In Mac OS and Mac OS X, how do I use Fetch?

You can use Fetch, a popular FTP program for Mac OS and Mac OS X, to transfer files to and from a remote computer. For example, using Fetch, you can download a file from an anonymous FTP site.

Starting Fetch

When you run Fetch, a dialog box called New Connection will appear. You will need to enter the following information:

1. In the "Host:" field, type the host name or IP number of the computer you will be transferring files to or from. For example, if you are transferring files from the computer ftp.dartmouth.edu, in the "Host:" field type: ftp.dartmouth.edu Or you can enter this computer's IP number, if you know it: 129.170.16.79
2. Next to "User ID:", and "Password:", type your username and password for the computer you are connecting to. For anonymous FTP, try leaving these fields blank. If the anonymous FTP server refuses your connection, try typing anonymous for the User ID and your email address for the password.
   
   
3. If you want to go to a specific directory, type its path in the "Initial directory:" (Fetch 4.x) or "Directory:" (Fetch 3.x) field. In Fetch 4.x, to see the "Initial directory:" field, click the triangle near the bottom left side of the New Connection window. If you want to enter the default directory, leave the "Initial directory:" or "Directory:" field blank.
   
   
4. When you are done entering this information, click OK or press Return.

Once a connection has been successfully made, Fetch will display a list of files and directories on the remote computer. Folder icons represent directories and subdirectories, while generic file icons represent files. The current directory is shown at the top of the window. Clicking the current directory name produces a pop-up menu, listing the directories in which the current directory resides. Selecting one of these moves you to that directory. You can also change to a specific directory by double-clicking its folder icon.

Fetch and file types

There are three modes Fetch uses to transfer files: Automatic, Text, and Binary. Additionally, when you "Put Files" in Fetch for Mac OS X, there are several versions of Binary mode you can choose from, including Raw Data, MacBinary III, BinHex, and AppleSingle. Choose the appropriate binary mode for your file. In Fetch 4.x, switch between modes using the pull-down menu next to "Mode:". In Fetch 3.x, click the radio button of the mode you want to use. In both versions, Automatic is selected by default.

Automatic mode works for most files, and with it selected, Fetch will use clues from the filename to determine the correct transfer mode. Use Text mode to transfer files which are plain text with no special formatting. Use Binary mode to transfer word processing documents (e.g., Microsoft Word files), images (e.g., GIF and JPEG), compressed files (e.g., StuffIt, Zip, and GNU zip), MacBinary files, and other documents containing special formatting. If you transfer such a binary file while Fetch is in Text mode, the copy you make of the file may not work correctly. Automatic mode usually correctly identifies and transfers files, but if it doesn't, try specifying Text or Binary mode. For more information about file types, consult Fetch's documentation.

Transferring files

Once connected, there are two ways to transfer files using Fetch:

• Drag and drop: If you are using System 7.5 or later, you can download files from the remote computer by dragging them to the desktop or to a Finder window. Conversely, you can drag files to the Fetch window to start an upload. If you have permission to do so, you can delete files on the remote computer by dragging the files to the Trash icon on the Mac OS desktop or Mac OS X Dock. Fetch will ask you to confirm that you want to delete the files.
  
  
• Put/Get buttons: After highlighting a file or folder in the window representing the remote computer, click the Put Files... or Put File... button to open a dialog box where you can choose a file to upload. Click the Get... , Get File... , or Get Files... button to download files to your computer.

Also see:

• For Mac OS and Mac OS X, what is Fetch, and where can I get it?
• When using FTP, why might programs and files fail to transfer properly?
• What is BinHex, and how can I decode a BinHex (.hqx) file?
• In Fetch 3 or 4, how do I set the permissions on my web pages so that web browsers can see them?
• In Mac OS and Mac OS X, what should I do if Fetch isn't decoding downloaded BinHex, MacBinary, or StuffIt files?
• In Mac OS, how do I encode a file in BinHex format?
• How do I decode a Macintosh file with a .bin extension?
• For Mac OS, what FTP clients are available and how do they compare?
• What is FTP, and how do I use it to transfer files?
• What is StuffIt Expander, and where can I get it?