*edit- For some reason, this thread got posted in Android Software and Hacking general instead of Android apps and games :-|
Hey everyone, its me again.
I have recently been using an app called Paw Server for Android. Though it may seem stupid, this app can really come in handy. The app itself is a utility for managing messages, contacts ect.. But what many people do not realise is that you can host your own website on it, wherever you go. Though this will only work over wifi, you can optionally do some port forwarding to make the site accessible over the internet.
To put a custom website on the server, do the following
1. Install PAW Server for android.
2. Mout your phone's SD-Card On your computer
3. This step has two options:
A Website:
Put your website files in /paw/html/ and make sure the index.html is in this directory. (If you need help creating a site, please visit http://cyanstatic.com)
A File explorer:
If creating a website is too much of a hassle, you can just put some files that you would like to access from your browser in /paw/html/. I Put a couple of songs and videos in the folder and had no trouble streaming the files to my browser.
4. Now open PAW and press the 'Start" Button.
Congratulations!
Your website/chosen files should now be accessible from your browser
i use swiftp, does pretty much that, though it is dedicates to do so, so i think it's a bit more comfortable
This is a great tool
Will give it a shot
doenis said:
i use swiftp, does pretty much that, though it is dedicates to do so, so i think it's a bit more comfortable
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? So can swiftp run a web server or just file services?
Wow amazing!
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
I used PAW Server to host a WIKI on my Nexus One
I used PAW Server to host a WIKI on my Nexus One....
And it almost worked!
tiddlywiki (google it, I'm new and can't do links) is a one page wiki written in, I can't really tell because the tiddlywiki page doesn't do much about talking about how it works.
But PAW serves the pages, and some of the read/browse functions seem to work -- but I was unable to figure out how to edit a page -- and that could just be my fault.
And installing the wiki was pretty easy. I downloaded the zip file to my pc, moved it into my dropbox directory, unpacked it into a directory called wiki, and then on my phone, I synced drop box, and I moved the wiki directory into the paws/html directory. And it served up the page just fine.
But I couldn't edit it.
Why does it ask for permissions to everything? ie Camera, Vibrate, etc....
This maybe unintentional with the manifest, but it looks awfully rogue when programs look for permission to things they don't use.
Very cool thanks for the share! Tough it doesn't make much sense serving via mobile, but i might give it a shot and see if I can use some DNS servers too, starting with dyndns.org
Check out Wifi Remote Access for Windows Mobile: You can do the same thing, but it also comes with a whole range of other stuff.
To edit it, you just need to go into program file, and add a folder inside public (I think) with all your website files. Then change Wifi Remote Access's default.html to redirect you there,instead of to /fs/
mik101 said:
Why does it ask for permissions to everything? ie Camera, Vibrate, etc....
This maybe unintentional with the manifest, but it looks awfully rogue when programs look for permission to things they don't use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is because it comes with a site on it for managing your phone, like take pictures from the browser and send sms.
With the server it is also possible to develop web applications that use the Android API.
That's also a reason (apart from the web interface mentioned by GlobaL_TroTTer) why there are so many permission requested.
Great find! This is going to be very beneficial to me if I ever misplace my phone around the house or at school. It also has several features that are invaluable IMHO.
Great App - but not working on Verizon network
PAW Server is a real gem... it works great in a LAN/WiFi environment.
Unfortunately, it appears that Verizon Wireless doesn't route ANY traffic that is not initiated by the phone/user.
So thi nice little personal web server is unreachable over the air.
Same for Telnet, FTP, etc.
If anyone has a working app (on a Verizon network) - reachable FROM the net - please let me know!!
Android Port Forward?
GlobaL_TroTTer said:
*Though this will only work over wifi, you can optionally do some port forwarding to make the site accessible over the internet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm trying to access the server without connecting through wifi. Is this even possible?
Thanks
I've played around with PAW Server. I like the PHP Plugin. I created an offline UPC scanner web app (for retail inventory) in PHP/JS/WebSQL which synched with a remote server. It eventually turned into a Phonegap app.
Directory Permissions
Does anyone have a link to some documentation regarding "Directory Protection" part of PAW?
