the download link at the Source URL below. [via OneThingWell]
Yummy FTP (finally) sees an update
Yummy FTP has been my favorite FTP client for quite a while. I had become so used to seeing it every day that I hadn't even realized it hadn't been updated since 2007 May, 2008. That makes today a big day, as version 1.8 is out with a deluge of new features. While it still lacks the S3 support that Transmit and Interarchy have, it's solid, fast and offers all of the advanced configuration I need with a very reasonable price tag. Highlights from the 30+ new features include an Open In Terminal command (which can set up an SSH session, log you in and cd to the selected directory for remote folders), improved Quick Look features for local and remote previews, advanced file diffs and a greatly improved remote delete/duplicate scheme. As fast as Yummy FTP has always been for me, the idea of downloading and re-uploading a folder just to make a copy borders on insanity. I can't believe I've been doing that since 2007. Quick tip for Yummy users: the bookmark folder in ~/Library/Preferences/Yummy FTP/Bookmarks looks (and works) great in the Dock, displayed in Folder view, especially if you organize your bookmarks hierarchically. Yummy FTP handles FTP, FTP SSL/TLS and SFTP, and offers filtering, remote editing (with TextMate project support), auto-recovery, folder sync and more. It's available for a 30-day trial from Yummy Software, and you'll note on their site that there's a limited-time coupon ('ONLY15YUM') for a $15US license (normally $28US). That's a pretty good deal for some powerful FTP software.
ExpanDrive 2.0 expands to Amazon S3
I had to do some extensive testing before I got too excited, but after a conversation with the developers I'm pleased to announce that ExpanDrive 2.0 is out. We've mentioned it before, but to recap: ExpanDrive allows you to mount remote servers as drives directly accessible in Finder. With a completely rewritten (again) SFTP layer, the existing FTP support and new Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Solution) support, it's even more useful than the last time we mentioned it. One of the developers, Jeff Mancuso, mentioned to me back at the last WWDC that the S3 support was in the works; it's great to see it come to fruition. In my testing, I found that a previously-existing S3 option, JungleDisk, can cause conflicts with ExpanDrive's S3 support. JungleDisk users should note that there are some issues, but they seem to clear up if you create vanilla buckets in your account and use those with ExpanDrive. I personally found that I was willing to give up JungleDisk entirely at this point, preferring this direct-mount with all of the perks, including a contextual menu in Finder for quickly setting public read/write permissions. I can attest to the fact that it's faster, and that the S3 support is working (wonderfully, without JungleDisk). ExpanDrive 2.0 is a $39.95 purchase (well worth it if you deal with remote UNIX systems or S3), and a $19.95 upgrade for existing users. There's a free trial available.
ExpanDrive 1.3 adds FTP support
It's been a while since we heard from the developers at Magnetk, but they've just released version 1.3 of Expandrive with some new functionality. They're calling it a beta to be safe, but it seems to just be cautious labeling; 1.3 has been very stable for me thus far. As a quick review, Expandrive allows remote SFTP volumes to be mounted in the local filesystem (similar to what's possible with MacFUSE, but with several stability and speed improvements). The biggest change in version 1.3 is probably the inclusion of FTP and FTPS as an addition to the SFTP capabilities. While it may seem strange to some, there are certainly still circumstances where this could prove very useful. UPDATE: the developers have clarified for me that the 1.3 release is not in beta, only the FTP/FTPS capability. Among the other features the developers are excited about is a new system for testing network state. One of the things I like about Expandrive is its ability to seamlessly maintain a connection on my laptop when I shut it, move it and change wireless networks. Well, that capability has been improved at the system level to better detect network availability, IP address and sleep state, and I'm seeing really stable performance with it. A second appcast has been added to support beta releases (Magnetk says they have a lot of new stuff coming up), and users can switch to it in the Updates section of the preferences. Version 1.3 resets the 30 day trial period, so if you've previously tried it and passed, you'll be able to take the new version for a 30-day spin. The trial version is available for download ($29USD to register), and the upgrade is free for current users. Release notes are available here.
ExpanDrive gets AppleScript support
Version 1.1 of ExpanDrive, the utility we reported on earlier that gives you SSH/SFTP server access that's transparent to the OS, hit the streets today. In addition to features like "Reconnect at Login" and several interface/usability tweaks, it now supports AppleScript. The AppleScript library is simple, providing identity elements for each drive, and 2 commands: connect and eject. Nothing earth-shattering, but it's even better at workflow integration and automation now. A little code, and... tell application "ExpanDrive"repeat with aDrive in drivesconnect aDrivedisplay dialog "Connected: " & server of aDriveend repeatend tell Set it up with ThisService and you've got hotkey mountable/unmountable servers! If you haven't checked it out yet, grab the free demo ($29 to purchase).
