I remember trying to access a remote computer’s files via FTP and SSH in the past: enabling an FTP/SSH server on the machine, forwarding the appropriate ports on the router, paying extra for a static IP address or using a service like DynDNS, and lots and lots of praying.
Several services made all that easier, but none as easy as Back to My Mac, which enables screen sharing and in-Finder file access of remote Macs. If you can get it to work (it can be a teensy bit flaky), BtMM can be amazingly handy.
And a great tip at Mac OS X Hints shows you how to easily use Back to My Mac to access your remote machines using SSH — the command line tool for remote file management built into OS X’s Terminal app.
Make sure Remote Login is turned on in the Sharing menu of System Preferences on the Mac you want to access remotely. Then, in Terminal, use this command to SSH into that machine:
ssh -vvv -p 22 hostname.username.members.mac.com.
Where hostname is the name you gave to the machine (i.e. the name that appears in Finder), and username is your .Mac username (i.e. if your email address is steve@mac.com, your .Mac username is steve). Note that there is a “.” at the very end of the command — I’ve had more consistent success using it that way. You can also try Terminal.app » Shell » New Remote Connection (or press Command-Shift-K) and then look under ‘Secure Shell (ssh) for “Discovered Servers”’.
I tried it, and it works beautifully. So if you’re a UNIX/command line kinda guy, here’s a great way to make Back to My Mac work for you.
