Fetch 5.3 FAQ

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Frequently Asked Questions about Fetch 5.3

Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Fetch 5.3. For questions about Fetch 4, see the Frequently Asked Questions about Fetch 4 page.

If there's a question that you think should be addressed here, please send it to faq@fetchsoftworks.com. Thank you!

Answers

Using Fetch

1. What do I enter in the Hostname, Username and Password fields?

You need to enter the hostname (something like "home.example.com" or "ftp.example.net") of the server you want to transfer files from or to, and the username (something like "smith97" or "billsbakery") and password for your account on that server. If this is an account you've purchased from a Internet service provider, that provider should be able to tell you what to enter. See the What do I enter in the hostname, username, and password fields? help topic for more information.

2. How do I make Fetch start up with the information for my server or website?

You can make Fetch automatically fill out the Hostname and Username fields in the New Connection dialog by using a default shortcut. Fill out your server's information in the New Connection dialog, choose Make Shortcut from the Shortcuts pop-up menu to the right of the Hostname field, and check the Make this the default shortcut box. See the making Fetch start with information for your server or website help topic for more detailed steps.

3. How do I create, delete or change shortcuts?

To create a shortcut, use the Make Shortcut command in the Shortcuts pop-up menu in the New Connection dialog, or the Shortcuts > New Shortcut command, or drag an item from a transfer window to the Fetch Shortcuts window. For more detailed steps, see the creating a shortcut help topic.

To delete a shortcut, choose Shortcuts > Show Shortcuts, select the shortcut in the Fetch Shortcuts window, and choose Edit > Delete or press the Delete key. To change a shortcut, choose Shortcuts > Show Shortcuts, select the shortcut in the Fetch Shortcuts window and choose Shortcuts > Edit Shortcut. For more information, see the deleting or changing a shortcut help topic.

4. How do I upload more than one file at a time?

There are several different ways to upload multiple files (or entire folders) with one command:

Either click the Put button in the transfer window toolbar or choose Remote > Put, and then either select a folder, or hold down the Command or Shift keys while clicking to select multiple files
Drag file and folder icons from the Finder to a Fetch transfer window
Create a droplet shortcut for your server and drag files and folders to it in the Finder or Dock

If you want to only upload new or changed files in a folder, you may want to use the Mirror command in the Remote menu. See the Mirror window or mirroring a local folder to a remote folder help topics for more information.

5. How do I make downloaded files open in the correct application?

Normally Fetch uses the extension at the end of a file's name to set the application that a file will open with. Usually Fetch will choose the same application that the Finder uses to open files with a specific extension. However, you can change which application will open which extension in the Transfer Options pane of the info window in Fetch — see the changing the application a file opens with help topic.

Also, if files have been encoded in a special format that preserves Macintosh information, such as BinHex, MacBinary, AppleSingle, Zip Archive, or StuffIt X Archive, the files will open in the application originally specified for those files when they were uploaded. If the setting was different on the computer that uploaded those files than on yours, they may not open in the application you expect.

6. How can I view or set permissions of a folder without waiting for Fetch to calculate the size?

Hold down the Option key while choosing Get Info to open an info window for the selected folders without calculating their size first. See the Get Quick Info help topic for more information.

7. How do I connect to an FTP or SFTP server on a non-standard port?

Click the disclosure button in the New Connection dialog to reveal the field for entering a non-standard port.

8. How do I disconnect from a server?

To disconnect from a server, simply close the Fetch transfer window for that server. If you do not want to close the transfer window, leave it open and Fetch will automatically disconnect from the server after approximately 5 minutes (the status pane will display "Disconnected" once this happens). Fetch will automatically reconnect if you decide to work with the transfer window again.

9. How can I see the modification times for files?

While it does not show the modification times by default, you can resize the Date column in the file list to show the time as well as date. To resize a column in the file list, click the vertical line between the titles of two columns and drag. You may need to make another column (such as the Name column) narrower before you can make the Date column wider. You can use the Get Info command to see the modification time of a single file.

