What is SFTP, and how do I use an SFTP client to transfer files?

Username:
Password:

The SSH File Transfer Protocol (also known as Secure FTP and SFTP) is a computing network protocol for accessing and managing files on remote file systems. SFTP also allows file transfers between hosts, similar to the SCP protocol. Unlike standard File Transfer Protocol (FTP), SFTP encrypt commands and data both, preventing passwords and sensitive information from being transmitted in the clear over a network.

SFTP clients are programs that use SSH to access, manage, and transfer files. SFTP clients are functionally similar to FTP clients, but they use different protocols. Consequently, you cannot use standard FTP clients to connect to SFTP servers, nor can you use clients that support only SFTP to connect to FTP servers. Graphical clients are available for SFTP, or you can use it from the command line on a Unix or Mac OS X computer.

Graphical SFTP clients

For Indiana University, students, faculty, and staff, two SFTP clients, CyberDuck (for Mac OS X) and WinSCP (for Windows), are available for free download from IUware.

Graphical SFTP clients simplify file transfers by allowing you to drag and drop icons from one window to another. Each icon represents a file or directory, and each window represents a computer's file system. When you open the program, you specify the name of the remote host to which you want to connect (e.g., mason.indiana.edu), and then authenticate with your username and password for that host.

Note: At IU, use your Network ID username and passphrase to connect to UITS hosts (e.g., Big Red, Quarry, Mason, the Research Database Complex (RDC), the Scholarly Data Archive (SDA), the Research File System (RFS), and Mercury). To connect to a departmental host (e.g., Burrow), you'll most likely use a different password or passphrase, and perhaps even a different username.

Command-line SFTP

You can use SFTP from the command line on Unix and Mac OS X computers. To start an SFTP session, at the command prompt, enter:

sftp username@host

For example, if your username is dvader, to connect to your account on the host empire.gov, enter:

sftp dvader@empire.gov

Enter your password when prompted.

Note: At IU, use your Network ID username and passphrase to connect to UITS hosts (e.g., Big Red, Quarry, Mason, the Research Database Complex (RDC), the Scholarly Data Archive (SDA), the Research File System (RFS), and Mercury). For a departmental host (e.g., Burrow), you'll most likely have an alternate password or passphrase, and perhaps even a different username.

Some standard commands for command-line SFTP include:

`cd`	Change the directory on the remote computer.
`chmod`	Change the permissions of files on the remote computer.
`chown`	Change the owner of files on the remote computer.
`exit` (or `quit`)	Close the connection to the remote computer and exit SFTP.
`get`	Copy a file from the remote computer to the local computer.
`help` (or `?`)	Get help on the use of SFTP commands.
`lcd`	Change the directory on the local computer.
`lls`	List the contents of the current directory on the local computer.
`lmkdir`	Create a directory on the local computer.
`ln` (or `symlink`)	Create a symbolic link for a file on the remote computer.
`lpwd`	Show the current directory (present working directory) on the local computer.
`ls` (or `dir`)	List the contents of the current directory on the remote computer.
`lumask`	Change the local `umask` value.
`mkdir`	Create a directory on the remote computer.
`put`	Copy a file from the local computer to the remote computer.
`pwd`	Show the current directory (present working directory) on the remote computer.
`rename`	Rename a file on the remote computer.
`rm`	Delete a file on the remote computer.
`rmdir`	Remove a directory on the remote computer (the directory usually has to be empty).
`version`	Display the SFTP version.
`!`	Exit to the Unix shell prompt, where you can enter commands. To get back to SFTP, enter `exit`. If you combine `!` with a command (e.g., `!pwd`), SFTP will execute the command without dropping you to the Unix prompt.

This document was developed with support from National Science Foundation (NSF) grant OCI-1053575. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.

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Last modified on December 13, 2012.