Index

1. SSH FileSystem

• there is a filesystem client based on the SSH File Transfer Protocol
• advantages
  • since most SSH servers already support this protocol it is very easy to set up: i.e. on the server side there’s nothing to do
  • on the client side mounting the filesystem is as easy as logging into the server with ssh
• features:
  • implemented in userspace (although there is a kernel implementation if required)
  • multithreaded: more than one request can be on it’s way to the server
  • allows large reads (max 64k)
  • caches directory contents

2. How to mount a filesystem

• once sshfs is installed, running it is very simple:

• $ mkdir mountpoint
  $ sshfs hostname: mountpoint

3. Example of ssh filesystem

• $ df -h .
  Filesystem            Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
  /dev/sda3              57G  2.7G   51G   6% /home
  $ mkdir foo
  $ sshfs fred@mcgreg.comp.glam.ac.uk:/home/fred/Sandpit /home/fred/foo
  Password:
  $ df
  Filesystem           1K-blocks      Used Available Use% Mounted on
  /dev/sda1              9614116   2372668   6753076  26% /
  udev                     10240        52     10188   1% /dev
  devshm                  518260         0    518260   0% /dev/shm
  /dev/sda3             59020704   2816436  53206140   6% /home
  sshfs#fred@mcgreg.comp.glam.ac.uk:/home/fred/Sandpit
                     7999999992         0 7999999992   0% /home/fred/foo
  $ cd foo
  $ ls
  autopassword                             MorlocSounds.tar.gz
  autopassword.tar.gz                      MPlayer-1.0pre7try2
  build                                    MPlayer-1.0pre7try2.tar.bz2
  build-32                                 oa051

• $ cd ..
  $ fusermount -u foo
  $ df
  Filesystem           1K-blocks      Used Available Use% Mounted on
  /dev/sda1              9614116   2372668   6753076  26% /
  udev                     10240        52     10188   1% /dev
  devshm                  518260         0    518260   0% /dev/shm
  /dev/sda3             59020704   2816436  53206140   6% /home
  $

4. Summary of ssh

• ssh uses public/private key encryption
  • all usernames, passwords and data are encrypted
• can be used to tunnel any TCP port across the ssh port (22)
  • contents of this port is encrypted
  • can also tunnel X11 traffic across this port
  • ssh has a basic ftp client ( sftp )
• sshfs exists and can be installed (client side on GNU/Linux, MacOS, FreeBSD)
  • no server side additions are needed

Index

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