SDB:SFTP usage

openSSH

Basics - Configure openSSH - SFTP usage - SCP usage - Public key authentication - Tunnels - SSH Agent

Tested on openSUSE

• 12.2
• 12.1
• All

Recommended articles

• FTP server
• DenyHosts
• SSH systematic attack protection

Related articles

• Remote access
• SFTP server with Chroot

General

You must have the OpenSSH package installed, which is by default in openSUSE. Also you will need a configured SSHD to accept connections on the remote host, before using SFTP.

Although SFTP can be used as a replacement for FTP, it is not based on it. SFTP makes it possible to interactively transfer files between computers over a secure and encrypted channel. It is designed to be a replacement of tunneling FTP over an SSH connection, which can be a complicated thing.

Security

A normal user can copy all files they like to their computer, where permissions allow. This means they can also cd to the file system root (/) and navigate throughout the entire system. If you would like to set up a SFTP server, limiting only specified users to a specific directory and its sub-directories, you will have to set up an SFTP server with Chroot.

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Client software

If you have an SSHD listening, you can already access your computer through SFTP. By default the openSSH package comes with a SFTP client, which is will open a SFTP shell when invoked. eg:

$sftp user@ssh.host.org

In the default setup you will go to the home directory of this user on the remote host. If you type “help” you will get a list of commands which you can use. Some very basic bash commands are supported. (Like “ls” and “cd”).

File managers

More and more file manager support the SFTP protocol.

Dolphin

Doplhin supports SFTP