Accessing files from Macintosh

If you are using Macintosh OSX you can move files back and forth between your Mac and the SAF file server using regular Macintosh drag/drop operations. Earlier Mac OS versions are no longer supported.

  1. Go to Finder
  2. Pull down menu Go and select Connect to Server
  3. A dialog will appear, in the address field enter:
    smb://safserver/your_SAF_username
  4. Click on connect
  5. Another dialog box will appear. Leave domain set to SAF, set username to your SAF username (which is unlikely to be the same as your OSX username, which will be filled in by default), and enter your SAF password.
  6. When the connection completes an icon for the remote folder will appear on your desktop and it will probably open to show the files inside. You may drag files back and forth between this folder and your Mac.
  7. The space available in this remote folder is shown at the top of the window.
  8. When you are done close the folder and drag the folder icon into the trash. While the folder is being dragged trash will change to disconnect

Limitations, cautions, etc.

  1. Please disconnect when you are done as leaving these folders open wastes resources on the server.
  2. On the Macintosh side remember to save files in text form. The Unix machine will not be able to do anything useful with a sequence or other file which is stored as a Microsoft Word document!
  3. If you move around from Windows to Unix to Mac keep in mind that text lines end with <CR><LF> on Windows and sometimes Mac, and just <LF> on Unix. On Unix (or Mac terminal) use tr to remove the unwanted <CR> with:
    tr -d \r <infile >outfile
  4. Give files meaningful names and use extensions like ".seq" for GCG DNA sequences, or ".nfa" for DNA fasta sequences.
  5. Do not use anything but a-z,A-Z,0-9, underscore, dash, and "." in file names. Spaces, quotes, and dollar signs or other punctuation are a particularly bad idea. Do not begin a name with a period or it will not be shown by default in file listings on Unix.
  6. This storage area is for SAF related work, do not use it for general storage.
  7. You may also upload/download files through the w2h interface.
  8. If you can find an sftp client for the Macintosh you will be able to transfer files that way too.
Updated 09/29/2004