Using Fetch to Transfer File between your Unix account and the Mac
By Steve Ledzian dcs-mac-support@cs.rutgers.edu
Help information taken directly from fetch Help file
Created Jan 11, 95
What is Fetch?
Fetch is a Macintosh program for transferring files. It
uses the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and therefore
allows a networked Macintosh to transfer files with
any connected machine that supports FTP.
Fetch is Copyright © 1994, Trustees of Dartmouth
College.
Where is Fetch?
You can find Fetch in the Unix Utils folder in the
RUNet folder on the Local Course Support Volume on
every DCS Macintosh. Double Click on Fetch to run it.
Connecting
When you start Fetch or press the Open Connection...
button you will be prompted with the connection dialog
box. You must specifiy the name or IP number of the
machine you wish to connect to, either by typing it in or
by choosing an item from the Shortcuts pop-up menu.
You may enter an user id and password. If you do not
enter a user id Fetch will substitute the name
anonymous. If you do not enter a password your
default password will be used (the default password is
specified in Preferences). So in order to use anonymous
FTP you only need to enter a machine name.
Directories
Fetch displays directories roughly the same way that
the Macintosh system displays folders. Once you are
connected the current directory is displayed as the title
of a pop-up menu above the file list. You can change
directory in several ways. Double-clicking the name of
a directory in the file list (or selecting it and hitting
enter) causes Fetch to enter that directory. The pop-up
menu above the file lists lets you move to any ancestor
of the current directory. Choosing the Change
Directory... command from the Directories menu
prompts you for a directory name and makes that the
current directory. Finally, the bottom of the
Directories menu includes every directory you have
entered since opening the connection. You may re-enter
any one by selecting it from the menu.
Getting a File
To get a file, double-click on its name or select it and
click the Get File... button. If the Automatic radio
button is chosen Fetch will try to figure out what kind
of file it is from its name, and treat it as a text file if it
can't make an educated guess. If the Text button is
selected the file will be treated as text, and you will
have the option of converting any BinHex files
embedded in the text file. If the Binary button is
selected Fetch will check to see if the file is in
MacBinary II, AppleSingle, MacBinary I or MacHost
format, and otherwise save it without any formatting
or conversion. If you know what kind of file you are
getting you should select the appropriate button. Most
of the time, however, the Automatic setting will do the
right thing.
Putting a File
To Transfer a file from your Macintosh to another
machine click on the Put File... button. You will be
asked to pick a file and prompted for the name and
format to give the file you are putting. You should
choose MacBinary II format if you plan to simply store
the file on the other machine, BinHex if you plan to
mail it to someone, and either Text, Wrapped Text, or
Raw Data if you plan to manipulate the file on the
host computer. Text will simply create a text file using
the rules of the other system, Wrapped Text will limit
lines to a certain length, and Raw Data will not
perform any conversions at all.
Cancelling and Quitting
You may cancel any on-going operation by pressing the
Cancel button. Some host computers do not recognize the
cancel command and will therefore continue the current
operation until it is completed. In that case your only
options are to close the connection (by pressing Close
Connection) or quitting from Fetch by choosing the Quit
command from the File menu.
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