Accessing Files on Remote Systems

If your system is part of a network, you may need to access files on other systems. You can use File Manager to browse directories on remote systems and to open remote files.

To open a directory on a remote system

Using the Remote Systems command:
1. Choose Remote Systems from the Directory menu. File Manager displays a new window. Each directory in the new window represents a remote system you can access.
2. Open the directory representing the system you want -- you are now working on the remote computer's file system. Work your way to the directory you want to view.
Or, by typing a new path:
1. Select the path (just below the menu bar) to make it active for editing. (If you are not using a mouse, choose Fast Change To from the Directory menu.)
2. Replace the current path with the path to the remote system, using a colon to separate the host name from the path.
  hostname:/path
3. Press Enter.




	NOTE: Your system administrator must configure you system to provide access to other systems on your network.

Example. To change to the directory /home/sonja/ on the machine host28, click the path area or choose Fast Change To from the Directory menu.

Double-click the current path to select it (the selected text is overwritten as soon as you begin to type). You can also use Backspace to erase the current path.

Now, type the new path: host28:/home/sonja. When you press Enter, the new directory is displayed.

If the machine host28 has not been configured to provide network access, File Manager displays an error, telling you that the directory is invalid.

To transfer a file to a remote system

Drag the file's icon to the new location:
1. Open two File Manager views, one showing the file you want to transfer, the other showing the destination on the remote system.
2. Drag the file's icon to the new location. If you are making a copy, hold down Ctrl while dragging. If you are making a symbolic link, hold down Shift while dragging.
Use the Copy command:
1. Select the file's icon.
2. Choose Copy from the File menu. File Manager displays the Copy File dialog, prompting you for the new name.
3. Enter the host, path, and file name, using the following format:
  hostname:/path/filename
  For example: host5:/home/aaron/myfile
4. Choose OK.

To add access to a remote system

On the remote system, export the disk volumes that you want available by editing the /etc/exports file.
On the local system, mount the remote disk volumes by editing the /etc/fstab file, creating directories as mount points, then executing the mount command.
If automount is running (the default for HP VUE), it does this step for you.

See Also. Refer to Chapter 22 “Networking and Distributed Computing” for more information about configuring for remote access.

To specify a remote directory or file

Use the syntax:
hostname:/path/filename

This syntax for specifying remote files and directories is used in action and filetype definitions and in any File Manager dialog where a file name is required.

Example. To access the file /tmp/data1 on remote host scribe, use this name:

   scribe:/tmp/data1

See Also.

Refer to the networking documentation for your operating system for more information about domain naming.

Accessing Files on Remote Systems

Technical documentation

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To open a directory on a remote system

To transfer a file to a remote system

To add access to a remote system

To specify a remote directory or file