How to Connect to defcon.edb.utexas.edu (SFTP on OS X)
In order to perform the steps below, you first must download and install the program "Fetch". This program is available free of charge on the Bevoware website.
Connect to the Server
1.) Start the Fetch program by double-clicking its icon. The program is located in the Applications folder on your computer. You can open the Applications folder on your compuer by clicking the top menu bar option: Go | Applications.
2.) After you launch Fetch, the New connection dialog box will appear.
3.) In the Hostname field type defcon.edb.utexas.edu. In the username field type in the username that was assigned to you to log into the server. In the "connect using" drop-down box, choose SFTP. Enter your user account password in the "Password" field. When you are done filling out the fields, click the Connect button in order to connect to the server.
- NOTE: If you are connecting from off-campus, you will need to first connect to the University VPN before you will be able to establish an SFTP connection to the server.
4.) If you typed in your username and password correctly in the steps above, then you will establish an encrypted connection to the server and you will be placed into your "home directory" on the server.
There are three primary folders on the server that you will be working with. A folder named Groups another named Users and the final folder will have a name which is the same as your username. The folder with the same name as your username is also called your "home folder" which is the default folder you are sent to when you initially connect to the server . See the next section for an explanation of these folders and how to connect to them.
5.) Once you have navigated to the folder that you want to work with, you can copy files to/from the server by dragging and dropping files to/from the Fetch program window.
Explanation of the Folders on the Server
Groups Folder
The Groups folder contains folders which are shared by a group of people. If you need a folder setup for your group, contact the LTC technical support helpdesk at help@edb.utexas.edu
You can open the Groups folder by clicking on the top menu bar of the Fetch program and selecting Go | Go to folder.. In the dialog box that appears, type /Groups then press the OK button to open the folder.
Users Folder
The Users folder contains the folders of all the users on the server. Each user has a "drop box" set up so if you need a fast way to give a file to someone without letting everyone else with an account on the server see the file, you can copy the file to their "drop box". User folders are explained in more detail in the next section.
You can open the Users folder by clicking on the top menu bar of the Fetch program and selecting Go | Go to folder.. In the dialog box that appears, type /Users then press the OK button to open the folder.
Home Folder
The third folder is a folder with a name that is the same as your username on the server which is also known and the "home folder". This folder is where you store your private files. User folders are explained in more detail in the next section.
You can open your home folder by clicking on the top menu bar of the Fetch program and selecting: Go | Home
User Folder
Each user of the server has a folder assigned specifically to them. This folder contains two folders, Documents and Public. You are the only person that can read or write files in your Documents folder.
The Public folder contains a subfolder called Drop Box. You can read and write files in your Drop Box folder but everyone else on the server can only copy files into this folder. They cannot read or delete files in this folder. So if someone else who has an account on the server needs to give you a file, they can copy it to your Drop Box folder and you are the only person that will be able to see it.