It mentioned that granting permissions to certain folders must follow the following format
relative-directory:auth-type:realm:users
with a sample of
/test:basic:Test Real:user
But I don't know what auth-types are available. I'd like to grant a certain folder read permissions to everybody.
I just have to say that setting up my own website with PAW was super easy (10 easy steps):
1) Install PAW and start up server: google PAW android
2) Find external IP: google "what's my IP"
3) Go to router (192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 ) and enable port forwarding to your android for the port you used.
4) Set up PHP: Use browser to hit server(192.168.1.?), sign in, go to add-ons, setup PHP, transfer unzipped folder to /sdcard/paw/html/app/plugins/ and restart PAW server
5) create file (mypage.php) with contents(<html><head></head><body><?php echo '<p>Hello World again</p>'; ?> </body></html>) and place it in /sdcard/paw/html/app/
6) Navigate to [myexternalIP]:[myport]/app/mypage.php (note requires login) Unless you changed the port number it defaults to 8080
7) Register for a free domain: no-ip.com
8) Modify host to have "Port 80 Redirect" to the port you configured (typically 8080)
9) Fix permissions on certain folders so joe blow can hit my server <---- How to do this part????
10) Profit!
Related
I heard about a program that will read a barcode of a dvd/cd/game and find a torrent and then have your computer at home start downloading it. I think this would be an awsome app but I cant find a download yet, not even beta. And I heard its only working with utorrent on Windows, I will need to work on Linux, I guess it might work with wine. anybody know more about this app?
I did however came up with a way to remotely control torrent downloads on my home pc from my G1 that I thought Id share.
Running Ktorrent on Linux Pc
-install plugin for "scan folder" and set up a directory to put .torrnent file you want to download.
-optionally you can install and set up the "web interface" plugin to control running torrents remotely.
- get a no-ip account (or similar) and set up to access pc over the net
- install AndFTP (or similar) on the G1 Android
note - also have to have a FTP server running on you pc
To Use -
- Find wanted .torrent file and download via browser and download wherever (have to long hold an "save as")
- Open AndFTP and connect to home pc (via no-ip) and upload the, or many, .torrent file to the torrent share directory and Ktorrent will start downloading it.
It nothing like the app with barcode scanning but id does work. I also use AndFTP and my no-ip account to move other files back and forth all the time. Its great when you want a mp3,video,picture,etc thats on your home pc.
Two questions
- get a no-ip account (or similar) and set up to access pc over the net
How do you get that, and 2nd How do you connect to your pc using the AndFtp, Perhaps a picture Tutorial? Thank you.
torrent droid. its in alpha.
I am currently alpha testing TorrentDroid and beta testing BarTor. BarTor recently (yesterday) added ktorrent support per my request (I use ktorrent at home). BarTor will be released a bit sooner than torrentdroid from what I can tell. The main differences between the 2 are how the search is performed. More info about these can be found on my home page at android-dls.com as I recently did mini reviews on both. Keep an eye out in the market for these apps.
I will not comment on the idea of scanning and downloading something, but I will comment on an easier to use Torrent "client". TorrentFlux lets you set up a server side client that runs on a linux server and allows you to start a download on the server from any computer or PDA.
Most torrent cliets have that now. It is what these apps use to send the torrent file. ktorrent, utorrent and vuze all have it and its called a webgui/webui/web interface. I do not think the "scan" feature of these clients is much more than soemthing to show off, but the manual search/upload feature is great.
Darkrift said:
Most torrent cliets have that now. It is what these apps use to send the torrent file. ktorrent, utorrent and vuze all have it and its called a webgui/webui/web interface. I do not think the "scan" feature of these clients is much more than soemthing to show off, but the manual search/upload feature is great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know, but this runs out of a non-gui server OS. (My server runs Ubuntu with no gui, with Webmin for managing it.) This allows me to download things without having a full GUI or something else.
ryanroth said:
I heard about a program that will read a barcode of a dvd/cd/game and find a torrent and then have your computer at home start downloading it. I think this would be an awsome app but I cant find a download yet, not even beta. And I heard its only working with utorrent on Windows, I will need to work on Linux, I guess it might work with wine. anybody know more about this app?
