Mount SFTP Volumes Locally

For years, systems administrators have used SFTP (the SSH File Transfer Protocol) to provide secure access to remote file systems. Based not on FTP, but on the Unix Secure Shell, SFTP allows the encrypted transfer of files over any network. While SFTP's command options and version compatibility can make it a complicated tool, Magnetk's ExpanDrive makes it easy to appreciate, offering Macintosh users a near-flawless way to mount and access remote servers as local disks.

The heart of ExpanDrive is the Drive Manager window, opened from its magnet-shaped icon in the OS X menu bar. From this window, you can add, subtract, and manage any remote volume on a server offering SSH. Fill in the server address, your login name and password, and (optionally) the remote server path you're logging in to and name you'd like for the local version of the volume.

The beauty of ExpanDrive is that once it's up and running, you can forget it's there entirely. It handles network difficulties gracefully, faster and more stably than the Macintosh Finder itself, and reconnects seamlessly when disconnected.

ExpanDrive keeps improving as well, with four significant updates this month alone. The coming version, promised by Magnetk in the next few weeks, includes Applescript integration and command line utilities for mounting SFTP shares from the Terminal.

ExpanDrive isn't without its issues. It handles Unix symlinks (file pointers like Windows shortcuts) poorly, can't transfer the resource fork on legacy Macintosh files (and fonts), and lacks a standardized interface or dock icon. If these issues apply in your environment, they may very well be deal breakers. For web development, image libraries, or management tasks, on the other hand, ExpanDrive outshines any other available tools for secure file system access.

ExpanDrive retails for $29.