The Wharf blog
Guides for people who ship to servers from a Mac: transfers, sync, keys, logs and the occasional bucket. RSS feed
- A file transfer audit log: knowing what went to production When someone asks what changed on production and when, a file transfer audit log answers. What to record, server-side options, and keeping a client-side trail.
- Automate SFTP and S3 uploads on a Mac with Shortcuts Automate SFTP uploads on a Mac without scripts that hold your keys: Shortcuts actions, Finder Quick Actions, the shortcuts command and a launchd schedule.
- Preview remote files on a Mac with Quick Look Quick Look needs a local file, so previewing remote files on a Mac means a temporary copy. Terminal tricks for SFTP and S3, and how a client can do it for you.
- FTPS and self-signed certificates: when allowing one is safe A self-signed FTPS certificate still encrypts, but proves nothing about the server. When accepting one is reasonable, how to check it, and better options.
- A DigitalOcean Spaces client for Mac that also handles MinIO DigitalOcean Spaces and MinIO both speak the S3 API. The endpoint, region, addressing and TLS settings a Mac client needs for each, and errors to expect.
- SFTP two-factor authentication: keyboard-interactive explained How SFTP two-factor authentication works over keyboard-interactive, how to require a key plus a TOTP code in OpenSSH, and what to set in your client.
- How to resume an interrupted SFTP transfer on a bad connection How resuming an SFTP transfer works, how FTP and S3 differ, how to resume from the command line, and how to check a resumed file arrived intact.
- Sync deletion propagation: why it should be off by default Deletion propagation makes folder sync destructive. Why a missing file is ambiguous, why the first run can't detect deletions, and how to turn it on safely.
- How to edit remote files on a Mac in your own editor Ways to edit remote files on a Mac with the editor you already use: mounts, terminal editors and edit-and-upload. What each risks, and how to edit safely.
- Using Cloudflare R2 from a Mac with an S3-compatible client Cloudflare R2 speaks the S3 API, so any S3 client for Mac can work as an R2 client. The endpoint, the auto region, API tokens and settings that trip people up.
- Sync a local folder with a server on Mac, with a preview first How to sync a local folder with a server on Mac in both directions: spotting changes, handling conflicts and deletions, and previewing the plan before it runs.
- SFTP through a jump host: reaching servers behind a bastion How to use SFTP through a jump host: ProxyJump on the command line and in ssh_config, what the bastion must allow, host keys per hop, and a graphical setup.
- Deploying a static website over SFTP with folder sync How to deploy a website over SFTP: build to a clean folder, upload only what changed, send assets before HTML, and review each change before it goes live.
- An S3 client for Mac: browsing buckets like folders How an S3 client on a Mac turns flat object keys into folders, where that breaks down (rename, permissions, big uploads), and the IAM policy it needs.
- FTPS explicit vs implicit: ports 21 and 990 explained FTPS explicit vs implicit: how each starts TLS, why they use ports 21 and 990, how to tell which a server speaks, and what a mix-up looks like.
- How to tail a remote log file from your Mac without a terminal How to tail a remote log file from a Mac: the ssh and tail -F way, why it fails on SFTP-only servers and after log rotation, and how to follow logs over SFTP.
- That host key prompt: how to verify an SSH fingerprint How to verify an SSH host key fingerprint before you click Trust: where to get the real value, how to compare it, and what to do when a key changes.
- Connecting to SFTP with an SSH key on a Mac Create an SSH key on your Mac, install it on the server, connect over SFTP from Terminal, fix a refused key, and use the same key in a sandboxed Mac app.
- SFTP vs FTP vs FTPS: what's the difference, and which to use SFTP vs FTPS vs plain FTP: how each one works, which ports and firewall rules they need, how they authenticate, and how to choose between them.
- Choosing an SFTP client for Mac: what actually matters What to check before you trust an SFTP client on your Mac: host keys, where passwords live, resumable transfers, safe sync and a ten-minute test drive.