I did however came up with a way to remotely control torrent downloads on my home pc from my G1 that I thought Id share.
Running Ktorrent on Linux Pc
-install plugin for "scan folder" and set up a directory to put .torrnent file you want to download.
-optionally you can install and set up the "web interface" plugin to control running torrents remotely.
- get a no-ip account (or similar) and set up to access pc over the net
- install AndFTP (or similar) on the G1 Android
note - also have to have a FTP server running on you pc
To Use -
- Find wanted .torrent file and download via browser and download wherever (have to long hold an "save as")
- Open AndFTP and connect to home pc (via no-ip) and upload the, or many, .torrent file to the torrent share directory and Ktorrent will start downloading it.
It nothing like the app with barcode scanning but id does work. I also use AndFTP and my no-ip account to move other files back and forth all the time. Its great when you want a mp3,video,picture,etc thats on your home pc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can get remote access to your home PC by installing transmission and transmission-remote. But to use this, you would have to login to your home PC and submit the request.
I think this is what you were looking for...
Hey guys
i have been trying to fing a way to link my computer files or even a drive on my pc to htc hd2 where i can open from any where
and use its files like modefing it or attach any of them to a mail and send it through my mobile
so i will be so thankfull if someone can give me some advice about that
thank you
if you create a dropbox folder on your desktop with items in it you wish to access, you can use the browser on your phone to acess, download and modify them via the dropbox website.
The first step you must take is sharing the drive or folder you wish to access. This is achieved by right clicking the desired item and selecting "Properties", then going to the "Sharing" tab and staring blankly at it until the wysiwyg interface makes sense.
Once your share is created, you should either buy Resco Explorer and use it's "map network path" function while connected to your home Wi-Fi, or install/buy nothing but apply slightly more elbow grease and access your files using WM's built in file explorer.
The built in File Explorer application can access net shares by choosing "Menu"=>"Go To"=>"Open Path"=>"New Path..." and inputting the share adress formatted as follows: "\\ComputerNameOrIP\Share".
Now, this will obviously only allow WiFi access. To have truly anywhere, anytime type access install an ftp server on your pc in combination with "kickme.to" or a similar service and setting secure ftp shares for aforementioned files and folders, having RTFM'ed beforehand on both FTP serving and IP dynamic rerouting services such as kickme.to.
My sincere hopes to have made sense, DuperMan
You could also try Live Mesh. A free service from Microsoft which is quite similar to Dropbox but has a native WM client which I find preferable to browser access.
It's worth noting that a Dropbox WM client is in development, and I personally can't wait for that!
Thank you doperman
I have tested team viewer and phone2PC with no luck.
I used to run RemoteTouch on my old Touch HD. Just got a Desire HD and miss the ability to be a thousand miles away from home, realising I haven't got the song I wanted to listen to and copy and pasting it to my SD card.
I've also had a look at RemoteVNC and Xtralogic but they log the computer out on connection.
Is there anything out there?
Here's a link to RemoteTouch, highly recommended for Winmo users
http://t2remotetouch.blogspot.com/
Think Remote Desktop by xtralogic allows save to sdcard. RemoteVNC Pro might do it too.
Almost
Thanks for the reply, they look pretty cool. Only thing that is getting me is that they log the user out so to get any files I would have to interrupt the session. It's a bit of a pain if my girlfriend then needs the computer and I have to give out my password.
Sorry, I should have specified in the first post. Will edit now
DropBox? Is that what you mean?
JayStation3 said:
DropBox? Is that what you mean?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, that's specific and requires me pre-empting what I might forget.
Looking for a remote desktop app with the ability to transfer files that doesn't logout users. Have a look at T2 Remote touch, that app was awesome and exactly what I'm looking for
Have you tried logmein ignition? I can't test it right now, but it should do what you want.
Sent from my U20i using Tapatalk
phonemypc or logmein
sitlet said:
phonemypc or logmein
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have phonemyPC and can't find any file transfer features. Checked the feature list for logmein and can't see file transfer
https://secure.logmein.com/UK/products/ignition/android/features.aspx
I can't find any that do apart from the ones that log out of the computer.
