FTP Programs

Why is it that every FTP program for macs suck. I've tried about 10 different FTP programs, and the best one is still worse than the crappiest free windows FTP program.

Some of my issues

In every app I've tried occasionally, you select a bunch of files, and hit enter. Instead of transfering them to the folder I have open on the other side of the screen it downloads all the files to my desktop.

Which side of the screen is the remote view. Several programs seem to change which side is the remote view at random. I have yet to find a setting or option that determines this.

Overall they just seem really tempermental, and don't seem to always work the same way. It's becoming really frustrating.

Cyberduck, Fetch, TextWrangler are worth using as they are very very good apps.

If you're looking for a first-class ftp program, you can check out Transmit.


I use Cyberduck too, Pulse! ;^)

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I use Fetch and have no problem.

Also have have used Transmit and liked that one too!

The problem with some of those is the one sided view. Your window only shows the remote view. How do you know where the files are being downloaded to? How do you upload files to them?

This is Cyberduck's ftp window (attached file below)...

I find it easy to do my stuff with it and see no problem. You click on Upload and it puts the file in the root directory. You click on download and it puts the file on your desktop. It works with drag and drop too. It's a freebie and the developers update this program very often.

Like I said you want a first-class ftp client, go with Transmit or Fetch but it'll cost you.

I don't mind paying, but those are just as bad as the free ones. I don't want it to download everything to my desktop. I'm a web developer, and I need a FTP program lets me drop things where I need them. If it only has one window that means I have to bring two different programs to the front view instead of one.

I use Transmit and and am web developer myself. I don't even use the local view, I drag it all the way over so that all I see is the remote view. Then on my computer I have my folder open that Im working from and whenever I want to upload something then I just drag it to Transmit and it uploads it. That's when i actually want to work on local and upload. Most of the time I just right click on a file within Transmit and say "Edit with BBEdit" or whatever program is my default text editor and edit and when I save it automatically uploads.

What kind of stuff do you want to do? I think you're missing the way it works since every PC user I know that has used Mac ftp programs, especially Transmit absolutely loves it. So hopefully we can walk you through whatever you are having problems with. Although I will only be able to help with Transmit since that's what I use

My biggest problem is that when I have 10 programs running, I now have to toggle through twice, once to get transmit to the front, then again to get finder to the front.

Not to mention my above problem where in programs that have both views, occasionally when you select some files and hit enter, instead of transfering them to the folder I have open in the local view side it downloads them to the desktop instead.

Edit: Let me also ask you this, when you say developer, are you talking more designer, or coder? I use dreamwever or Zend Studio, and have all my sites set up as projects, so editing them remotely isn't really an option.

I would recommend Disk Order, a dual pane file manager, which includes an embedded FTP client. You can point either pane of the main window at an FTP site, and then do normal intuitive dual pane file manager type stuff, like copying, moving, renaming, creating directories, etc.

See:

http://www.likemac.ru/english/

If you are familiar with Linux's Midnight Commander, KDE's Konqueror or in fact any of the Norton Commander type clones (and there are TONS of them out there!) you will be instantly comfortable in Disk Order. It is reputed to be buggy, but I haven't run into any yet. You get a great file manager and a great FTP client all in one. I have stopped using ALL the rest of the "normal" Mac FTP clients since I found it.

I use Transmit and have now for 2-3 years. Are you sure you have tried it? There are TWO windows and the files download to whatever window you have opened on the left hand side of Transmit. Below is a pic. It works perfectly both ways the way you are talking about. The only thing I can think of is you have it set wrong. It's a great FTP program and does exactly what you want.

My only real beef with transit is the fact that the folders are scattered amongst the files. Is it that hard to have the folders at the top, and the files at the bottom? Sure you can re-order by type, but then they aren't in alphabetical order.

I think it's just something about macs that I have to get used to. They just have no good ftp programs.

Sorry, Transmit is an outstanding FTP client. I have connected with people and never had issues that I have had with WSFTP dropping and refusing to resume with people. I could go on and on.

The Folders scattered with the files is not a Transmit issue, OSX is that way by default in list view. I have gotten used to that a long time ago. Transmit though is a first rate client and I have been using FTP since before my first PC in DOS and even back to the Amiga.

FTP is not secure...

You should also consider dropping FTP altogether and switching to SFTP or SCP because of security. FTP transmits your login information in the clear, allowing your password to sniffed. Your files are also transmitted in the open and can be intercepted. Both SFTP and SCP encrypt your connection information, as well as the files being transfered. Not only can your login and password not be sniffed, but any embedded password information in your transmitted files cannot be sniffed.

If your hosting company doesn't support secure connections, then you're probably using Windows hosting, and likely have little interest in security in the first place... neye:

FUGU is the only SCP GUI I've used (I generally do this sort of thing in the command-line and have little use for a GUI tool). It does have a multi-pane interface however, with your local directory on one side and the remote list on the other.

There are screenshots here.

Is there something special about it needed to connect? It just kept saying connecting...

Jhorra said:

Is there something special about it needed to connect? It just kept saying connecting...

Click to expand...

Ditto here. It only connects to SFTP servers. My Home FTP that I use for managing my web pages is not SFTP so it will just sit there and not connect.

You are talking about FUGU correct? That is why I was never able to use FUGU. None of the servers I HAVE to connect with support SFTP.

Transmit rocks

I also use FUGU. It works really well for me.

Transmit is the way to go- I've been using it happily for quite some time.