Most of the time, you can re-download the current version of macOS via the Mac App Store, and older ones via these links:
MacUpdate's software library contains more than 76 FTP apps designed for Mac owners. Choose the best app and download it today for free. Fetch is a reliable, full-featured file transfer client for the Apple Macintosh whose user interface emphasizes simplicity and ease of use. Fetch is a reliable. Fetch supports FTP. The familiar Mac OS X Finder - Droplet.
However, I’ve run into a situation several times where the Software Update mechanism simply refuses to initiate a download:
Thankfully, macOS installers can be downloaded via Terminal in macOS Catalina. This command will download the most recent version of macOS, depositing it in your Applications folder:
Fetch was one of the first Mac FTP clients available, and it remains a favorite of many web site authors due to is simplicity. Version 4 added a number of new features, including mirroring, remote editing, and server-to-server transfers, along with a clearer, updated user interface (check out the new circular progress bar.
softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer
The softwareupdate command has some neat tricks up its sleeve, as pointed out by Armin Briegel:
The --fetch-full-installer flag has a sub-flag: --full-installer-version which allows you to download a specific version.
During my testing in the Catalina beta version I was able to download 10.15, 10.14.6, 10.14.5, and 10.13.6. I was not able to test if 10.13.6 would download the hardware specific build of 10.13.6 for the 2018 MacBook Pro, since I do not have that hardware.
So, to pull 10.13.6 down, you’d use:
softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 10.13.6
I wish Apple would just have a support document up with direct downloads for all of this stuff, but this tool is not a bad alternative.
Update: Don’t miss this documentation from JAMF for more on the subject.
Fetch
Current Version: 4.0.3 (December 10, 2002) / 5.0.5 (January 3, 2006) / 5.6 (April 30, 2010)
Fetch, like Interarchy, is a powerful FTP tool with a great interface. Fetch was one of the first Mac FTP clients available, and it remains a favorite of many web site authors due to is simplicity. Version 4 added a number of new features, including mirroring, remote editing, and server-to-server transfers, along with a clearer, updated user interface (check out the new circular progress bar . . . WOW!). Version 5.0 - for Mac OS X 10.2.4 and later - was probably the single most significant update to Fetch since its introduction, offering an overhauled interface and stupendously increased functionality.
Version 5.6 - the latest release for Mac OS X 10.3.9 and higher - makes the following enhancements and fixes:
- Transient errors or stalls can all too often cause a website update or large download to grind to a halt, wasting time and requiring tedious and error-prone manual intervention. Fetch 5.6 automatically resumes uploads, downloads, and mirror operations, to ensure that network glitches and server hiccups do not stand in the way of successful FTP or SFTP transfers.
Since the latest 'Universal Binary' versions of Fetch require Mac OS X 10.3.9 and later, version 5.0.5 remains available for users of Mac OS X 10.2.4 and higher.
Fetch 5.6 is shareware, $29 (available for immediate online purchase), and multi-user discounts are available.
Fetch Ftp App
Fetch 5.3.1 is shareware, $25 (available for immediate online purchase), and multi-user discounts are available.
Fetch 4.0.3 (which is the last version to run on 'Classic' Mac OS) is also shareware, $25 (available for immediate online purchase), and multi-user discounts are available. Fetch 4.0.3 is a free upgrade for customers who have licensed 3.0.3, 4.0 or later from Fetch Softworks; the serial numbers for those releases will also work in 4.0.x.
User Reviews
[3.0.3] 'After much frustration with my ISP's advice on maintaining my Home Page files, along came Fetch! For a non-techie, this is the best and easiest way to update my Web files I have come across. It's quick, doesn't take up a lot of disk space and the price is right. I agree - an essential!'
—Peter P. Huang, M.D.
[3.0.3] 'I recently began uploading files to a remote web server and Fetch was easy to figure out within 5 minutes without reading anything. A user friendly product to get up and running without having to figure out all the features right away.'
—Jim Conrey, Kentucky Country Day School
[3.0.3] 'I live in a house where we have one phone line, and I always have someone pick up the phone while I am downloading. With Fetch's feature of being able to resume transfers after getting disconnected, I try to use Fetch for any big downloads so I don't have to start over.'
—Derik DeLong
[3.0.3] 'What can I say? First used it years ago as an idiot newbie to pull mail attachments off a UNIX mail server, have run various fairly complicated websites with it since (altho' I'm still an idiot!). One of those apps that has remained perfect while the entire fabric of the Internet reinvents itself every six months!'
—Michael Jardine
Free Ftp File Transfer Software
[4.0.3] 'Absolutely reliable, stable, easy to use, very mature FTP client with some unique features (for Mac FTP clients anyway) like Kerberos support. If you want Kerberos, Fetch is the only way to go, and that's not such a bad thing. For despite its lack of SFTP support and rather old fashioned interface it's a top notch workhorse FTP client. In fact, I probably shouldn't put down the interface, as that's part of what makes it such an easy program to get the hang of. Nothing wrong with an old interface if it's still highly functional. I've used far prettier programs unable to do half as good a job as Fetch. Plus you get a cool running dog cursor - can't beat that! :-) Fetch also has a great help file that covers all the basics as well as an active user help forum where the program's authors will answer any technical support queries they're able to. Likewise free email support. Not only that, Fetch has a toll free tech support phone line (with a minimal one-off charge for solving your problem). I can't think of any other FTP client, or shareware in general with such well rounded, professional support.'
—Jamie Kahn Genet, 3/10/2005
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version 5.6 (Carbon / Universal) for Mac OS X 10.3.9 and later.
version 5.0.5 (Carbon) for Mac OS X 10.2.4 and later.
version 4.0.3 (Carbon) for Mac OS X.
version 4.0.3 (Carbon) for Power Macs running Mac OS 7 - 9.