So I showed my brother this quick and painless way to share files between two macs and he was floored. He immediately told me to write a blog post about it so he could use it for reference. This can be done wirelessly or wired (if you do it wired just run a regular network cable between the two computers).

For this example the computer is running OS X Tiger 10.4.8:

  1. Open system preferences on the computer that you want to share files from.

  2. Under the Internet and Network section open the “Sharing” folder.

  1. On the right hand side of the sharing folder there should be a prompt stating “Personal File Sharing is Off.” (You should always turn personal file sharing off when you’re not using to protect your personal information). Under the prompt there should be a button that says “Start.” Click the start button.

4. Now that you are sharing your personal files the other mac (and any other computer around you) can see your public folder. User/Public Anything you put in that folder your friend will be able to get.

  1. After your done sharing always, always turn file sharing off.