Access Cloud Files with Transmit 5

Transmit 5® is a macOS® file transfer application that enables you to upload, download, and manage files with an easy, familiar, and powerful UI. Transmit 5 is not free, but it does offer a seven-day free trial before you have to purchase a license to continue using it. This means you can use Transmit 5 to manage your Rackspace Cloud Files storage, move files between your cloud accounts, and configure the Akamai® content delivery network (CDN). This article shows you how to configure the Transmit 5 client to help you manage Cloud Files.

Prerequisites

To use Transmit 5 with Cloud Files, you need to have the following items:

  • macOS
  • Transmit 5, which you can download and install from Panic.com
  • Rackspace Cloud account
  • Rackspace Cloud account username
  • Rackspace Cloud account application programmer interface (API) key

If you are unsure how to find your API key, follow these instructions.

Connection procedure

The following steps guide you through the basic connection process and some of the common actions you might take in Transmit 5. After you meet the preceding prerequisites, perform these steps:

  1. Open the Transmit5 application.
  2. Set the protocol to Rackspace Cloud Files.
  3. Enter your Rackspace Cloud account username in the field provided.
  4. Enter your Rackspace Cloud account API Key in the field provided.
  5. Click Connect.
  6. You should now see a list of buckets showing the available Rackspace Cloud Files regions, such as ORD, IAD, DFW, SYD, HKG, and LON.

Create a container

Containers are the storage locations you create on Cloud Files. Within these, you can place folders, files, and other data. Transmit5 enables you to create containers from within its interface.

  1. To create a new container, right-click on a region from the list and choose
    New Container.
  2. In the pop-up dialogue, name the container.
  3. Click Create.
  4. If you do not see your new container, click the arrow next to the region in
    the list to expand its contents.

Upload files

Transmit5 presents the user with two side-by-side panes. By default, one pane is your local machine, and the other is where you connect to Cloud Files. Transmit5 simplifies the process of uploading and downloading files. The following steps illustrate the process:

  1. To upload a file or folder, navigate to its location on your local machine by using the provided pane.
  2. After you find the file or folder, drag it across the pane to the Cloud Files pane and drop it into the container of choice.
  3. The file or folder should now show up on both the local machine and Cloud Files container.

The process for downloading a file or folder is the same. Drag the chosen item from the Cloud Files pane onto the local machine pane.

Connect to multiple Rackspace Cloud accounts

One of the biggest benefits of using Transmit5 is that it allows the user to connect to two Rackspace Cloud accounts simultaneously. This is useful if you need to share large amounts of data quickly or move from one account to another. The following steps show you how to connect to multiple accounts:

  1. Connect to one of your accounts by using the preceding steps.
  2. Select the Local Machine pane, click View from the toolbar on your Mac, and select Remote Browser.
  3. Your local machine pane switches to a new pane that offers you the ability to connect to a remote service. Following the preceding steps, choose Rackspace Cloud Files for the protocol and enter your other account's username and API key before clicking Connect
  4. After the connection completes, you should see the Cloud Files stored in the other account you've connected to.

Moving files, folders, and containers between accounts is as simple as moving them between your local device and Cloud Files—you simply drag and drop them between panes.

Limitations

You cannot create a container by dragging an existing container to another Rackspace Account.
You must first create a blank container or drag the chosen container into an existing one.

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