10. How do I use my shortcuts from a previous version of Fetch in Fetch 5.3?

The first time you open Fetch 5.3, it will automatically read and upgrade your shortcuts from your previous version of Fetch. However, Fetch 5.3 stores shortcuts in a different format than some previous versions of Fetch, so while you can continue to use Fetch 5.3 and an earlier version of Fetch on the same Macintosh, you may not see changes you make to the Fetch 5.3 shortcuts in the previous versions of Fetch, and vice versa.

Fetch 5.1 and later store your shortcuts in a file named "com.fetchsoftworks.Fetch.Shortcuts.plist" in the Preferences folder in the Library folder in your home folder. Fetch 5 and Fetch 4.0.3 both stored shortcuts in a file named "Fetch Shortcuts" in that same location. (After you upgrade, you will have both files — the older file is saved both as a backup, and in case you want to continue to use the earlier version of Fetch.)

If you are using a new system disk, or upgrading to Mac OS X, you can copy the com.fetchsoftworks.Fetch.Shortcuts.plist or Fetch Shortcuts file from the old disk to the right place on your new system disk. (On OS 9, the Fetch Shortcuts file is located in the Preferences folder in your System Folder.) See the moving shortcuts to another Macintosh help topic for more information.

11. How do I move my shortcuts from one Macintosh to another?

If you are upgrading to a new Macintosh, or use multiple Macintosh computers and would like to have the same Fetch shortcuts on each computer, see the moving shortcuts to another Macintosh help topic for detailed steps on moving your shortcuts to another computer.

12. How do I upload CGI scripts in ASCII format?

Fetch refers to ASCII format as Text format. To upload files in Text format, choose Text from the Format submenu of the Remote menu, and then choose the Remote > Put menu command or click the Put button in the transfer window toolbar.

13. How do I connect to my AOL web/FTP space?

Please note that while the instructions below were working in December 2007, AOL often makes changes to how their system works with external FTP clients such as Fetch. We try to keep these instructions up to date, but we cannot guarantee that they will work for you. If the instructions below do not work, you can use either the AOL Hometown File Manager or the FTP client built into the AOL software to update your website.

First, in order to use Fetch with your AOL website, you must first open the AOL software, sign in to AOL with your screen name, and then stay signed in (leave the AOL software running) the whole time you are using Fetch. AOL will not let Fetch access your web space if you are not signed in with the AOL software at the same time on the same Macintosh. (This is true regardless of whether you are accessing AOL with dial-up or with a high-speed Internet connection such as DSL or a cable modem.)

Then, in Fetch, connect to the AOL web server by entering the following in the New Connection dialog:

Hostname: members.aol.com
Username: anonymous
Connect Using: FTP
Password: your-AOL-screenname@aol.com
(replace "your-AOL-screenname" with your screen name).

If your AOL account doesn't offer unlimited use - charges are incurred for every minute you are signed on - you can avoid charges by entering a "free" area via keywords such as "billing" while you are uploading files in Fetch. Fetch will work normally while you are in a free AOL area.

If you encounter a problem, you should make sure you have the latest version of the AOL software for Mac OS X; some earlier versions did not allow you to access your AOL web space with Fetch. You can download the AOL software from the AOL website.

For information relating to other providers, see the connection information for popular Internet providers help topic.

Features

1. What are the new features in Fetch 5.3?

See the Fetch 5.3 release notes. If you are a regular user of Fetch upgrading from an earlier version, you may find the Fetch 5.3 for Fetch 5 Users or the Fetch 5.3 for Fetch 4 Users help topic useful for learning about the changes in Fetch.

2. Does Fetch support SFTP?

Yes. Choose SFTP from the Connect using pop-up menu in the New Connection dialog. For more information, see the SFTP help topic.

3. Does Fetch support FTP with TLS/SSL (FTPS)?

Yes. Choose FTP with TLS/SSL from the Connect using pop-up menu in the New Connection dialog. Fetch supports both AUTH TLS (Explicit SSL) and SSL connect (Implicit SSL) connections. To use SSL connect (Implicit SSL), choose FTP with TLS/SSL and enter 990 in the Port field. For more information, see the FTP with TLS/SSL help topic.

