How to use macos tftp server? Only 5 Steps

Macos TFTP server or Mac os TFTP server, is a built-in TFTP file transfer utility.

TFTP, or Trivial File Transfer Protocol, is a common file transfer tool for network and system administrators.

It is related to FTP, or File Transfer Protocol, but much simpler.

It is a basic and low-resource protocol that is perfect for transferring files like firmware updates or system settings.

It also allows booting a PC without a disk from the network using the BOOTP protocol.

In macOS, enabling the built-in TFTP server can help us transfer files between computers.

The TFTP protocol is very simple, does not require login, and can only transfer files but not folders.

Enabling TFTP server can make it easier for us to share files on LAN.

This article will introduce how to enable TFTP server in macOS system and demonstrate how to use it to transfer files.

To use the built-in Macos TFTP server, follow these steps

The Mac comes with TFTP by default.

To activate the use of the macos tftp server on your Mac, you can follow these steps:

Step1

First modify the configuration file and change the properties of the related files

Configuration file location:

/System/Library/LaunchDaemons/tftp.plist.

Modify the configuration file by removing the following two lines.

<key>Disabled</key
<true/></pre>
Add the following configuration (optional), that is, add the -l option:

<array
<string>/usr/libexec/tftpd</string
<string>-i</string
<string>-l</string
<string>/private/tftpboot</string>
</array

Short description:

I, -i option, turn on unsafe mode. The -l option, use syslog to log all requests.

For instructions, please refer to: man tftpd (open a terminal and type this command to see it)

The default directory is /private/tftpboot.

Make this directory accessible for everybody.

sudo chmod 777 /private/tftpboot

Step 2

If you can’t find the appropriate file for your Mac, you can also install it yourself.

It is not uncommon to find that the macos tftp server is not available.

Open Terminal: You can open Terminal by typing “Terminal” in Launchpad or Spotlight.

Install the TFTP server: Install it by typing the following command in the terminal.

sudo launchctl load -F /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/tftp.plist

To create the TFTP root directory: Enter the following command in the terminal.

sudo mkdir /private/tftpboot

sudo chmod 777 /private/tftpboot

Step 3

start it with

sudo launchctl load -F /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/tftp.plist

If you want to stop the daemon, do

sudo launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/tftp.plist

If you want to see the running log of your program you can use the following command

tail -f /var/log/system.log

Step 4

If you want to transfer a file to a TFTP server, technically the file needs to exist on the server beforehand.

This cannot be done without a file server, so you can use the touch command to create the file you want to transfer.

For example

sudo touch /private/tftpboot/running-test

sudo chmod 777 /private/tftpboot/running-test

Step 5

If you feel that the command line method is not intuitive, macOS also has an application TFTP Server similar to Tftpd32 on Windows, which can be downloaded and installed directly.

Transfer: Simple and reliable TFTP server for macOS

Transfer for Mac features include.
Multi-protocol support: It can handle multiple file transfer protocols, including but not limited to FTP, SFTP, WebDAV and S3.

Batch operations: Users can perform batch renaming, file attribute modification and other operations, which greatly improves the efficiency when dealing with a large number of files.

Customizable Settings: Users can customize the transfer parameters according to their own needs, such as transfer speed, etc., in order to adapt to different usage scenarios.

Cloud Connectivity: Transfer for Mac can now connect to a number of new cloud services, such as Backblaze B2, Box, Google Drive, etc., making file uploads and downloads even more convenient.

Synchronization: The software also includes Panic Sync, a secure and fast synchronization feature that supports both local-to-local and remote-to-remote synchronization, providing users with a finer degree of control.

Optimized for performance: Transfer’s engine has been rebuilt to dramatically improve transfer speeds, ensuring that users can complete file transfer tasks quickly.

Transfer for Mac is a powerful file transfer tool that not only offers a wide range of transfer options, but also improves the efficiency of your work with features such as batch processing and customizable settings.

Whether you need to transfer small files on a daily basis or migrate large amounts of data, Transfer for Mac is a better macos tftp server for your mac.

If you don’t want to use tftp to transfer files, but want to use an ftp client to manage files, check out this article.

Now go ahead and get transferring by this macos tftp server.