SDB:SFTP usage

openSSH

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

Tested on openSUSE		Recommended articles		Related articles
	12.2 12.1 All		FTP server DenyHosts SSH systematic attack protection		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 file between computers over a secure and encrypted channel. It is designed to be a replacement of tunneling FTP over and SSH connection, which can be a complicated thing.

Security

A normal user can copy all files he likes to his computer, where permissions allow. This means he can also cd to the filestem root (/) and go trough the complete system. If you would like to setup a SFTP server, where specified users only can enter a specified directory and his sub-directory’s. You will have to setup a 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