I miss remote touch
One option is to use ES file explorer. It's the best explorer I have found and it supports local access, Bluetooth access, LAN access and finally ftp access. I have tested all these features except ftp. As I understand it though you could create a ftp server on your desktop to share your files over the web and use this app as a client. Another advantage of creating a ftp server is you can access your files through any internet browser.
I'm still struggling with creating the ftp server at the moment. It seems you need a bit of knowledge in web hosting and networking. If anyone can help I would be grateful.
I am using LAN feature atm. I just browse my PC files through the app and copy and paste anything to local SD card. Highly recommended.
Hope this helps.
MyPhonexplorer does the job well although at times it does not work at all for me. Try it. It slows transfer via by or wifi
Sent from my SAMSUNG-GT-I9000 using XDA App
You could also use LogMeIn or Teamviewer to browse through your files, and copy them to the dropbox folder. Then access them from the mobile. Pretty messy but it works.
Just a tip for easy FTP server setup: FileZilla FTP Server - runs great on WinXP-7 and is easy to setup/use. ES File Explorer works great for ftp access (in my experience).
You should definitely check Browsix (a new app I just released). It has a file manager (+ media viewer) which you can access by pointing your computer browser to www .browsix. com.
The site redirects you to your phone, and that's where the fun starts...
Let me know if you like this app or not.
Thanks,
Stijn
spolfliet said:
You should definitely check Browsix (a new app I just released). It has a file manager (+ media viewer) which you can access by pointing your computer browser to www .browsix. com.
The site redirects you to your phone, and that's where the fun starts...
Let me know if you like this app or not.
Thanks,
Stijn
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you post a video in your thread? I'm very interested in this app but paranoid about clicking unfamiliar links, especially on my work computer. It's only because you only have one or two posts, no offense intended.
Guys, I added some more explanation about Browsix in the other thread. See http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=9714021&postcount=6
Hopefully I can convince you that we are not spam. I took a lot of time to develop this android application
spolfliet said:
Guys, I added some more explanation about Browsix in the other thread. See http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=9714021&postcount=6
Hopefully I can convince you that we are not spam. I took a lot of time to develop this android application
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe you now and I think it's an awesome concept! I was only nervous because you only had 1 post at the time. Now I'm looking forward to trying this out at home.
I assume we'll have full root access on rooted devices?
*** Update ***
The app used in this guide been removed from the Play Store by the developer.
However, he has kindly granted me permission to share the apk with you
directly. You can find it attached to the bottom of this post!
************
Hi everyone,
I've put together an 8 minute video guide that demonstrates how (using an FTP
server) you can transfer files between your Phone and a computer over a WiFi
home network (natively through Windows explorer).
I've tried to make it fairly beginner friendly and its available in all resolutions including 1080p:
You can view the video full size here: http://youtu.be/5EV9PfPXbz8
HELP & FAQ:
Applying the tutorial to an older Windows OS:
Windows Vista:
As far as I can recall, the method shown in my video should be virtually (if not completely) identical for Windows Vista Users. If you think I've missed something though, please let me know and I'll update accordingly.
Windows XP:
Mapping the Android FTP Server location in Windows XP should also work just fine. However, I don't think you can access the "add new network location" wizard in the manner shown in the video at 03:30 (I could be wrong). From memory - I believe you need to do the following instead:
a) Open 'My Computer' from the start menu or desktop shortcut
b) From the 'TOOLS' menu select 'MAP NETWORK DRIVE'
c) Click the link "Sign up for Online Storage or Connect to a Network Server"
d) Select "Choose a custom Network Location"
e) I think this should bring you pretty much back in line with the video at 03:45
Mac OS:
I'm not a Mac expert, but perhaps you can try the following...
Follow the video up to the point where I switch over to my PC (03:15), then try this on your Mac:
a) Press Command+K to launch the “connect to server” dialogue
b) Enter the Wifi/FTP URL from the phone app into the address field
c) Click on the “+” icon if you want to save as a favourite
d) Press Connect
e) Enter your Username and Password when prompted & press connect again
f) You should then be able to browse the contents of your phone as a local folder.
g) Rejoin video at 06:50
Web Browser:
Although the aim of this video is to avoid having to use a web browser, you can enter the 'WiFi URL' generated by the Android App (visible at 03:05) into the address bar of any FTP enabled web browser (eg. Firefox / Internet Explorer).
