Two Drifters

The task

For Windows XP I used the fantastic Novell Netdrive application, which mounts FTP directories as network shares. I could edit PHP files with Notepad++ and debug them in the webbrowser, skipping the uploading part. Since I have this new Notebook, I've been at good terms with Windows Vista in general, but alas! Netdrive refuses to work. The freeware alternative FTPDrive claims to work under Vista, and so it does. After a fashion. I can't create directories for instance. The task is to find a solution which allows me to:

• edit files with a comfortable text editor (sorry nano, I need more)
• navigate directories without having to use the command line
• manage directories and files serverside: upload, download and delete files

Possible solutions

1. Find another FTP-to-explorer bridge
   con: I've done already a lot of research in this direction, maybe Vista is not suitable for this at all?
   
2. Subversion instead of FTP access
   con: You have to check out the repository on both sides
3. Use NoMachine NX to access the files serverside
   con 1: I would still need to mount the directory in some way under Linux, as we use virtualization
   con 2: It would be a lot of work to set up a whole new environment under Linux
   con 3: Photoshop etc. don't go with this solution.
4. Use VirtualPC with Windows 98
   con: no Unicode support, perhaps as Windows 98 plugin?
5. Use SAMBA to mount the Linux drive as a Windows share
   con:  I believe it is quite hard to setup with sufficient security
6. Mount directories via SFTP-mount software
   pro: one can edit all files logging in as root (con at the same time)
   Maybe this is it, at 30 $ and 21 days trial: http://www.expandrive.com/windows/

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 19th, 2009 at 3:49 pm and is filed under business, English, tech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.