Skip Navigation
UMass Amherst People Finder

Fetch for Macintosh

Operating System: Mac OS

Fetch is an FTP and Secure FTP (SFTP) application available for Macintosh OS X 10.3.9 and later. You can use it to transfer files between your local computer and a remote host, such as OIT's Web hosting server. Note that you must use SFTP to transfer files to and from OIT's Web hosting server.

On this page:
Obtain & Install Fetch
Connect to OIT's Web hosting server
Transfer Files
Other Fetch Features

Obtain & Install Fetch

  1. You can download Fetch 5 free from the Supported Software and Downloads section of the OIT site. Please check the System Requirements first.
  2. On the OIT Suported Software and Downloads for Macintosh page, find and click the download link for Fetch. This will download the Fetch Installer to your desktop.
  3. Once the download is complete, the Fetch Installer window will open with instructions you can follow to complete the installation. If the Fetch Installer window does not open automatically, double-click the Fetch Installer icon on your desktop.
[Back to Top]

Connect to OIT's Web hosting server

To open a connection to OIT's Web hosting server in Fetch 5, do the following:

  1. Go to Macintosh HD > Applications > Fetch. Fetch will open and you will see the New Connection window.
  2. In the New Connection window:
    • In the Hostname: field, enter webadmin.oit.umass.edu.
    • In the Username: field, enter your NetID (OIT Account user name).
    • From the Connect using: drop-down menu, select SFTP.
    • In the Password: field, enter your UMail Password. For more information, see the NetID & Passwords section of the OIT site.
      Note: If you are using a public or shared computer, please do not check the Add to keychain box, since this might give others access to your OIT Web hosting server space.
    • Once you have entered your login information, click Connect (at bottom).
  3. Fetch will attempt to connect to OIT's Web hosting server. If successful, your files on OIT's Web hosting server will be listed in the Fetch window.

[Back to Top]

Transfer Files

To download files:

  1. In the Fetch window, select the file or folder you wish to download to your computer.
  2. Drag the file or folder from the Fetch window to the location where you wish to save it on your computer.
    Note: On the Fetch taskbar (top), you can also click Get. This will download the file or folder to your desktop (or the default location you indicate, see Download Preferences below).

To upload files:

  1. On your computer, select the file or folder you wish to upload.
  2. With the Fetch window open and connected to OIT's Web hosting server, drag the file or folder you selected to the desired location within the main field in the Fetch window. Your file will be uploaded to OIT's Web hosting server.
    Note: To upload a file to a specific location, in the Fetch window, navigate to the desired folder within your OIT Web hosting server space and on the Fetch taskbar (top), click Put. A panel listing all files and folders on your computer will open. Select the file or folder you wish to upload, then click Open.
[Back to Top]

Other Fetch Features

Download Preferences

You can determine the default location where you want to place the files or folders you download:

  1. Go to Fetch > Preferences... The Fetch Preferences window will open.
  2. In the Fetch Preferences window, on the Download tab, from the Save downloaded files to: drop-down menu, select a location (i.e., Dektop, Documents, Other...) to indicate where your downloaded files should be placed. You can also select Ask Every Time if you want Fetch to prompt you for a location every time you download a file or folder to your computer.

Text and Image Editor Preferences

You can designate default text and image editors to be opened when you select a file and click the Edit button on the Fetch taskbar.

  1. Go to Fetch > Preferences... The Fetch Preferences window will open.
  2. In the Fetch Preferences window, on the Obscure tab, from the Edit text files with: drop-down menu, select the program on your computer that you wish to use as the default text editor. Then, from the Edit image files with: drop-down menu, select the program on your computer that you wish to use as the default image editor.

Multiple Connections

In Fetch, you can open multiple connections to one or more hosts. For example, you can connect to both OIT's Web hosting server and another remote host simultaneously.

  1. In Fetch, go to File > New Connection.... A New Connection window will open.
  2. Follow the instructions above to log in to the new connection.

[Back to Top]

Related Pages

Fetch 5
Web Site Hosting
JellyFISSH (SSH)

Need Help?

If you encounter problems, submit an online Help Request.
- or -
Contact the OIT Help Desk at 545-9400.

Last revised August 08, 2007