How to Use SSHFS on Linux

Sshfs is a file system for operating systems that have FUSE (Filesystem in Userspace) implementation. Examples of such operating systems are Linux, Mac OS X and FreeBSD but not limited to these. Sshfs is a great tool as it enables a user to mount remote directories on the local machine securely.

The SSH protocol encrypts the connection between the local and remote machine. This makes it difficult for a third party to see the files being exchanged between the two machines on the network.

Install sshfs in CentOS/Fedora

$ sudo yum install sshfs

Install sshfs in Ubuntu

$ sudo apt-get install sshfs

How to use sshfs

Once installed it is time, connect to a remote host and mount the directory, you need. The first step is to create is a directory on the local machine where the remote file will be mounted. In this example, the folder is created in the home directory. To create the directory run the command

How to unzip zip files in Linux

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

How to unzip zip files in Linux

$ mkdir name_of_directory

e.g

$ mkdir Pi

The other option is to create a new folder in the home directory and name it Pi. Note in this case Pi is my desired name and a user has the option of naming it as they deem fit, but it is always preferable to use a descriptive name. To mount the remote directory

$ sshfs -o idmap=user user@remotehost:[dir] mountpoint

The option: -o idmap=user only translates the UID( User ID ) of the connecting user. For example to mount home directory of user pi on the LAN with IP address 10.42.0.47 the command is run as follows.

$ sshfs -o idmap=user [email protected]:/home/pi ~/Pi

This command will prompt for the password of the remote user.

If the password is correct then the prompt is returned to the user as follows.

Where the option ~/Pi is the folder on the local machine in the home directory where the remote directory will be mounted. One has the option of writing the full path to the home directory or using tilde (~), to refer to home directory. Once the remote directory is mounted, the folder on which the contents of the remote directory is mounted can be seen on the list of devices:

To view the contents of the remote directory, the user now opens the folder just like the local folders on the local machine.

To unmount the remote directory, run the command:

$ fusermount -u mountpoint

In our example, run the command as follows.

$ fusermount -u ~/Pi

Sometimes the errors in the network connection may cause the following error:

$ fuse: bad mount point `mountpoint`: Transport endpoint is not connected

To solve this issue the following steps should be followed:

$ umount -l mountpoint

In our example,

$ umount -l ~/Pi

then run the mount command once again.

$ sshfs -o idmap=user [email protected]:/home/pi ~/Pi

Hope this article on sshfs helped you and please leave your comments.