4. Does Fetch support .Mac or WebDAV?

No, sorry, Fetch does not support connecting or transferring files to .Mac or other WebDAV servers as of Fetch version 5.3. You can use the Mac OS X Finder to connect to your iDisk and transfer files to your .Mac account.

5. Does Fetch support challenge-response password systems?

Yes. If Fetch detects a One-Time Password challenge, it automatically computes the one-time password, based on the secret password entered by the user. If, for some reason, you need to compute the response yourself, enter "***CHALLENGE***" in the password field. Fetch will show you the server's challenge and prompt you for a response. See the One-Time Password help topic for more information.

6. Does Fetch support resuming uploads?

Yes, for certain types of files. Choose Resume upload of file from the If a file already exists pop-up menu in the Put dialog to resume the upload of a file. See the resuming uploads help topic for more information and limitations.

7. Is Fetch Section 508 compliant?

Fetch is partially compliant with the Section 508 standards. See our compliance statement for more information.

8. Is there a Windows version of Fetch?

No, we're sorry, but Fetch is only available for the Macintosh.

We suggest you look at WS_FTP for Windows. If you decide to purchase WS_FTP, enter Fetch20 in the coupon field to receive a 20% discount.

Troubleshooting

1. The server says "Incorrect Password" but I know the password is correct.

Although the error message only mentions the password, this can also mean that the hostname or username that you entered is incorrect; double-check what you entered in the New Connection dialog. If you continue to have a problem, contact your hosting provider (the folks who run and maintain the server you are trying to connect to) and verify your hostname, username, and password with them, and make sure there isn't a problem with the server.

2. Fetch connects, but the file list never appears and the Fetch dog runs and runs.

Toggle the setting of the Use passive mode transfers (PASV) checkbox in the General Preferences pane, and try connecting again. If you've unchecked Use passive mode transfers (PASV) checkbox, try disabling the OS X firewall in the Sharing pane of System Preferences, if it is enabled. On Mac OS X 10.5 and later, you can configure the firewall to allow an exception for Fetch. For more information about Fetch, firewalls, and active vs. passive FTP, see the active and passive FTP help topic.

3. The Fetch dog runs and runs but never connects.

Usually this means that the server you are trying to connect to is not currently operating. Another possibility is that there is a firewall or network outage somewhere between your computer and the server. If the problem persists, confirm that you are connecting to the right hostname, and check with your network administrator about firewalls. You can use the ping and traceroute functions of the Network Utility application (which you can find by going to your Applications folder, and then the Utilities folder) to check the network route between your computer and the server.

4. All of my file appears to transfer (the progress bar fills the entire circle), but at the end Fetch stalls and the transfer never finishes.

The most common cause of this is that you are behind a NAT device and the transfer has really finished, but the NAT device has blocked the information telling Fetch that it's done. Your transfer is done, just click the Stop button to clear the progress indicator.

Another possibility is that the server is running Windows NT 4 Service Pack 6; there is a known problem with the tcpip.sys file of that release and Mac clients (for more information see this article). If that is the case, one workaround is to replace the tcpip.sys file on the server with the one from Service Pack 5.

If that is not the problem our recommendations are to: 1) Make sure the Use passive mode transfers (PASV) checkbox in the General Preferences pane is checked; 2) Try a different FTP client (such as Interarchy, Transmit, or Vicomsoft FTP Client) to check whether the problem is specific to Fetch or more general; 3) Contact the server administrator or network administrator, and see if they can reproduce the problem under similar conditions.

5. I uploaded an updated webpage but my browser still shows the old one.

One possibility is that the web browser is showing you a cached copy of the page instead of the one that is currently on the server. To tell the browser to get a fresh copy of the page, click the Reload (or Refresh) button with the Option key pressed. In Safari, you should also try the Empty Cache command in the Safari menu.

If that does not resolve the problem, it could be that you uploaded the new page to a different folder from the one holding the old file. Most servers require that your webpage files go in a specific folder. You should double-check what your server requires, and try re-uploading the files to the correct location.

6. The file list does not include a file that I know was just put there.

Choose the Refresh command in the View menu; that will usually fix this problem. Fetch reuses file lists when they have not changed in a long while, which makes loading them quicker but also makes it possible to miss new changes.

