How To Install, Configure, and Uninstall Globus Connect Personal for Mac OS X

Globus Connect Personal allows you to share and transfer files to and from your Apple laptop or desktop computer — even if it’s behind a firewall. Watch our Globus Connect Personal tutorial or follow the steps below to turn your personal computer into a Globus Endpoint.

Installation

  1. Download Globus Connect Personal.

    gcp download mac

  2. Launch the application installer and install Globus Connect Personal (GCP) by dragging the GCP icon onto the 'Applications' folder shortcut.

    GCP Mac Application Installation

  3. Open GCP by navigating to 'Applications' in Finder and double-clicking on 'Globus Connect Personal'.

    GCP Mac Launch GCP

  4. Click on 'Log In' in order to authenticate with Globus.

    GCP Mac 1InstallationComplete LoginScreen

  5. Grant the required consents to GCP Setup.

    6GCP AnyOS Grant Consent WebApp

  6. Enter the details for your GCP Collection.

    GCP Mac Collection Details

  7. Exit the Setup process or open the Globus Web App to view collection details or move data to or from your collection.

    GCP Mac Setup Successful

  8. At the end of the installation, you will see an icon in the menu bar at the top of your screen, indicating that Globus Connect Personal is running and your new collection is ready to be used.

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Configuration

Tip

If you have a removable drive - such as a USB drive - you will need to configure the Accessible Directories settings for your endpoint as discussed below to be able to access it via your endpoint.

Click the Globus Connect Personal icon in the main menu bar and select "Preferences…​" to configure Globus Connect Personal.

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The "General" preferences tab allows you to specify how the Globus icon looks and whether the software should automatically check for updates. "Use black and white menu bar icons" changes the color of the Globus Connect Personal status icon in the menu bar. The "Automatically check for updates" and "Automatically download updates" options determine how Globus Connect Personal should handle availability of a newer version. We recommend leaving the "Automatically check for updates" option selected for automatic notification of important security updates.

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Figure 1. General Preferences Tab

The "Access" preferences tab lists accessible directories for file transfer and sharing and provides more control over what information is accessible on your Globus Connect Personal endpoint. By default, your home directory (e.g.: /Users/demodoc) is read/write accessible. The "Deny access to hidden (e.g. security) files in your home directory" option controls whether or not you can access hidden files (i.e. filenames beginning with "."") in your home directory. By default, Globus Connect Personal does not allow access to files like: ~/.globusonline and ~/.ssh.

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Figure 2. Access Tab

Click the "+" icon and select a folder to make it accessible for transfers. To allow the folder to be shared, check the "Sharable" box.

Note
To share folders, you must either be a Globus Plus user, or your Globus Personal endpoint must be managed under a subscription.
Note
If you remove everything from the access list, no files will be accessible on your Globus Connect Personal endpoint and you will be prompted to add accessible paths. You can either click "+" and add directories and files, or click "Reset to Defaults".
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The Info tab displays internal configuration information that may be helpful for troubleshooting issues and may be requested by the Globus Support team to assist with any resolution.

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Figure 3. Info Tab
Note

The Globus Connect Personal software keeps config information in the following locations:

  • "~/Library/Preferences/org.globusonline.Globus-Connect.plist"

  • "~/.globusonline/lta"

Removing Globus Connect Personal

If you remove Globus Connect Personal, you will not be able to transfer files to or from your personal computer using Globus, and other Globus users will no longer have access to any folders on your computer that you may have shared with them.

To remove Globus Connect Personal:

  1. Click the Globus Connect Personal icon in the main menu bar and select "Preferences…​".

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  2. Click "Delete Globus Connect Personal configuration and exit".

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  3. Click "Delete & Exit" to remove all Globus Connect Personal settings from your computer.

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  4. Navigate to your Applications directory and delete the Globus Connect Personal application.

Updating Globus Connect Personal

  1. Ensure that Globus Connect Personal for Mac is running.

  2. Locate the Globus icon (circle with the letter "g" in it) in the menu bar (top right of screen).

  3. Click on the Globus icon to see the following menu:

    mac gpc menu

  4. Select the "Check for updates…​" option and click.

  5. Follow the prompts to get updated to the latest version of Globus Connect Personal.

  6. If you should encounter any issues updating in this fashion, then consider simply uninstalling the old version of Globus Connect Personal, downloading the new version, and then installing the new version from the downloaded installer.

If you should encounter problems when attempting your upgrade and cannot resolve them, then feel free to contact support@globus.org for help.

Troubleshooting

If you need help installing or using Globus Connect Personal, please see our Globus Connect Personal troubleshooting guide or contact support@globus.org.