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Fetch is a graphical FTP (File Transport Protocol) client
for the Macintosh platform. It allows users to transfer
files to and from the MCPS web servers from the local
workstation. This works from within and outside the
MCPS domain.
The primary user of Fetch is the webmaster creating
or updating a web site using a Macintosh environment.
Fetch is a free Macintosh
FTP (file transfer protocol) client. With Fetch you
can move your web files to your directory on the web
server (upload) or move files from the server to your
local drive (download).
In MCPS Macintosh schools, Fetch is in the Internet
folder. If the program is not present, on other Macintosh
based machines, educational users can download and use
Fetch for free from Fetch
Softworks. There is additional documentation
available online.
Before you begin to use Fetch
for the first time you will need to check the preferences.
Do this by selecting the Preferences
option under the Customize menu. You
will see a Preferences dialog box with multiple settings
across a tabbed index at the top. Select Upload.
The Default Text format should be Text, the Default
Non-text format should be Raw Data. Now you're ready
to begin.
When you launch the Fetch program,
you will see a New Connection dialog box. Three pieces
of information are necessary to connect to the server:
- Host: enter one of the following
- www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org for web pages
- multimedia.montgomeryschoolsmd.org for streaming media
files
- tpilot.montgomeryschoolsmd.org for TestPilot3 server
- UserID: enter your assigned loginID
e.g. internet\smithjan
- Password: enter your assigned password
- Directory: optional, but if you
enter it you are taken directly to where you need
to be on the server. In this case we are going to
the bannockburnes folder which is inside the schools
folder.
- Click on OK
Do not save your password or user ID as part of a shortcut
on the workstation if it is shared with any other users.
Anyone opening this application will have access to
your files on the MCPS server.
Here we are -- just where we want to be. If you forget
to enter the directory information above or make a mistake
you will still be connected to the server, but you will
find yourself in another directory. If this happens
scan down the list and find the schools (or curriculum
or departments) folder. Open that and you will find
your specific folder (in this case, bannockburnes).
Fetch uses the terms Put (for uploading)
and Get (for downloading). To upload a file, single
click on the Put File button. You will
be prompted for a location of the file in your local
documents. Navigate from the desktop to your documents
volume until you locate the file you wish to upload.
Highlight the file and click Open.
You will then get the dialog box:
Confirm that this
is the file you wish to "Put" on the server.
HTML or web pages should be sent in the Text format.
All other files are uploaded as Raw Data. (You should
have set this up in the preferences before you logged
in the first time.) Click on OK. The
little dog runs, and you should see your file listed
in the directory window.
Caution: Be sure to
verify that you see the correct directory at the top
of the files window before uploading files. Often graphics
are stored in a gr subdirectory within the school directory.
Pages might be organized within subdirectories such
as pta, mediacenter, admin, etc.
Changes will not be reflected on the server
until the file has been both saved locally and put to
the server. You may also have to refresh the browser
window to see the latest version of the file. If the
file has been uploaded into the wrong folder e.g. the
graphics folder, rather the pages folder, you will not
see your most recent changes. These are the most frequent
causes of errors.
Transferring files from the MCPS server to your local
computer or file server is also known as "downloading”
or Get File. This process is the same
as for “uploading” (transferring files to
the remote server) except you will select the files
or folders you wish to transfer in the directory window
and click Get File. Then you will be
prompted for a destination locally where you wish to
save them.
Uploading multiple files/folders: You
will often have more than one file to upload and sometimes
you will want to upload an entire folder. Fetch 3.03
makes this easy with the Put Folders and Files...
menu item located under the Remote
menu. Choosing this option will bring up a dialog box.
The top part of the box lists files on your local drives
and the bottom part lists files you have chosen to upload.
You can mix and match HTML or graphics files but remember
that the files you upload will all be placed in the
same directory you selected before choosing the Put
command. In other words, if you are uploading to your
home directory and you want to upload graphics as well
Fetch will not know that you want HTML files in the
home directory and graphics files in the gr directory.
After you have chosen the files you want to upload click
on the Done button and Fetch will prompt
you to select the file format for uploading (text for
html and raw data for everything else).
Delete and rename files on the server:
Under the Remote menu are the options
to Rename or Delete files and
folders on the server. Choose the file/folder
in the directory window that you want to rename or delete,
select the appropriate option from the menu, and Fetch
will prompt you to give it a new name or confirm the
delete.
Yes. Most HTML editor programs have some means of FTPing
built into their code. Because there are so many variations,
the Web Services Team is not able to provide support
for these internal FTP clients. There are other FTP
standalone clients for Macintosh users as well. Again,
Web Services support is limited to Fetch.
It is always possible to separate the functions of updating
web pages from the FTP (uploading) function. Web Service
will support you if you need help with the Fetch application.
Contact Web Services Team at webmaster@mcpsmd.org
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