Flow goes 1.0
Flow, a pleasant FTP client for the Mac, has definitely come a long way since we last took a look at it (so very long ago). Flow just hit version 1.0, and here are some of the new features: QuickLook Built-in editor FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, .Mac, and local FTP Droplets to upload quickly Flow is designed specifically for Mac OS X Leopard (version 10.5). Flow costs just $29; you can also download a free 15-day trial version then buy a license. I am an adamant Transmit/Panic addict; however, Flow has such a great Aqua-licious UI and feature list, that I may make the jump (sorry Panic guys).Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Forklift 1.5: fast, pretty and stable.
Forklift, the split-pane file manager with support for multiple network protocols, is officially at version 1.5 now. We covered the initial release a while back, and we're excited about the progress it's made. With an interface update (Leopard goodness) and some behind-the-scenes tweaks, it's turning into a sweet piece of work. Forklift has always been of interest to me, with its support for SFTP and Amazon S3, but my previous experiences with Forklift had shown it to display a tendency toward a little sluggishness and the occasional poorly-timed crash. This latest version has not only been stable for me, but has been snappy. And by that I mean speedy to the extreme, especially when dealing with (S)FTP servers and S3. Ten times faster on remote transfers, actually, according to their own benchmarks. Quick Look and FXP Copy (server-to-server file transfer) round out a great feature set. If you're looking for a Finder add-on/replacement (or a great FTP client), definitely download the trial. At $29.95, it's quite reasonably priced for what it can do. And for current users the upgrade is free and will fix quite a few shortcomings you may have noticed thus far. Version 1.5 is Leopard-only, but 1.2 is still available for our striped friends.
ExpanDrive: transparent remote file access
I just got finished putting ExpanDrive by Magnetk through its paces. In fact, I've been using it all morning and I'm duly impressed. It's an application that allows you to mount SFTP filesystems as local drives. I've used other MacFUSE-based systems in the past and I'm pleasantly surprised to find that ExpanDrive is more responsive and provides nearly seamless transparent access to my remote SFTP servers. Aside from creating .DS_Store files on my remote volumes, it's a very fluid way to access remote files. It works with Subversion (and other versioning schemes, I assume), allowing apps like TextMate with support for Subversion to work as though you had the repository set up locally. TextMate creator Allan Odgaard even offers his endorsement. And it has great connection recovery that even allows you to take a laptop to another network and never notice a change in the status of the mounted servers. With labeling, Spotlight comments and full transparency, workflow integration is about as easy as my (possibly limited) imagination can fathom. ExpanDrive has an introductory price of $29, with a demo available. [via Daring Fireball] Update: I'm told by the developers that the .DS_Store issue has been cured. That and several UI improvements will be available in the next version, scheduled for release by tomorrow.
ssh on iPhone
Over at the #iphone channel at irc.osx86.hu, the thoroughly awesome NerveGas has figured out how to enable ssh on the iPhone without using restore mode. The secret lies in overwriting an existing binary and plist to trick the iPhone into calling chmod on the Dropbear ssh server and making it executable. At this time, NerveGas has used Nightwatch's compiler to create iPhone-compatible versions of curl and ps as well as a number of other useful Unix utilities. (He's working on grep, as I write). So what does this mean? Well, once you've got ssh installed on your iPhone and active, you can access your iPhone from a shell on your Mac. You can send and retrieve files using scp or sftp. And you can use the compilation toolchain to build other Unix utils or even your own software. It's just a short matter of time until perl and other command-line utilities are iPhone-ready.
Cyberduck 2.6 is available
Cyberduck is the free, open source FTP/SFTP client for Mac OS X that I've been using for about a year now. It works quite well, is full-featured and free (I said that already, right?). You can also get a Dashboard widget, Growl notification and Quicksilver integration for Cyberduck.Version 2.6 is now available, and changes include: Turkish Localization Automatic software update Dashboard Widget included Reintroduced transcript drawer in browser window Transcript drawer added to transfer window Option to use Network Diagnostics upon failed connections Cyberduck requires Mac OS 10.3.9 or later.
FTP explained
Who better to explain the ins and outs of the twisted FTP world than Steven Frank, one of the minds behind Transmit? Well, that's exactly what Steve has done for us on his blog. If you don't know your SFTP from your FTPS then this is the article for you.Sure, he recommends that you try his company's FTP application, but that doesn't mean he isn't FTP knowledgeable.
Got files to transfer? Check out Yummy FTP
I keep a lot of backups safely tucked away on my online storage space. So, I spend a decent amount of time each weekend either in Terminal or Transmit. However, that doesn't mean I'm unwilling to check out alternate FTP clients. Yummy FTP looks pretty good. It has support for both FTP and SFTP, automatic failure recovery, folder synchronization and more. What I really like are the "bookmarks." Basically, they're droplets that you can point to any directory in your online space. From there, you just drop a file you want transferred onto the bookmark and off it goes. Yummy FTP is good about asking if you want to make a new bookmark for new directories, as well as where you'd like them stored.* Other features include: Easy scheduling setup Can be scripted with Applescript Remote editing with your favorite editor Yummy FTP requires Mac OS 10.3 or later, and costs $25US for a single license. A fifteen day trial is available.*Yes, I know that the current version of Transmit lets you create droplets as well, but I liked Yummy FTP's method.