7. The server says "Invalid PORT Command" or "Can't build data connection. Connection refused."

These problems can usually be resolved by checking the Use passive mode transfers (PASV) checkbox in the General Preferences pane. See the active and passive FTP help topic for more information about this checkbox.

8. Why can't I choose my favorite application for editing files?

There are two reasons an application may not be listed as a choice for editing files in the Transfer Options section of the info window or the Obscure Preferences pane, or that the Edit the file option may not appear at all in the Transfer Options.

The first is that the application does not support the Fetch Edit command.

Fetch makes a distinction between editing and opening a file in another application. When you edit a file with Fetch, Fetch opens the file in the selected application so you can make changes to it, and then when you save the file in the application, it saves your changes back to the server instead of to your local hard drive.

Only certain applications support saving files back to the server via Fetch, so Fetch only lists those applications as choices for editing applications. Unfortunately, several popular applications for editing webpage files, such as Photoshop, Dreamweaver, GoLive, and TextEdit do not support saving the files back to the server via the Fetch Edit command, so Fetch does not list them as choices in the Edit files like this with menu.

Currently, the text editors that support automatically saving changes back to the server are: BBEdit, TextWrangler, Smultron, SubEthaEdit, TextMate, CSSEdit, Page Spinner, skEdit, Tag, Tex-Edit Plus, AlphaX, Jedit X, mi, Pepper, and Style. The only image editing application that supports the Fetch Edit command is GraphicConverter. You must have one or more of these programs installed to edit text or image files. See the Edit command help topic for more information.

However, you can tell Fetch to open any kind of file in any other application when you download it or double-click on it in Fetch. The difference is that any changes will be saved locally. See the opening files automatically after downloading help topic for more information on how to do this.

If you do have at least one of these supported text editors installed, and Fetch is not listing it in the Edit files like this with pop-up menu in the info window or the editor pop-up menus in the Obscure Preferences pane, or you choose one and Fetch does not remember your choice, you may be being affected by a problem in Mac OS X. Follow the instructions in the fixing problems choosing editors and helper applications help topic to fix this problem.

9. After I upload my files, they do not have their correct names, instead the names are either gibberish (such as "ftpBYTlvT") or have ".1" after them.

When you use the Put command, do not set the "If a file already exists:" menu to Pick a different name in the Put dialog. Instead, set it to Replace existing file .

When this menu is set to Pick a different name, Fetch asks the server to pick a new name for your files if ones with the same name already exist, so that your existing files are not replaced. Unfortunately, some servers pick names that have little relation to the file's original name.

10. When I try to upload files, I get an error message from the server saying "STOU command not implemented" or "STOU: invalid number of parameters".

When you use the Put command, do not set the "If a file already exists:" menu to Pick a different name in the Put dialog. Instead, set it to Replace existing file .

When this menu is set to Pick a different name, Fetch sends the "STOU" command to the server (asking the server to give your file a unique name to make sure it does not replace an existing file). Some servers do not support the "STOU" command, and give this error as a result.

11. How do I stop Fetch from expanding every Zip and StuffIt archive?

Normally Fetch automatically expands Zip and StuffIt archives and other encoded or compressed files after downloading them. To stop Fetch from expanding or decompressing all files, uncheck the Allow automatic decoding of downloaded files checkbox in the Download Preferences pane.

You can also tell Fetch to stop automatically expanding just certain kinds of files. For example, if you want to stop Zip files from being expanded: Connect to your server, select a file whose name ends in ".zip", choose Remote > Get Info, and uncheck the Automatically decode files like this checkbox in the Transfer Options pane of the info window. To stop decoding of StuffIt archives, select a file whose name ends in ".sit" and follow the same steps. For more information, see the decoding files automatically help topic.

You can also follow these steps to in order make Fetch save the original Zip and StuffIt archives (and other compressed files) after downloading and expanding them. For more information, see the saving original archives files after expanding them help topic.

