You can connect to different types of servers. Some servers are public,
and allow anybody to connect. Other servers require you to log in with a
username and password.
You may not have permissions to perform certain actions on files on a server.
For example, on public FTP sites, you will probably not be able to delete
files.
The URL you enter depends on the protocol that the
server uses to export its file shares.
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SSH
If you have a secure shell account on a server, you
can connect using this method. Many web hosts provide SSH accounts
to members so they can securely upload files. SSH servers always
require you to log in.
A typical SSH URL looks like this:
ssh://username@servername.example.com/folder
shaunmWe should have a topics on encryption
keys, possibly rolling the seahorse help into gnome-help. Then link
from here.
When using SSH, all the data you send (including your password)
is encrypted so that other users on your network can’t see it.
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FTP (with login)
FTP is a popular way to exchange files on the Internet.
Because data is not encrypted over FTP, many servers now provide
access through SSH. Some servers, however, still allow or require
you to use FTP to upload or download files. FTP sites with logins
will usually allow you to delete and upload files.
A typical FTP URL looks like this:
ftp://username@ftp.example.com/path/
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Public FTP
Sites that allow you to download files will sometimes provide
public or anonymous FTP access. These servers do not require a
username and password, and will usually not allow you to delete
or upload files.
A typical anonymous FTP URL looks like this:
ftp://ftp.example.com/path/
Some anonymous FTP sites require you to log in with a
public username and password, or with a public username using
your email address as the password. For these servers, use the
FTP (with login) method, and use the credentials
specified by the FTP site.
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Windows share
Windows computers use a proprietary protocol to share files over a local
area network. Computers on a Windows network are sometimes grouped into
domains for organization and to better control access. If you have
the right permissions on the remote computer, you can connect to a Windows
share from the file manager.
A typical Windows share URL looks like this:
smb://servername/Share
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WebDAV and Secure WebDAV
Based on the HTTP protocol used on the web, WebDAV is sometimes used to
share files on a local network and to store files on the internet. If the
server you’re connecting to supports secure connections, you should choose
this option. Secure WebDAV uses strong SSL encryption, so that other users
can’t see your password.
A WebDAV URL looks like this:
dav://example.hostname.com/path
shaunm
Also used by gnome-user-share, but we're not talking about that
in gnome-help for 3.0. Hopefully it will be better integrated in 3.2,
and we can discuss it better in the help. If that happens, link from
here.
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NFS share
UNIX computers traditionally use the Network File System protocol to
share files over a local network. With NFS, security is based on the UID of
the user accessing the share, so no authentication credentials are
needed when connecting.
A typical NFS share URL looks like this:
nfs://servername/path