How to Easily Transfer Files/Folder Between Your

USNA UNIX Account and Your Local Machine

 

By David Underhill

Updated 12JAN05

 

Introduction: There are several programs that can facilitate the secure transfer of files between your UNIX account and your local machine.  Below are the directions for three such programs: 1) WinSCP (recommended) 2) WS_FTP Pro (also good, but not free) and 3) PSFTP (command-line interface; tougher to use).

 

Enjoy -- and make frequent backups of your work!

 

WinSCP: (recommended)

Overview: full-featured file transfer software (good for maintaining a website too; lots of features to grow into as you become more advanced [permissions, etc.])  It is easy to use and free.

 

                Where to get it: Information Page – Direct Download

 

                How to Set it Up:

1.       Install the program with the defaults except on the ‘User Interface Style’ page.  Check ‘Show advanced login options’.

2.       Open WinSCP (the options dialog should automatically popup)

3.       In the ‘Session’ category, enter your hostname (xxx.cs.usna.edu), username (m07xxxx) and set the protocol to ‘SFTP’.

4.       In the ‘Environment’à ‘Directories’ category, check ‘Remember last used directory’ and uncheck ‘Cache visited remote directories’.  Also, set the default directory you want it to startup in locally (‘Local Directory’ box).

5.       Press the ‘Save’ button so you don’t have to configure this again!  The save name can be anything you like.

6.       Once you’ve saved, it will change to the ‘Stored Sessions’ window automatically.  Click ‘Shell Icon’ (right-side of the window) and choose ‘Desktop Icon’ (makes it easy to startup; you can move the icon somewhere more reasonable, like your start menu).  All done – just press ‘Login’!

 

Note: To transfer files/folders, simply drag and drop.

 

Setting Up WinSCP:

 

WinSCP running and logged in to my UNIX account:

WS_FTP PRO:

Overview: full-featured file transfer software (good for maintaining a website too; lots of features to grow into as you become more advanced [permissions, etc.])

 

                Where to get it: Information Page – Buy It Page (Government Discount Page)

Note: The free WS FTP version which is on our computers and can be downloaded will not be sufficient.  It is unable to connect through a secure SSH connection and so it cannot be used to connect to our UNIX labs.

 

                How to Set it Up:

1. Open the 'Organize Sites' window (under 'Options --> Organize Sites')

2. Click 'Create Site'

3. Name your site 'USNA UNIX LAB' or something like that and press 'Next'.

4. Host address is 'xxxxx.cs.usna.edu' (use the one you looked up for PuTTY) and press 'Next.

5. Type in your User ID (m07xxxx) and uncheck 'Save Password' and uncheck 'Save Account' and press 'Next'.

6. Change 'Server Type' to 'SFTP/SSH' and then make sure 'Port' is set to '22'.  Press 'Finish'!

 

Now, in the 'Organize Sites' window, the one you just added should be there.  Just double click it to connect whenever you open WS_FTP Pro!  On the left side of the screen will be your computer, on the right side will be the files on your UNIX account.  Use the little arrows to move files back and forth.

 

Extra Options to Set: Go to options and under 'General' set 'Allow files and folders to be moved' so you can use WS FTP to move folders/files if you want (by right-click a file/folder and choosing ‘Move’ from the context menu which appears).  Also, remember you can check 'Allow deletion of non-empty folders' if you ever need to delete a folder and all its files (disabled by default so you don't accidentally nuke all of your stuff, I suppose).

 

Installation (setting the ‘Server Type’):

 

The ‘Organize Sites’ Window:

 

WS_FTP Pro running and logged in to my UNIX account:

PSFTP:

Overview: this is a command-line file transfer program; it is offered by PuTTY’s distributors.  It is noticeably less robust and user-friendly than WS FTP Pro, but it is free and does allow you to transfer files fairly easily.

 

                Where to get it: Information Page – Download (Free)

Note: you may also want to download the newest PuTTY release (0.56); the old version has some security issues.  The current PuTTY release can be downloaded from the above information page or directly here.

 

                How to Set it Up:

1. Open psftp.exe

2. Open a connection with the 'open' command followed by your hostname (open xxx.cs.usna.edu; same as the server you entered on PuTTY)

3. Enter your username and password when prompted

 

Optional: to have psftp automatically connect to your server (ie allowing you to skip the ‘open’ command) create a shortcut to psftp.exe and right-click it, choose ‘Properties’ add to the ‘Target’ field (after the end quote) the name of the server

 

Basic Commands:

·         Remote commands: cd, ls, rm, exit (work just like UNIX command line...shows system files too)

·         Local commands: lcd (change local dir, works like cd), lpwd (show current local dir)

·         File Transfer commands: get, put (downloads/uploads the specified file)

·         Type /help to see the full list of commands!!

 

PSFTP running, logging into my UNIX account, and performing a few operations (change remote dir, list remote dir, show local dir, and get [download] a remote file: