Comments on: Setup FileZilla for Secure FTP (SFTP)

By: Install NGINX (better than Apache or Lighttpd): VPS BIBLE - vpsBible

Install NGINX (better than Apache or Lighttpd): VPS BIBLE - vpsBible — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 14:46:01 +0000

[...] Setup FileZilla for Secure FTP (SFTP) we’re taking a quick detour, setting up FileZilla so we’ve got a Secure FTP (SFTP) [...]

By: Setup Local-Windows-Remote-Linux Encrypted Connection: VPS BIBLE - vpsBible

Setup Local-Windows-Remote-Linux Encrypted Connection: VPS BIBLE - vpsBible — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:01:04 +0000

[...] to shore up an otherwise unencrypted FTP connection, making it SSH FTP, or Secure FTP or SFTP for short. We’ll set that up in FileZilla for Secure FTP (SFTP) [...]

By: the_guv

the_guv — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:05:58 +0000

@Sateck .. WinSCP is a cracking programme but, having to go through Wine and all that malarky .. why not just use SCP? .. well, I guess you want the GUI. Sure. Silly Q!

BTW, you may like this ..

Virtually the Best Web Dev PC on the Planet

For Linux, SCP is best, better than anything. Using it is covered in the VPS Admin series, along with the PuTTY equivalent for Windows. I do use FileZilla sometimes when I want a visual reference on a directory. Never get these errors Ashesh has had with this method .. and my ssh does not allow passwords.

.. don’t forget to go with the SFTP option in FileZilla, after setting up your authentication keys .. but I don’t thing that’s the issue.

How many more folks having this problem? Bit bloody annoying, what!

By: Sarteck

Sarteck — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 02:10:05 +0000

Hey, Guv, sorry for double-posting, but I just wanted to let anyone reading know…

It seems to be impossible to find a Linux GUI to accomplish this task, at least for me. I was recommended to try kFTP, gftp, FireFTP, and (almost unanimously, lol) FileZilla. For any Linux user in need of a GUI SFTP client that can use your PPK file and connect to your server as Guv has laid it out, you may have to use WinSCP through WINE (whic, btw, is tested and working on my Linux home computer, also Ubuntu 9.04).

By: Sarteck

Sarteck — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:48:29 +0000

Guv, I am having the same problem as we speak. As Ashesh says, turning PasswordAuthentication back on does “solve” the problem, but then it defeats the purpose of having the shared key, doesn’t it? XD

I suppose, though, you -could- have another port listen for SFTP, but that, too, would defeat the purpose of having shared keys.

Anyways, the problem is that (at least for my FileZilla, 3.2.2.1), you have to add the key file by going to Settings -> SFTP.

Big problem, though, they don’t support passphrases yet but give the option to convert it to a “useable format.” Dunno what that might be.

By: the_guv

the_guv — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:03:32 +0000

@Ashesh .. not sure why you were getting this, to be honest. Just tried replicating the error but can’t, unless I try to log in with regular FTP.

As we’re using SFTP, and as we’ve set up our authentication keys already, it ought to be a non-issue, and the Password Authentication rule in the sshd_config file should be irrelevant (specifically to this problem, that is.)

Anyone else had this or similar?

By: Ashesh

Ashesh — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:38:16 +0000

Guv,

For newbies like us it would be great if in this chapter you mention not to change “PasswordAuthentication” to “no” in configuration file as suggested in “Harden the Secure Shell (SSH) & Create a Firewall *”

# PasswordAuthentication yes
# – change “yes” to “no”. Prevents login using a password, now unnecessary with OpenSSH keys. **

Actually it took me some time to figure out why FileZilla is giving error “Disconnected: No supported authentication methods available
” as I had turned off PasswordAuthentication in ssh configuration file

thanks

By: the_guv

the_guv — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:54:50 +0000

Hey Dale, Dunno about proftpd, I hear it’s popular but haven’t tried it.

Have you tried winSCP? .. that’s very good too, very simple and powerful. In fact, I wonder I shouldn’t add that as another FTP client option in this post. Great for tunnelled SSH connections, using your private authentication key .. so no passwords with winSCP.

Damn, I’ll have to add it now

By: Dale Lukas Peterson

Dale Lukas Peterson — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:31:32 +0000

Guv,
My installation of ubuntu didn’t come with a ftp server configured — I’ve tried to find a good tutorial on how to get proftpd setup, and have it still be secure, but I haven’t found a good one. Any chance you want to do a tutorial on this? It would be much appreciated!!

By: the_guv

the_guv — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 05:55:39 +0000

@Mottster – good to hear. $13 – that’s actually not bad though, huh, and no hassle. Prices are plummetting. But sure, you won’t get an optimised solution with managed, and likely far from it. Hey, the market’s changing really fast now.