Fetch Softworks

Set up a folder to share? (6 posts)

• Started 17 years ago by rahlgren
• Latest reply 17 years ago from Scott McGuire

• rahlgren Member

  In VersionTracker, a poster states "There is a great feature that you can use to put files up for other people...to download...for files that are too big for email."

  Where can I find out how to do this?

  Thanks!
  Rick

  Posted 17 years ago #

• Scott McGuire Administrator

  Hi Rick,

  The poster on VersionTracker is referring to the ability to use an FTP client to upload files to a server. Once you've uploaded a file to a server, then other users can use a web browser (or sometimes an FTP client) to download the files.

  Fetch itself cannot act as a server or have the ability to set up a "share folder;" it's just an easy-to-use program for transferring files to and from other computers acting as servers.

  For example, your Internet provider may give you space on a server for storing your webpages. However, you can also use this space for putting files that are not webpages. So you would upload your files to your web space using Fetch, and then send a link to the file to someone for them to download using their web browser. If your Internet provider does not provide storage space on a server, there are many companies that will provide storage space for a monthly fee. (Fetch 5.2's WebView feature may help you to get the web links to those files after you've uploaded them.)

  I hope this clarifies things, and let us know if you have further questions.

  Thanks,

  Scott McGuire
  Fetch Softworks

  Posted 17 years ago #

• rahlgren Member

  Hi Scott,

  I knew all that. It sounded like - and I was hoping -- there was an easy way using Fetch to set up a folder on my server space that people could access without seeing all my other files, and hopefully not need an FTP client, since that's too much for some people to figure out. Can you recommend a source for doing that that is not too complicated.

  Thanks,
  Rick

  Posted 17 years ago #

• Scott McGuire Administrator

  Hi Rick,

  Sorry to disappoint you...

  Unfortunately, setting up a special-access folder on a server that you don't control usually requires talking with your hosting provider about how to set that up (which will probably involve the command-line), or asking them to do if for you - I don't believe there's any Mac software that can automatically create such a folder for you on an arbitrary file server. (The problem is that each server's set up is different, and usually controlled by the people who run it.)

  You could run a server on your Macintosh; then you could set up and assign access rights to various folders, and usually they can be accessed through a web browser as well as an FTP client. For instance, Rumpus from Maxum software lets you set up is a Macintosh-based file server that allows you to create up a web interface for specific people to access specific files. The downsides are, you've got to leave your Macintosh running all the time, you may not want people logging into your Macintosh even with limited access, and your Internet connection may not be suitable for running a file server on.

  I believe that if you have an account with Apple's .Mac service, you can also set up public-access folders while limiting access to your files. I'm not very famliar with that feature of .Mac, but you might want to look into it.

  Sorry, I realize that neither of those answers involve the server you have now, but as I said, the problem there is that usually someone else controls the set up of it. I don't think that .Mac is too complicated to set up; Rumpus may be somewhat more complicated.

  I hope this helps some.

  Thanks,

  Scott McGuire
  Fetch Softworks

  Posted 17 years ago #

• rahlgren Member

  Tanks you Scott...you've been very helpful.
  I think I may go with the .Mac proposition. They do have an easy Public folder setup, I think.

  I'll be using Fetch to upload, though!

  Thanks again,
  Rick

  Posted 17 years ago #

• Scott McGuire Administrator

  Hi Rick,

  You're welcome.

  Just to warn you - unfortunately, Fetch can't upload to .Mac accounts. That's on our list of features to add, though. (You can connect to the .Mac account using the Mac OS X Finder to upload things to it.)

  Thanks,

  Scott McGuire
  Fetch Softworks

  Posted 17 years ago #