12. Get Info shows the permissions of a file or folder I just uploaded as blank or 000.

For just uploaded items on FTP connections, or newly created folders and files, Fetch may show all the permissions checkboxes as unchecked (a UNIX equivalent of "000") and the owner and group as "unknown". This is not the true state of the permissions. To see the true permissions, you must click the Refresh button in the transfer window, and Get Info on the items again. On SFTP connections, you will see the correct permissions immediately, but you must refresh to see the true owner and group.

13. Downloaded files have the wrong icon.

If a certain kind of downloaded file does not have the icon you expect after downloading, try changing the application that kind of file is set to open with in the Transfer Options section of the info window. See the changing the application a file opens with help topic for step-by-step instructions.

14. Why can't I make downloaded files open in the correct application?

First, make sure you have followed the instructions for setting which application opens the desired kind of file in the changing the application a file opens with help topic.

However, if the application you want to use to open a kind of file is not listed even though it is installed, or you choose it and Fetch does not remember your choice, or you choose one application and the files still open in a different application, you may be being affected by a problem in Mac OS X. Follow the instructions in the fixing problems choosing editors and helper applications help topic to fix this problem.

15. Why can't I set Fetch as the default FTP or SFTP application?

If Fetch (or another FTP application) is not listed as a choice for the default FTP or SFTP helper application in the General Preferences pane, or if you choose an application and Fetch does not remember your choice, you may be being affected by a problem in Mac OS X. Follow the instructions in the fixing problems choosing editors and helper applications help topic to fix this problem.

16. The filenames in the file list don't look right — there is size and date information in the name column, and the Get button doesn't work.

Fetch sometimes guesses what kind of computer it is talking to, and it can guess incorrectly. Choosing the Refresh command in the View menu will usually redraw the file list with the correct information. Otherwise, if you know the name of the file, you can hold down the Shift key and click the Get button and type in the file's name. If refreshing does not fix the problem, please send a transcript to Fetch Softworks so we can fix the problem in future versions of Fetch.

17. I can connect to a server on my local network, but not to Internet FTP or SFTP servers.

Check with your network or firewall administrator to see if you need to use a SOCKS gateway or proxy server to access Internet FTP or SFTP servers. If so, you can configure Fetch to work with the proxy server using the Proxy Preferences pane.

18. Why is uploading files slower than downloading files?

Usually this is normal, because most high-speed Internet connections, including cable modems and DSL, are asymmetric — they are designed to provide much better speed for downloading than uploading. For more information, see the Why is uploading slower than downloading? help topic.

Passwords

1. Is my password being sent securely?

You can tell if your password is being sent securely by the padlock icon in the password prompt dialog. A locked padlock icon indicates your password will be protected by encryption. An unlocked padlock icon means your password will be sent insecurely, without encryption. There will also be a warning in the password dialog if your password will be sent insecurely.

Your password will be secure if you are using SFTP, FTP with TLS/SSL, or Kerberos (GSSAPI or KClient). If you are using plain FTP, your password is sent insecurely.

2. How do I get the password out of a shortcut?

You can use the Keychain Access application to look at the password saved for a shortcut. When you create a shortcut and enter a password for it, the password is automatically saved in your keychain.

To find your shortcut's password in the Keychain Access application:

Look for an entry whose Name is the name of the server specified in the shortcut, and whose Kind is "Fetch password" (or possibly "Internet password").
Display the entry's details by double-clicking on the entry (Mac OS X 10.4 or later) or clicking once on the entry (Mac OS X 10.3).
Click the "Show password" checkbox and enter your keychain passphrase to see the password.

3. Can I change my password with Fetch?

No, that is not a feature of Fetch. Contact your service provider or network administrator for help changing your password.

Licensing

1. Why isn't Fetch free any more?

Fetch has not been free since version 2.0.6, in the early 90's; it has been shareware, except for educational or charitable use. However, there was no attempt to restrict its unlicensed use by others, in part because at the time there weren't convenient ways to do so. This created some benefits (Fetch was widely distributed) as well as some problems (e.g. the burden of spending technical support resources on non-paying "customers"). Technology from eSellerate makes it possible for us to freely distribute Fetch in a form that is immediately usable and fully functional for a trial period, while offering a convenient way to purchase a license without leaving the application. We hope this will enable Fetch Softworks to offer the sort of product and support that Fetch users deserve.

