FileZilla (SFTP)

Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP)

You've heard of SSH (Secure Shell), now get ready for SFTP! This protocol* [*which means a way two computer systems interact] is designed to transfer files and data securely between one system and another.

Please note: this article is not applicable to large transfers, which should be done programmatically from lyra. Contact systems for additional information or guidance.

To get you started, we'll work with FileZilla as our SFTP Client -- a fancy term for "program on our computer that we use for moving data files between here and a Unix server far, far away."

First, we will need to download the installer for FileZilla, which can be found below for your respective operating system:

Download the base FileZilla by selecting the button on the far left, unless you are interested in paying for the Pro features (out-of-pocket!) or in very technical manuals in PDF format.

⬆ You are here and lyra is on the right (Server). The SFTP in the middle is the vehicle for transfer, which is the FileZilla program -- and it runs on your computer.

You can transfer files in between the two, or even between two different remote servers.

Next, run the installer and accept all warnings / prompts. The default installation options are fine for our needs in this case, so no need to make customizations unless you want to install FileZilla to a specific directory.

You'll want to configure the fields at the top interface next to "Quickconnect" with the following, but be sure to replace unixUsername with your own!

You will now see your Unix home directory on the right-hand side of the interface. Well done! You can traverse the remote filesystem (on the server) from here and can change to the directories you'd normally have access to on the command line.

Many lab folders can be found under the root folder, which is aptly named by a forward slash character (see below screenshot): /

If you have a large amount of data to transfer, please reach out to us so we can get you in touch with the right facilitator(s) to aid the transfer.

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