TROUBLESHOOTING
Worked Initially, then stopped:
If you were initially successful in getting everything to work, but some time later you find that you can't connect - this may be related to your router's DHCP configuration. Some routers allocate IP addresses on a dynamic/time lease basis. If your router is configured in this way, your phone's IP address may change every time it re-connects to your local network (thus invalidating the WiFi URL that we copied from your phone during the tutorial). If this is the case, you'll need to refer to your router's documentation and try to assign a static IP to your phone.
Error 550 (CHMOD):
If this error crops up immediately upon trying to access a location on your phone (eg. a sub folder), you have probably entered an invalid path in the "Stay Within Folder" field during the app configuration. Double check the path that you entered and make sure that you didn't accidentally deleted the preceding slash (/) too.
If this error only appears when trying to delete or move files, it could be a couple of things. Do check the steps mentioned in the above paragraph, but also remember what I mentioned in the video about avoiding paths that act as a shortcut to another folder. For example, don't enter "/sdcard" in the "Stay Within Folder" field during configuration of the app. On my phone, this results in read only access to the MicroSD card. I found that I needed to specify the full path (eg. "/mnt/sdcard") to obtain full Read/Write access.
Invalid Handle Error:
This error may occur when trying to move or delete files from your phone. If so:
1) Double check (in the FTP server setup on your phone) that you haven't added a trailing slash (/) after the path specified in the "Stay Within Folder" field.
2) You can also get this error if you start the FTP server, then launch an app that needs access to the folder containing the files you want to move or delete (eg. The Camera / gallery app). Simply exiting the app may solve this. If not:
a) exit your app
b) Stop the FTP server using the home screen widget
c) Restart the FTP server using the home screen widget
d) try again before launching your app.
No WIFI URL:
If you start the FTP server but don't receive a Wifi URL, double check that your phone's WiFi connection is turned on. This may sound obvious, but it could be an easy one to overlook.
Firewall Issues:
If you're convinced that you have everything set up correctly but you simply can't connect to the server - a firewall could be the cause of your problems..
If you're not familiar with firewalls, you may want to disconnect from the internet and temporarily disable your firewall completely to see if this solves your problem. If it does, at least you'll have a starting point. If not, you may need to look a little closer at any filtering rules on your router.
Unfortunately I can't help troubleshoot every possible combination, but generally speaking, you should double check that your internal network is configured as a trusted zone and that there are rules allowing (or no rules blocking) traffic on the required port ip / address etc. For example, 'ESET Smart Security' users will probably want to pay specific attention to the 'Network Filtering' options.
Good luck.
Bugsy.
Handy and very easy to follow. Nice vid and explanation. Everything went through without problems
Thanks
Sent from my SX-SP715A using XDA
Nice video, if is Possible can do one for Mac
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using xda premium
_moe said:
Nice video, if is Possible can do one for Mac
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not a Mac expert, but perhaps you can try the following and let me know if it works?...
Follow the video up to the point where I switch over to my PC (03:15), then try this on your Mac:
a) Press Command+K to launch the “connect to server” dialogue
b) Enter the Wifi/FTP URL from the phone app into the address field
c) Click on the “+” icon if you want to save as a favourite
d) Press Connect
e) Enter your Username and Password when prompted & press connect again
f) You should then be able to browse the contents of your phone as a local folder.
g) Rejoin video at 06:50
I hope that works...
Cheers,
Bugsy
Thanks man,great tutorial.
You saved my life
I love you.
One problem is that I can't get the widget to show up -.-
Running AOKP 4.0.4
BTW loving your channel please post more vidoes!
iKarido said:
I love you.
One problem is that I can't get the widget to show up -.-
Running AOKP 4.0.4
BTW loving your channel please post more vidoes!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks
Regarding AOKP 4.0.4, are you using a Galaxy SII / Nexus? If so, I think I've heard about people having trouble with widgets before. I think you have to drag them out of the widget draw instead. Does that make sense?
