Use SCP rather than FTP. It is secure and there are a number of freebies for different platforms.
> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Charlie Summers > Sent: Friday, 22 March 2002 09:07 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: File Transfers...again (yet?) > > > > Folks; > > Before I start, let me say how much I appreciate VNC and those > here on the > list who support it and its users. I have a small shop with mixed machines > (Mac, Windows, linux) and it has been a godsend for us, keeping > the number of > monitors in the place down to managable levels. Thanks to one and all! > > I really _hate_ to bring the topic of file transfers up again, but I'm > hoping someone knows a bit more than I have been able to discover in the > archives and various searches on the Net. > > To recap the usual way this thread works, someone asks for > file sharing, > and the suggestions generally fall into two camps; a) use FTP > client/servers, > or b) buy commercial software like PC Anywhere (although in > keeping with the > cross-platform spirit of VNC, people should probably recommend Timbuktu > instead). Most believe that file transfers should _not_ be > incorporated into > VNC, something with which I COMPLETELY agree; VNC does one task, does it > well, and should be improved upon without feature-bloat. > > That said, however, I _do_ have some problems with using FTP > client/servers...primarily that they are a pain in the arse, > waste time and > energy particualrly for small file transfers, are insecure, and can be a > security risk (especially if we make the reasonable assumption > that the bulk > of those who install and use VNC are neither programmers nor network > administrators). > > A routine example here is that one machine (a Win32, say) has completed > processing and has a small binary file ready; this file needs to be > transfered to in this example a Macintosh. So an FTP server is > started on the > Mac, then a DOS FTP session is started on the Windows box, a connection is > initiated, cd commands are issued, the file is put, the > connection is closed, > the server is closed, and the file is now transfered. Could probably do it > faster copying to a floppy disk and walking it across the room. > > So my working assumption is that there should be, somewhere, a > cross-platform peer-to-peer application for file transfers much like VNC; > something that does a single task, does it well, and isn't bloated by > unnecessary features. It should be cross-platform (Mac, Windows, > un*x), and > it should be free to the end user. (Open-source would probably be > nice, but > doesn't factor in at this point.) It should be simple to use, > small, and not > require daemons to be running external to the application itself; > launch the > app on two machines, use one to connect to the other via name or IP, and > transfer away. > > Seems so obvious that it _has_ to exist somewhere. I've spent > a few hours > searching around, and haven't found anything that suits the > requirements yet. > If anyone can supply pointers as I continue the search, I'd appreciate > it...and I have the feeling there are many others on the list who would as > well. > > Charlie Summers > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the line: > 'unsubscribe vnc-list' in the message BODY > See also: http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/intouch.html > --------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the line: 'unsubscribe vnc-list' in the message BODY See also: http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/intouch.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------
