Finder connect to FTP server no write access

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Level 1

8 points

Finder connect to FTP server no write access

I've set up my own FTP server at home and have access through terminal by typing ftp "my address" and I can open a virtual machine and connect to my FTP server just fine with the access privileges I had set up but when i use finder to mount it as a volume I can't write to any directory. I get an error saying the volume is read only. Looking at the volume in finder it says I am connected to "my address" as ftp user (this is odd because this isn't the user name i logged in as)

I've tried all sorts of configuration options and as a last resort I connected through a VM so this is obviously a problem with OS X.

How can I get this working?

MacBook Air, Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Mar 31, 2011 12:12 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Roger Wilmut1

Level 10

131,146 points

Mar 31, 2011 12:53 AM in response to grantsales

It's not a problem in the sense of a fault condition: the Finder has always been designed to provide read-only access to servers it mounts. If you want full access you need an FTP client: CyberDuck is free; Transmit is $34 but better.

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Answer 2

grantsales Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 31, 2011 4:16 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Thanks for the reply.

Your answer helps but I can't say that it makes any sense. Seems like a simple feature that users would enjoy. Just like direct connection to Amazon's S3 through finder, but I guess that's just asking for too much.

I've used ExpanDrive but I get lots of disconnect issues when connecting to my S3 account.

I've also tried PogoPlug for at home with disconnect issues as well.

Any suggestions for a reliable connection? I haven't herd of cyberduck before

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Answer 3

Mar 31, 2011 4:27 AM in response to grantsales

I don't know why Apple decided to make Finder FTP access read only, but that's how it is. CyberDuck and Transmit should connect to any FTP or WebDAV server (such as the iDisk) reliable - I don't know whether there is anything different about Amazon's S3 service. CyberDuck is free, and Transmit (which personally I prefer) has a free trial.

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Answer 4

grantsales Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 31, 2011 4:27 AM in response to grantsales

CyberDuck and Transmit doesn't let me mount my FTP server as a volume (in /Volumes/FTPserver)

That's what I'm looking to do.

I'm trying to link my iTunes to an off site location, my new mac book air doesn't have enough space to hold everything. I can do it with an external drive and it work with a network drive. Getting off my own LAN I can read and play but updating apps doesn't work so great (this was using pogo plug) My upload speed is too slow to use Amazon S3 and I was trying to reduce costs by getting my dead desktop at home to do this for me rather then paying Amazon $20 a month. All I need is Finder to work with FTP transfers or a decent program that wont glitch out on an upload.

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Answer 5

Mar 31, 2011 4:29 AM in response to grantsales

Open Transmit: from the Help menu choose Transmit Help. Type 'Transmit Disk' in the search field at top right: in the list which opens choose 'Using Transmit Disk' and see whether this does what you want.

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Answer 6

grantsales Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 31, 2011 4:35 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

I'll play around with Transmit some more. Thanks for the help.

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Answer 7

Barney-15E

Level 10

112,638 points

Mar 31, 2011 5:08 AM in response to grantsales

Take a look at MacFusion. You'll also need to install MacFuse.
I have no idea how reliable it is, but it does what you are asking.

However, why not use some transfer method that is actually secure? AFP, SSH, etc. ftp sends usernames and passwords in the clear. You're likely not a target for anyone to snoop on, but the threat is still there.

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Answer 8

thomas_r.

Level 7

31,989 points

Mar 31, 2011 5:30 AM in response to Barney-15E

However, why not use some transfer method that is actually secure? AFP, SSH, etc. ftp sends usernames and passwords in the clear.

Transmit also supports SFTP, which is secure... of course, that's assuming the server being connected to also supports it. GoDaddy servers, as one example, appear not to support SFTP. (At any rate, I have a client who uses GoDaddy, and was unable to connect to their server using SFTP.)

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