sftp Command: Tutorial & Examples

Transfer files to or from a remote host using the Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP)

The sftp command in Linux is used to securely transfer files and directories between two different systems over a network connection using the SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) protocol. It is similar to the FTP (File Transfer Protocol) command, but uses SSH (Secure Shell) for secure transfer of files.

The basic syntax for using the sftp command is as follows:

sftp [user@]host

When you run the sftp command, it will open an interactive session where you can use various commands such as put, get, ls, cd, mkdir etc. to transfer files or navigate the file system.

Here are a few examples of how the sftp command can be used:

Connect to a remote host and upload a file named file.txt:

sftp user@remote-host
sftp> put file.txt

Connect to a remote host and download a file named file.txt:

sftp user@remote-host
sftp> get file.txt

sftp uses the same authentication and security mechanisms as ssh, and it can be configured to use specific ssh key, and it's also possible to specify a different ssh port by providing it as an argument when calling the command.

It's worth noting that sftp is a more secure alternative to FTP, and it provides a more user-friendly interface for transferring files and directories between systems. Because it uses the SSH protocol, the data and authentication process is encrypted, which ensures that your data is protected while in transit.