Preparing Yourself and Your Computer for the Transfer

The Software

To transfer your files from your unix account to your floppy disk, Zip disk, CD-R, USB key/Thumb drive, etc., you must use a secured version of a file transfer program. Particularly, we'll need a product that supports the SFTP/SCP protocols. (Either of these will work with the SSH connections ares allows.)

I recommend WinSCP as a general Winnows transfer program. (It can even be gotten in a portable — USB-installable — version!) This is the one we have pre-installed here in the lab. One note: if you install WinSCP after you install Putty for remote command connection, WinSCP will offer to import your configured Putty destinations. That'll save you from having to recheck the ares fingerprints in WinSCP! But this is not the only possibility...

Other students have also recommended FileZilla and AnyClient. (Note: FileZilla is also available as a portable application. FileZilla also has a Mac version!) (Note 2: Although doing so now requires a 'free account', AnyClient can also be run as an applet directly in your web browser so you don't even need your USB handy to use it! AnyClient is also clean enough to download and install on our campus computers — in the C:\Data directory.)

Connecting Windoze and Unix

When setting up a connection with your chosen software, you'll need to use the full name of the unix machine: ares.harpercollege.edu). Make sure you tell it to make an SFTP or SCP style connection. This should default to connect on port 22. You'll be asked whom you'd like to login as: give it your nedit/gnome-terminal login name.

(Note: When first connecting from home, you should be asked if you trust the 'new' computer. Check that the SSH fingerprint is one of these three:

    RSA      MD5:05:2c:b7:a7:d8:8e:e6:00:33:3d:66:91:f0:15:e5:60
             SHA256:ibADyQIGZ/0bhiiaHpOMtNYomXhvRh/cvQvr2a874xs
    ECDSA    MD5:d2:b9:59:e1:9c:4d:87:4f:a3:58:c3:65:6f:31:b3:0e
             SHA256:z4dojRRiyYPi+OJoKPWoXz1/29uboS4Edzhrv2Owla8
    ED25519  MD5:d1:c8:a6:e8:dd:6d:3c:bf:d7:b8:03:8f:ea:9b:b7:64
             SHA256:2OFUSPv+SqPk+d+OIb0lwNhqXCaLBsbJQQxDhIGCFaQ

If it matches, type y (or yes as instructed). After this first time, you won't have to check the fingerprints 'manually' — your sftp program should do it for you.)

You'll then be asked for your password. Again, use your nedit/gnome-terminal password.

If you can/want to, feel free to save the connection as a 'session' for easier use later. (I'd recommend not saving the password, but that's probably just my paranoia. *shrug*)

The File Transfer Environment

All of these environments offer a similar interface with two file lists, one local (left) and one remote (right). On the local you may have to choose the correct drive from the drop-down if you are transferring to your USB, floppy, etc. Then just double-click directories/folders to find the desired file and target location.

Transferring Files From Unix to Windoze

Having found the desired file, drag it to the target and drop it there. (Or click the arrow between the two file lists going the desired direction. Or sometimes double-click the file to transfer to the other machine.) You'll typically be asked to confirm. (I like it to ask me this, but if you don't, most programs have a little "Don't ask me again" check-box to take care of that.)

Transferring Files From Windoze to Unix

Having found the desired file, drag it to the target and drop it there. (Or click the arrow between the two file lists going the desired direction. Or sometimes double-click the file to transfer to the other machine.) You'll typically be asked to confirm. (I like it to ask me this, but if you don't, most programs have a little "Don't ask me again" check-box to take care of that.)

(Yes, that's the same paragraph as above. You're just dragging the file the other direction, after all. *smile*)