66. Connect to an FTP Server  BEFORE YOU BEGIN 30 Configure Networking Manually
 SEE ALSO 31 Configure Proxy Server Settings
The File Transfer Protocol ( FTP ) is a venerable form of Internet communication still widely used today. When you download a piece of software from its publisher's website, you might well be downloading it from an FTP server. This is because FTP is well suited to transferring large binary files (such as application packages), rather than the many short text transactions that make up navigation on the Web (which typically are done using HTTP, the Hypertext Transfer Protocol).  KEY TERM File Transfer Protocol (FTP) A method of transferring files from one computer to another, dating back to the earliest days of the Internet and still in use today for downloading large files (such as software packages).
Another key feature of FTP is that you can upload files as well as download them. If you have a website or Unix shell account on a remote server, you can use FTP to upload your web pages and image files. Mac OS X integrates FTP into the Finder, and when you encounter an FTP link in Safari, Safari passes the FTP connection into the Finder so that you can navigate the FTP server as you would any network server. NOTE Of course, Mac OS X is Unixso if you're a Unix expert and prefer to use the traditional command-line ftp program, just fire up the Unix Terminal .
| 1. | Enter a Public FTP Server URL
In Safari, enter the URL of the FTP server or click the link to the FTP server if such a link is presented in a web page.
A public FTP URL (as offered , typically, by shareware sites) is of the form ftp://ftp.hostname.com/ path /to/directory. Optionally, you can add a trailing slash (which does not affect the system's behavior) or a filename. If you specify the filename, Safari downloads the file directly and transparently , using the Downloads window. If you specify only the path to a directory, Mac OS X connects to the server and opens that directory as a folder in a Finder window.
| | 2. | Enter a Private FTP URL Not all FTP sites are public; some, such as the one you might have as part of a website account with an Internet service provider, are privatemeaning that only you can access it, and only after you provide a valid username and password combination (which are also part of your account with the service provider). A private FTP URL is of the form @ftp.hostname.com/path/to/directory">ftp://username<:password>@ftp.hostname.com/path/to/directory. The password is optional, as is the path. For instance, if your username on the FTP server somewhere.com is jsmith and your password is abc123 , and you want to connect directly into the home directory of your account, use the following URL: ftp://jsmith:abc123@somewhere.com. If you'd rather not specify your password so that it can't be seen over your shoulder, you can leave it out: ftp://jsmith@somewhere.com. If you do this, you will be prompted with a dialog box to provide the password for the account. NOTE Standard FTP does not provide for a secure connection method. This means that whether or not you specify your password as part of the URL, the password is transmitted over the network in clear text. An eavesdropper who is snooping on the network can obtain your password this way. Be aware of this security risk when using private FTP; you might want to look into a more full-featured FTP program, such as Panic's Transmit , which provides secure FTP transactions with servers that support them. WEB RESOURCE http://www.panic.com/transmit/ Download Panic's Transmit FTP application from this website. Transmit provides a much more user -friendly and feature-rich interface than using FTP in the Finder, and allows secure transfers as well. | | 3. | Open the Server in the Finder
After you type the URL in Safari's Address bar and press Return (or click an equivalent FTP link), a dialog box appears showing that Mac OS X is connecting to the FTP server. After the connection is established (which might take a few moments), a Finder window appears showing the contents of the target folder specified in the URL. The FTP server is listed in the Finder's Sidebar as a standard network server.
| | 4. | Upload and Download Files by Dragging Navigate the FTP server as you would any hierarchical folder system, using Icon, List, or Column views as you prefer. When you find a file you want to download, drag it to your Desktop or to another target in the Finder. A dialog box appears to show the progress of the download. 66. Connect to an FTP Server  Uploading filestransferring them from your computer to the FTP serveris just as easy: Drag a file or folder from your Desktop or a Finder window into the window showing the FTP server. However, unless it is an authenticated private FTP session, you might not have permission to upload files. An error message appears if you try to upload a file to a server that does not permit it. NOTE The FTP uploading feature in some versions of Mac OS X is poorly implemented, preventing you from uploading files even if you have properly authenticated and have uploading permission. If you need to upload files, the command-line ftp program or Panic's Transmit might be a better choice for you. | | 5. | Disconnect from the FTP Server
When you're done transferring files, click the Eject icon next to the FTP server in the left pane of the Finder window; alternatively, drag the server's icon from the Desktop into the Trash, which becomes an Eject icon while you're dragging the icon.
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