FTP
From Forklift Wiki
New Connection
- cmd-K
- Go > Connect...
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FTP of course stands for File Transfer Protocol and is the most common way of transferring files over the Internet.
You need three basic information to connect to an FTP server: a server hostname, a username, and a password.
Once connected to the server, you will be able to work with the data stored on the server in the same way you work with local data. You can use QuickLook, you can edit files, browse archives or use batch rename.
You can greatly enhance your workflow by storing frequently used connection as a Favorite and taking advantage of our amazing Local Path and Copy URL features, for faster access and better management of your files.
To set up or modify an FTP connection, open a new connection or edit an existing Favorite.
- Select FTP.
- Enter a name for the connection. This is how the connection will show up on the Sidebar (optional).
- Enter server hostname: e.g.: ftp.binarynights.com or IP address (127.0.0.1).
Note you need not include the ftp:// prefix. - The default port for FTP connection is port number 21, but if your server is set up differently, you should enter the port number
- Enter your username. ForkLift will log in as anonymous user if left blank.
- Enter your password. Leave blank for anonymous user login.
- If most of your FTP work is done in a specific folder on the FTP account, this is where you have the option to set the initial path for the connection (e.g.: /www/html). On connection, ForkLift will open directly in this folder
- Remember password in keychain - check this option if you want ForkLift to store the password using your Mac keychain.
- You can choose to add this connection to your FAVORITES straight away.
- Click Connect.
On connection, a spinning progress indicator shows the connection is in progress. An alert is displayed if the connection fails for some reason.
Once the connection is established, the volume is listed in the Sidebar under CONNECTIONS.
You can disconnect from the connection by clicking the small eject button next to the connection's name in the Sidebar, or selecting the connection in the Sidebar and clicking File > Disconnect.
[edit] Transfer concurrency
One of the basics of ForkLift's superior speed is that it connects to the server through several connections, and uses them all in concert to speed up transfers. Since this represents an increased load on the target server, controls are provided to adjust the number of connections depending on your server.
Preferences > General > Enable concurrent transfers on connections - enables the use of multithread transfers. You can manually set the maximum number of connections (default: 5).
Using concurrent transfers is obviously more taxing on the server, and may result in dropped transfers or recurring timeouts on slow servers. In this case, decrease the concurrency value, or disable concurrent transfers.
[edit] Advanced settings
| Connection Timeout | sets the period of time after which ForkLift will abandon a connection attempt if the server fails to respond (default: 30 sec). |
| Transfer Mode | the three options (Auto/Binary/ASCII) are here as a sort of tradition, with little practical use. If you do not now what they are used for, the default Auto option will certainly do. |
| Text Encoding | you should set this option if you work with files that have non-ASCII characters in their filenames (iTunes libraries being a good example for this, which would work better with a UTF-8 setting) |
| Use passive mode | if your machine connects to the Internet through a router, then you need to have this option on. (default: on) |
| Cache directory content | makes ForkLift store file lists in a cache file. This allows for faster navigation on an FTP where you change directories a lot. (default: on) NOTE: when the directory cache is on, you may not always see the actual content of the remote folder. To refresh the cached file list, hit cmd-R or click the |
| Use TLS/SSL encryption | check this option if your FTP administrator has set up the FTP for TLS/SSL. (default: off) |
Exemptions to normal workflow on FTP connections:
