Mac OS X Leopard - ARCAism

This can have unexpected consequences. For example, any DNS resolution will be in terms
of the remote machine. If you have domains listed as default, local hosts, or discrepancies in the
closest name server’s routing table, the remote machine might behave differently than would
your local host.
To log out of the remote server, type exit. This is the same as exiting any shell, so bear in
mind that if you’ve launched a new shell from within the Secure Shell, typing exit will not log
you out. Fortunately, when you log out of a Secure Shell session, Secure Shell will let you know
the connection is closed. If you don’t get that confirmation, assume you are still logged in.
Remote login via Secure Shell can be enabled from System Preferences, as discussed in the
“Sharing” section later in this chapter.
NOTE Secure Shell replaces the older Telnet application. Both programs accomplish the same
thing, but ssh uses encryption to ensure an attacker cannot view your data in transit. Most
machines do not allow insecure access, but Telnet remains in the UNIX toolbox for backward
compatibility.
Darwin also includes an ftp program for using the File Transfer Protocol to move files
between machines. As opposed to shell access, which allows for all manner of shenanigans, FTP
access is much more limited, restricting user privileges to basic file operations.
To use FTP from the command line, simply type ftp. Unlike Secure Shell, FTP can be
invoked without actually opening a connection. To connect to a remote machine, type open, and
then, when prompted, enter the address of the machine, your username, and your password.
Unlike the Finder’s Connect to Server menu, Darwin does not have an ftps command, but it
does have an sftp command, which works just like the regular ftp command. However, although
opening a connection and supplying your username at invocation time are optional in ftp, they
are required in sftp.
sftp booksystem@10.0.1.5
Enter your password when prompted, and then proceed as normal.
Whatever the advantage to using sftp, moving files back and forth in the terminal is almost
too complicated to make it worthwhile, but if you really want to know, type man ftp or man sftp
in the terminal to read all about it. A much better idea would be to use a dedicated FTP client.
Third-Party Solutions
The Finder was designed to be a file browser, so it’s a great way to take advantage of remote file
protocols, such as AFP, SMB, and WebDAV. However, just as you wouldn’t use the Finder to surf
the Web, it’s also ill-suited for dealing with the peculiar needs of FTP and related protocols.
Instead, it’s best to turn to third-party solutions.
Transmit
CHAPTER 21 WORKING WITH REMOTE SERVERS AND NETWORKS 369
I’ve used a lot of FTP clients on a lot of different platforms, but one application stands head-andshoulders
above any other: Transmit (www.panic.com/transmit/). This award-winning application
is available only on the Mac and was written by Panic, a Portland-based, Mac-only software
company held in the highest esteem by developers and users alike.
As shown in Figure 21-4, Transmit has a simple, native drag-and-drop interface that belies
its power. Under the hood Transmit has a robust file transfer engine that works with all manner
of protocols, including FTP, FTPS, SFTP, WebDAV over HTTP and HTTPS, and Amazon S3. It
also deals with such vagaries as proxies and passive mode.