AFS for OS X/Darwin

What is AFS and why do I need it?

AFS provides a system of accessing network file servers in a reasonable and scalable manner. So from a user standpoint, it's much like SMB/CIFS and Appleshare. A lot of universities (such as UNC Chapel Hill, where I work) use it to provide integrated access to files on central servers. Unless you need to access an AFS cell, you don't need it.

UNC-CH's ITS has some good docs on afs to get you started.

But before we get started, a few caveats:

The Options

There are two good options, OpenAFS and Arla. I've tried both, and there's little difference in performance. OpenAFS is probably the better choice for most folks, since it is in wider use.

The Alternatives

Most afs cells offer unix login servers, so you can also access afs space through a login server with an SFTP client such as fugu or fetch, or you can mount shares directly to the finder using MacFusion.

Installing OpenAFS

Also, if you're interested, here's some other references:

AFS Tools

I've put together a list of useful AFS tools, things like athentication plugins, GUI tools, and useful scripts.

Installing Arla

Here's a older document describing installation of Arla.


Last modified: 06 March 2010