KnoWare: System 7 File Sharing

Vance Williams, Training Services
Now that you know all about servers (see related article Exploring Maricopa's File Servers), how would you like to have your machine act like one? Your first thought is probably a resounding, "Why?" There are several good reasons and they are all rooted in saving you either time or effort or both. For many folks, the most immediate benefit is related to work groups. If you work on projects with others this can be a real time saver. It doesn't matter if you are working with someone down the hall or at a campus miles away. If they have access to the district wide AppleTalk network, they can share your files.

All the details for this process can be found in the Macintosh Networking Reference. If you don't have access to this reference book, this article and a bit of experimenting is all you will need.

The usual reminder: There are many details related to file sharing. This is a very condensed version of file sharing information. Each Mac is a little different- be patient with it. (My version of "your mileage may vary.")

The Big Pieces

Sharing Setup: The Control Panel item is the place to start your sharing activities. The top section of the Sharing Setup window is where you identify yourself and your Mac to the rest of the network. After entering your information in the top three boxes all you have to do is click on the Start button in the File Sharing section of the window. This button will change to Cancel for a moment or two and then to Stop. As soon as the button shows Stop, you can close the window and continue. This really does make sense if you read the details shown on the screen.

The Sharing Setup process identifies your Mac to the rest of the network and establishes all the requirements for sharing. Now you have to identify what it is you want to share, and with whom you want to share those things.

The first step in sharing is to determine what it is you want to share. Many folks create a special folder for sharing. This is a good way of keeping track of what you have made available to the "world." One side benefit- if you remember to always put copies of files rather that originals in your "sharing" folder you minimize the danger of someone else damaging your only copy of a file.

Once you have determined what folder you want to share, select it and go to the File menu. In the File menu is an item called SharingÉ Selecting this item will open the File Sharing Window. The name of the folder you are about to share is shown in the Title Bar. The folder's location is near the top of the window along with a check box titled ShareThis Item and Its Contents. When you check the box the balance of the window's items will be available.

This is where you will want to check your documentation and do some experimenting. The easiest method is to use the bottom row of the center group of options, the one marked Everyone. This will allow anyone to access the information in your shared folder without a password. After you have set the access, close the window and respond to any queries that may be displayed.

That's about it- for the short version, anyway. Call me at x18288 for more information.

One warning; Using the method just described you are opening your shared folder to the world. This can be risky. If you choose to use this method, you may want to switch it on and off as needed rather than leaving it available all the time.

Have fun sharing.

Maricopa Center for Learning & Instruction (MCLI)
The Internet Connection at MCLI is Alan Levine --}
Comments to alan.levine@domail.maricopa.edu