What is the sftp command used for?

The sftp command is used for secure file transfer over SSH connections, providing encrypted file transfer capabilities similar to FTP but with security features.

How do I connect to a remote server?

Use 'sftp username@hostname' to connect to a remote server, or 'sftp -i keyfile username@hostname' to use a specific SSH key for authentication.

How do I transfer files?

Use 'put localfile' to upload files to the remote server, 'get remotefile' to download files, or 'mput/mget' for multiple files with wildcards.

sftp

Secure file transfer over SSH connections

Syntax

sftp [options] [user@]host[:path]

Basic Usage

Connect to remote server

sftp username@hostname

Establishes an SFTP connection to the specified host.

Connect with specific port

sftp -P 2222 username@hostname

Connect using SSH key

sftp -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa username@hostname

Connect and change to specific directory

sftp username@hostname:/path/to/directory

Common Options

-1: Use SSH protocol version 1
-2: Use SSH protocol version 2
-4: Force IPv4
-6: Force IPv6
-B buffer_size: Set buffer size
-b batchfile: Execute commands from batch file
-C: Enable compression
-D sftp_server_path: Connect to sftp server
-F ssh_config: Use alternative SSH config file
-i identity_file: Use specific SSH key
-l limit: Limit bandwidth usage
-o ssh_option: Pass options to SSH
-P port: Connect to specific port
-R num_requests: Number of requests to buffer
-S program: Program to use for encrypted connection
-s subsystem: SSH2 subsystem or path
-v: Verbose mode

SFTP Commands

File Transfer Commands

put: Upload local file to remote server
get: Download remote file to local machine
mput: Upload multiple files
mget: Download multiple files
reput: Resume interrupted upload
reget: Resume interrupted download

File Management Commands

ls: List remote files
lls: List local files
mkdir: Create remote directory
lmkdir: Create local directory
rm: Remove remote file
lrm: Remove local file
rename: Rename remote file
lrename: Rename local file

Practical Examples

Basic file upload

sftp> put localfile.txt

Upload with different name

sftp> put localfile.txt remotefile.txt

Download file

sftp> get remotefile.txt

Upload multiple files

sftp> mput *.txt

Download multiple files

sftp> mget *.log

Change remote directory

sftp> cd /remote/directory

Change local directory

sftp> lcd /local/directory

Create remote directory

sftp> mkdir newdirectory

Remove remote file

sftp> rm oldfile.txt

View remote file permissions

sftp> ls -la

Exit SFTP session

sftp> quit

Batch Mode

Using Batch Files

Create a text file with SFTP commands and execute them automatically:

                            # batch.txt

                            cd /remote/directory

                            put file1.txt

                            put file2.txt

                            quit

Execute with:

sftp -b batch.txt username@hostname

Best Practices

When to Use

Secure file transfers over untrusted networks
Automated file transfer scripts
Transferring sensitive data
Cross-platform file transfers
Remote file management

Important Notes

SFTP requires SSH access to the remote server
Use key-based authentication for automated transfers
Large files may take time to transfer
Consider using rsync for large directory synchronization
SFTP is slower than FTP due to encryption overhead
Always verify file integrity after transfer