User guide

MFCommander Help

Install and activate MFCommander, learn the dual-pane workspace, configure connections, and find answers to common problems.

System requirements

• macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
• Apple silicon or Intel Mac.
• Network access for remote connections, cloud sign-in, license validation, and update checks.
• For Infra connections: a working kubectl setup for Kubernetes or Docker CLI access for Docker.

Installation

MFCommander is distributed as a signed and notarized macOS application.

1. 1

   Download MFCommander

   Download the current MFCommander disk image from the official MFSoft download page.

2. 2

   Open the disk image

   In Finder, open Downloads, then double-click the downloaded .dmg file.

3. 3

   Move the app to Applications

   Drag MFCommander into the Applications folder shown in the disk-image window.

4. 4

   Open MFCommander

   Eject the disk image, open Applications, and double-click MFCommander. Confirm the standard macOS first-launch prompt if it appears.

5. 5

   Keep the app up to date

   Use MFCommander ▸ Check for Updates… to check for a newer eligible version.

Activation

MFCommander starts with a 14-day Infra trial that unlocks every feature. You do not need a credit card or license key to begin the trial.

Activate from the purchase email

1. Open the MFSoft purchase email on the Mac where MFCommander is installed.
2. Select the MFCommander activation link.
3. Allow the browser to open MFCommander.
4. MFCommander verifies the signed license and shows the activated edition.

Activate with a license key

1. Open MFCommander ▸ Preferences….
2. Select License.
3. Copy the complete license key from the purchase email and paste it into Paste a license key.
4. Select Activate.
5. Confirm that the page shows the correct active tier, licensed customer, and updates-until date.

Update or deactivate a license

Open Preferences ▸ License. Select Update License… to enter a replacement key, or Deactivate to remove the stored license and return to the active trial or Community.

Dual-pane workspace

The selected pane is the source and the other pane is the target. Use the sidebar, tabs, breadcrumbs, and path bar to open the two locations you want to work with.

Copy or move files

1. Open the source location in one pane and the destination in the other.
2. Select one or more files or folders in the source pane.
3. Press F5 to copy or F6 to move.
4. Review the destination and confirm the operation.
5. If a name conflict appears, choose the appropriate replace, keep, or skip action.

Create, rename, and delete

• F7 creates a folder in the active pane.
• Shift-F6 renames the selected item.
• F8 deletes the selection after confirmation.
• Option-F5 creates an archive from local selections.

Connections

Add and edit remote connections in Preferences ▸ Connections. Saving a connection does not open it; select the saved connection in the sidebar afterward.

Add a server or S3 connection

1. Open Preferences ▸ Connections and select Add.
2. Choose the connection type.
3. Enter the server, account, and protocol-specific settings.
4. Select Save.
5. Close Preferences and select the connection under Connections in the sidebar.

Connect OneDrive or Google Drive

Add the cloud provider in Connections, then select Sign In. Complete authorization in the browser and allow it to return to MFCommander. The signed-in drive then appears in the sidebar.

Viewer and search

View a file

Select a file and press F3. Text, code, hex, Markdown, images, documents, audio, and video open in the appropriate included viewer. Large text files are read by visible viewport instead of being loaded in full.

• Command-F finds text in the current viewer.
• Command-L goes to a line when the viewer can resolve it.
• Option-Command-P toggles Markdown source and preview.
• Follow keeps a growing local or remote log at the end until you scroll away.

Search files

Press Command-F in the main window to open a Search tab. Choose the current folder, the other pane, or a recent location, then filter by name, kind, date, size, or contents. Search works across local and supported remote providers.

Infra: Kubernetes and Docker

Infra adds Kubernetes and Docker resource browsers to the same pane-based workspace. Add each connection in Preferences ▸ Connections, then expand it in the sidebar.

• Browse overviews, typed resource lists, details, YAML or inspect data, events, and logs.
• Open Kubernetes PVCs and Docker volumes as file locations.
• View large logs with the same flat-memory viewer used for ordinary files.
• Use resource actions from lists and detail pages.

Keyboard shortcuts

App-specific shortcuts can be changed in Preferences ▸ Hotkeys.

Licenses and updates

• Community does not require a license key.
• A paid Pro or Infra license is a one-time purchase.
• The purchase includes 12 months of updates.
• After the update window ends, you can keep using the newest MFCommander version covered by the license indefinitely.
• If you install a build released after the updates-until date, renew the update window or reinstall the newest eligible version to use paid features.

Your active tier, customer name, and updates-until date are shown in Preferences ▸ License.

Troubleshooting

A saved connection is not in the sidebar

Check Preferences ▸ License and Preferences ▸ Included Features. The sidebar only shows connection types registered for the active edition. For OneDrive or Google Drive, complete sign-in before looking for the connection in the sidebar.

Activation fails

• Copy the complete key directly from the purchase email.
• Remove leading or trailing spaces.
• Confirm that the key is for MFCommander and has not been refunded or replaced.
• If an activation link does not open the app, use manual activation in Preferences.

Kubernetes or Docker actions are disabled

Open Preferences ▸ General and review the Kubernetes or Docker read-only setting. Leave read-only enabled unless you intend to change the connected environment.

A remote connection will not open

Edit the entry in Preferences ▸ Connections. Verify its host, port, credentials, network reachability, and any required CLI or configuration file, then reconnect from the sidebar.

Contact support

Email [email protected]. Include:

• Your macOS version and Mac model.
• Your MFCommander version and active edition.
• The connection type or feature involved.
• The steps needed to reproduce the problem and the exact error message.