sftp-client

sftp Clients

Install and configure several different sftp clients.

2022-08-06 Ubuntu 20.04, Raspbian bullseye, Linux Mint, Windows 11, macOS 12.5

sftp – Command Line Interface (CLI) client

is inbuilt into openssh, which presumably is already installed on any modern client.

Suppose domain user fred.nerk@geddy.au has been assigned UNIX user fred.nerk on sftp server ftp.geddy.au.

Get a command prompt (how depends on operating system) then:

graham:~ sftp fred.nerk@ftp.geddy.au Password: fred.nerk's password sftp> help

sshfs – network mount client – all linux flavours

Suppose domain user fred.nerk@geddy.au has been assigned UNIX user fred.nerk on sftp server ftp.geddy.au.

Ubuntu, Mint installation

graham:~ sudo apt update graham:~ sudo apt install sshfs

macOS installation

Requires macports; we assume it is already installed.

graham:~ sudo port selfupdate graham:~ sudo port install sshfs

sshfs depends upon a non-Apple kext module, and macOS security requires some dramatic steps to grant it permission, as follows.
Try running sshfs as described below for normal usage. It will popup a refusal message. Note down the Third Party signer mentioned in the popup.
Enable use of the foreign kext:
1. Reboot in Recovery Mode (command-R on bootup);
2. Select menubar item Security Options;
3. Select Reduced Security and tick option Allow user management of kernel extensions from identified developers;
4. Reboot normally.
Run sshfs again and this time, in the refusal popup, tick approval of the Third Party signer previously noted.

Using the client

We will mount on local directory ~/share.

graham:~ mkdir ~/share # create mount point graham:~ sshfs fred.nerk@ftp.geddy.au: ~/share # mount Password: fred.nerk's password graham:~ ls ~/share graham:~ vi ~/share/foo.txt graham:~ umount ~/share # unmount

Create a directory onto which to mount the remote sftp directory.
Mount using sshfs. Note that it is not done as root. Also note the trailing ':' on ftp account.
Contents of the remote sftp directory can be accessed per usual mounts. In this example we list directory contents and edit a file.
Unmount it once finished.

SSHFS for Windows – network mount client – Windows 11

Suppose domain user fred.nerk@geddy.au has been assigned UNIX user fred.nerk on sftp server ftp.geddy.au.

Windows 11 installation

Browse to SSHFS for Windows and scroll down to Installation.
Download and install WinFsp.
Download and install SSHFS-Win.

Using the client

In Windows Explorer, select This PC > Map Network Drive and enter the desired drive letter (e.g. F) and SSHFS path (e.g. \\sshfs\fred.nerk@ftp.geddy.au).
The first time you map a particular SSHFS path you will be prompted for the SSHFS username and password. You may choose to save these credentials with the Windows Credential Manager in which case you will not be prompted again.
In order to unmap the drive, right-click on the drive icon in Windows Explorer and select Disconnect.

At this point, files in the sftp share can be accessed via the F: drive.