Bugsy
SenseBugs said:
Thanks
Regarding AOKP 4.0.4, are you using a Galaxy SII / Nexus? If so, I think I've heard something similar to this before. I think the solution involved having to drag the widgets out of the application menu (or something like that). Can you give that a try?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No I'm using a sensation. Tried adding it by the widget menu and it didnt work. Then I rebooted to get the widget to show in the widget drawer so I can drag it but it didn't show up.
iKarido said:
No I'm using a sensation. Tried adding it by the widget menu and it didnt work. Then I rebooted to get the widget to show in the widget drawer so I can drag it but it didn't show up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm.. In that case I'm afraid I really don't know. Unfortunately I've never tested AOKP, so I don't have any first hand experience to go on.
Off the top of my head, my suggestion would be to try widgets from several other market apps and see if any of them act in the same way. I realise that won't solve your problem, but it could go some way towards establishing the source of it.
Best of luck,
Bugsy,
Nice one thx buddy
SenseBugs said:
Hmm.. In that case I'm afraid I really don't know. Unfortunately I've never tested AOKP, so I don't have any first hand experience to go on.
Off the top of my head, my suggestion would be to try widgets from several other market apps and see if any of them act in the same way. I realise that won't solve your problem, but it could go some way towards establishing the source of it.
Best of luck,
Bugsy,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I figured that looking for a similar app with a widget is easier. thanks for eveything though.
much easier if use airdroid
SenseBugs said:
I'm not a Mac expert, but perhaps you can try the following and let me know if it works?...
Follow the video up to the point where I switch over to my PC (03:15), then try this on your Mac:
a) Press Command+K to launch the “connect to server” dialogue
b) Enter the Wifi/FTP URL from the phone app into the address field
c) Click on the “+” icon if you want to save as a favourite
d) Press Connect
e) Enter your Username and Password when prompted & press connect again
f) You should then be able to browse the contents of your phone as a local folder.
g) Rejoin video at 06:50
I hope that works...
Cheers,
Bugsy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THANKS, I'll give it a shot when I get off work.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using xda premium
iKarido said:
I figured that looking for a similar app with a widget is easier. thanks for eveything though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome. If you happen to find another FTP server that comes with a widget though, would you mind letting me know? I couldn't find one anywhere.
Cheers,
Bugsy
shiningarmor said:
much easier if use airdroid
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your suggestion.
I’ve actually used AirDroid before, but while it is a great app in its own right - its file management capabilities only seem to go as far as letting you export stuff from your MicroSD card in a zip archive.
The method I show in the video is certainly more cumbersome initially (hence the reason for making it), but I find the end result more functional for simply copying/moving/deleting files.
Bugsy
SenseBugs said:
You're welcome. If you happen to find another FTP server that comes with a widget though, would you mind letting me know? I couldn't find one anywhere.
Cheers,
Bugsy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried some of the free ones on the market but still no luck of finding one with a widget. Will search tomorrow for paid ones there must be one with a widget! haha
Great Guide!
Thanks Bugsy......
Thanks for the awesome guide I was looking for something like that to use.
SenseBugs said:
I'm not a Mac expert, but perhaps you can try the following and let me know if it works?...
Follow the video up to the point where I switch over to my PC (03:15), then try this on your Mac:
a) Press Command+K to launch the “connect to server” dialogue
b) Enter the Wifi/FTP URL from the phone app into the address field
c) Click on the “+” icon if you want to save as a favourite
d) Press Connect
e) Enter your Username and Password when prompted & press connect again
f) You should then be able to browse the contents of your phone as a local folder.
g) Rejoin video at 06:50
I hope that works...
Cheers,
Bugsy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
_moe said:
THANKS, I'll give it a shot when I get off work.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please let me know how you get on. I don't have a mac to hand, so it would be good to know that I'm not adding useless info to the FAQ
Draft of Tutorial for FTP FIle sharing
TUTORIAL: FTP File Sharing for Macs & Androids
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
I find that for many Mac users, the instructions given within these forums for file sharing between their computers and their Android phones are quite sparse and oftentimes confusing. Mac users use different terminology and generally, are less comfortable with Terminal command line instructions than are PC users. That is not, by any means, intended to disparage Mac users. By anyone's standards, for instance, I would be considered a "power user" or even a techno-geek, yet even I found terms and phrases such as "flashing roms" and "RUU's" confusing! So, this little guide should help any Mac user who is trying to get files from his Mac computer to his Android phone, and visa versa.