2. Is Fetch 5.3 free for educational or charitable use?

Yes.

3. What qualifies as educational or charitable use?

Use by a student or employee of a public or accredited private school, college, university or academy; use by a student or parent engaged in home-schooling; use by volunteers or employees of a tax-exempt charity, to further the work of that charity. Use by government agencies or government research laboratories does not qualify.

Click here to apply for an educational or charitable license.

4. May I distribute Fetch with my book, magazine, shareware collection, or commercial software product?

You may distribute an unlicensed demo copy, i.e. the disk image you receive when you download Fetch from our home page, provided that the disk image is distributed unmodified.

5. Are multi-user and Internet Service Provider licenses available?

Yes. Prices for multi-user licenses are as follows:

$20 per user for 10-99 users
$15 per user for 100-999 users
$10 per user for 1,000-9,999 users
$5 per user for 10,000 or more users

We accept checks and major credit cards. We also accept purchase orders on Net-30 terms for orders of $1,000 or more. Checks should be made out to Fetch Softworks, and mailed to:

Fetch Softworks
P.O. Box 72
Etna, NH 03750

Purchase orders and credit card information can also be faxed to +1 603-619-0397.

For more information see our Licensing page.

To obtain information on Internet Service Provider licenses, please contact sales@fetchsoftworks.com.

6. Why does Fetch say that my serial number is not valid when I copied it from the receipt?

Each serial number is only valid with a certain name, the Serial Number Name, which is also included in the receipt. The Serial Number Name might be your company or organization name as opposed to your own name. Be sure you are entering the correct Serial Number Name along with the serial number. The Serial Number Name must be entered exactly as written in your receipt.

7. I purchased Fetch but lost my serial number; how can I get it?

If you purchased Fetch through eSellerate, you can go to their after-purchase support page. There you can find out your order number and serial number. If you purchased a license directly from Fetch Softworks, send an email message to serial@fetchsoftworks.com.

8. How should I distribute a licensed copy of Fetch to users at my educational or charitable organization?

We recommend that you enter your institution's serial number into a copy of Fetch and distribute that copy to authorized users (e.g. by making it available for download from a server that is restricted to students and faculty, or by putting it on a CD-ROM that is only distributed to charity staff members). To add your serial number to a copy of Fetch 5.3 you should:

Copy Fetch 5.3 to a folder to which you have write permission.
Open Fetch 5.3 and dismiss the New Connection dialog if it appears.
Hold down Option, go to the Fetch menu, and choose "Enter Serial Number...".
Enter your institution's Fetch serial number name and serial number.
Quit Fetch.
[Optional] To confirm that the serial number was saved, control-click on Fetch and choose "Show Package Contents" from the Finder contextual menu. Then open the Contents folder, open the Resources folder, open the License.plist file, and verify that it contains your institution's serial number name and serial number.

Other

1. What is the relationship between Fetch Softworks and Dartmouth College?

Jim Matthews, the founder of Fetch Softworks, wrote Fetch as an employee of Dartmouth College. Fetch Softworks was created in order to license the Fetch source code and name from Dartmouth College, so that the product could be enhanced and marketed independently. Dartmouth College is not responsible for the statements and actions of Fetch Softworks.

2. What kind of dog is the Fetch mascot?

A mutt. And yes, it is a dog, not a koala.

3. Who drew the Fetch mascot?

Richard Nelson, an artist on Maui, who also happens to be the father-in-law of Fetch's author, drew the original 32x32 Fetch icon. The new 3D rendered mascot was commissioned by Tadashi Suzuki of Hart Computer, which sells a Japanese version of Fetch, and is used with permission.

4. What does Regis Philbin have to do with Fetch?

Directly, nothing. But winning money on Philbin's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" made it possible for Jim Matthews, Fetch's author, to license the software from Dartmouth College and create Fetch Softworks.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Fetch 5.3

Using Fetch

Fetch Features

Troubleshooting

Passwords

Licensing

Other

Answers

Using Fetch

Features

Troubleshooting

Passwords

Licensing

Other