[FQuest Announce] SFTP now available for Extra/VAS FTP Accounts

[Bruce]

SSH file transfer protocol -- commonly referred to as "SFTP" or "Secure FTP" -- has long been available at FutureQuest to the shell username for an account which is the username that the main FTP account uses. However, due to differences and challenges in the authorization and authentication mechanisms, SFTP has not been available to Extra/VAS FTP accounts.

However, with a dash of creativity and a dollop of determination, that has now changed and we are pleased to announce that...

:QTchef: SFTP is now available for Extra/VAS FTP Accounts! :QTchef:

To use SFTP, you only need a FTP client that supports it. You will configure your Extra FTP accounts the same as always using your FTP Manager in the CNC (http://www.FutureQuest.net/GoToCNC/) and the selections of Read/Write, Write Only, and Read Only remain available to FTP and SFTP.

:teach: For those unfamiliar with SFTP, it is a file transfer protocol that runs through a SSH (Secure SHell) connection. SFTP has many of the same functions as standard FTP, but with the added security benefit of encrypting all the information as it is transmitted.

The following FTP clients are known to provide SFTP support, although others may provide support as well:


WinSCP (http://winscp.net/eng/index.php)
WS_FTP Professional (http://www.ipswitch.com)
CuteFTP Professional (http://www.cuteftp.com)
Fetch (http://fetchsoftworks.com)
FileZilla (http://filezilla.sourceforge.net)
Core FTP Lite (http://www.coreftp.com/download.html)


Please consult the documentation or support site for your particular FTP software client to determine if it supports SFTP and for instructions on its use.

--
Your FutureQuest Team
:QTFQuest:

[kitchin]

Thanks! The coffee shop wireless interwebs can be extended safely in clear tubes!

[hobbes]

Much appreciated!

[McDuff]

The following FTP clients are known to provide SFTP support, although others may provide support as well: ...


In addition to Bruce's list, Total Commander has an SFTP plugin that works good :yeah:. Since under Swiss law, they cannot include it directly in TC, you have to download it from a German site and install it manually.

http://prdownload.berlios.de/sftp4tc/wfx_sftp_1_2_58_1_setup.exe
For extra security, I also installed the password encrypter, from the same download site :kewl:

More information also under http://sftp4tc.berlios.de/

see also an earlier tread about this:
http://www.aota.net/forums/showthread.php?t=22696&highlight=SFTP


When installing, you are asked to check "all users" and/or "only this user". In "all users" some files were missing, so I unchecked the "all users" and installed only for "current user" and things worked perfect.

I copied a good installation protocol from the TC forum site
(http://www.ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?p=139467, with thanks to vetalok)
So, from the top:
1) Download wfx_sftp_1_2_58_1_setup.exe
2) Run it.
2.5) setup_tc_group_desc
(.) for current user
3) In TC, select: Configuration --> Options --> Plugins --> [ Configure ] File System Plug-ins (WFX)
4) Confirm that you see "Secure FTP Connections" in the list.
4.5) If not, choose [ Add ], find plugin_sftp.wfx on your system, and add it.
4.75) There may be more to it than this. I don't know, as I personally didn't have to do it. The setup.exe did it for me.

(For me, setup.exe did not do it, so I had to add the file. Once added, TC did the rest. McDuff)

5) Get out of the configuration screens: [ OK ] --> [ OK ]
6) Find the Network Neighborhood icon in the TC interface. This icon looks like 2 computers connected together, next to a \. This icon should be the last icon in the list of available drives. It should also be available from the drive drop-down box above the file display area.
7) Open the \ drive. (The Network Neighborhood).
Cool Open the "Secure FTP Connections" directory.

9A) Select "Quick Connection" to create a new connection to the URL that supports secure FTP that you're trying to get to.
9.1) Provide the URL to connect to. e.g. An IP address, or some alias to an IP address.
9.2) Log in as user / password, etc. Just follow the prompts.

OR

9B) Create a connection to a place you will visit often:
9.1) Select "Edit Connections"
9.2) [ New ] --> title: Linux --> host: <IP address> --> supply username, password, and homedir --> [ OK ]
9.3) Find your new connection in the list, and double-click it to open it.
9.4) Wait a few seconds. It might not seem instantaneous.

DONE!

You should now have a secure FTP connection in TC.

Did it like this when I renewed TC to version 7, piece of cake :clapper:. When connecting to your directories at FQ, you do not end up in the normal directory but in your shell directory, so you have to go up one directory level first.

Maybe another interesting thing for some: although I never tried, TC has a plugin that enables it to work on dual-boot machines so that you can access files on the Linux partition while working under Windows.

Success,
McDuff