What will most confound most Mac users, who are very much used to their devices being "plug and play", is why they can't just plug their Android phone into their computer and have the phone mount like any other drive on their desktop? The problem, of course, is that Mac OS X currently does not support Media Transfer Protocol, or MTP. So, when they plug their Android phones into their computers using a standard USB connection, their Macs cannot "see" the drives.
So, it has been suggested to many of us that we use a program, such as Android FIle Transfer, which uses a different protocol, AFT, to mount our Android phones onto our Macs. The problem is that Android File Transfer, a free download, is oftentimes unreliable and will fail to mount the phone as a drive on the computer. To make matters worse, HTC phones, such as the HTC One, by default will launch a program called, "HTC Sync Manager" which actually will keep the Android FIle Transfer program from mounting the drive.
So, what's a Mac user to do for reliable transfers of information from his Mac to his Android? For small files, such as documents, Dropbox and Google work really well, and their intuitive interface makes them a handy resource for Mac users. But the larger files, such as custom ROM's, firmware updating, and yes, those pesky "RUU's" that need to be installed directly on the Android's sd card pose a real problem.
THE SOLUTION
The Mac user will first need to install the proper "tools" onto his respective devices. On his Android, he will need to install (i.e. not "flash") a FIle Manager, such as ES File Explorer. On his computer, running some variant of Mac OS X, he will need to install an ftp client. I use and recommend a program called, "Transmit", but there are others that will work as well. The ES File Explorer program is available for download at the Google Play Store, and the Transmit app is available from the Mac App Store.
Once these tools have been installed on their respective devices, the Mac user will need to go to his System Preferences and open up the Sharing CP. Both "File Sharing" and "Remote Login" must be checked. Then he should got to Settings on his phone and then to the Developer Options within Settings and select "USB debugging".
Next, he will to make sure that both of his devices are connected to the same WiFi network. On the Mac, WiFi is enabled in the Network CP and on the phone it is enabled under "settings".
Then he will need to open up ES File Explorer on his Android and navigate to Tools. He must click on Tools and then scroll down to "Remote Manager". He will select "Remote Manager", and he should see a screen that says, "Network Status" followed by the name of his WiFi network. Underneath the blue symbol for WiFi will be the statement, "you can manage your device through your PC after you turn on the service." He should click on the button just below that statement. The button will say, "Turn On".
Okay, the setup is nearly complete! Now that the user has enabled WiFi access on his phone, an ftp address will appear just below the blue WiFi symbol with the instruction to, "input the address on your computer". The ftp address will look something like this:
XXX:XXX.X.XX:4038
Now the user will launch the application, Transmit, and select FTP from the drop down menus. A dialog box will appear that will ask for the server, user name, password, initial path, port and type of ftp that he wishes to use. Using our sample ftp address, he should fill out the box as follows:
Server: XXX:XXX.X.XX
User Name: Joe Smith's HTC One [name should match name that was assigned to the phone at setup]
Password: XXXXX [i.e. the password or numerical passcode that is used to unlock the phone at startup]
Initial Path - [leave blank]
Port: 4038 [the last 4 digits of phone's assigned ftp address, i.e. the ones that followed the colon]
FTP: - just select this first option for the type of ftp.
Then he will click the "Connect" button that is at the bottom of this window, and if the application has been configured correctly, he should see a list of all of the files and folders contained in the home directory on his Mac on the left side of the window. On the right will be all of the folders and files that reside on his phone. Now, with a simple drag and drop interface, he can drag files left to right to move files from his computer to his phone, and right to left to move files from his phone to his computer.
This simple, elegant solution to file transfers is perfect, and transfers over ftp are generally very quick. The user will even get a notification when each of his file transfers is complete.
I hope this tutorial helps. Please let me know if it has helped you as well as whether you need additional information.