SSH Protocols

SFTP and FISH Protocols

SFTP and FISH allow users to access, manage, and transfer files through a secure SSH channel. SFTP connects directly to a container through the platform SSH gateway, while FISH enables secure file-system management through supported file managers and FTP clients.

In this article

Protocol Overview

SFTP SSH File Transfer Protocol provides secure file access, management, and transfer directly to a container through the SSH gateway.
FISH Files transferred over Shell protocol enables secure file-system access through compatible applications such as Midnight Commander, Konqueror, lftp, and Krusader.
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SSH key requirement

Both connection methods require a local private key that corresponds to a public SSH key previously added to the platform dashboard.

Connect through SFTP

The following example uses FileZilla, but another client with SFTP support can be configured using the same SSH gateway, port, user identity, and private key.

Prepare the Private SSH Key

Linux and macOS users normally receive the private key automatically when the SSH key pair is generated. Windows users must additionally save the private key that corresponds to the public key uploaded to the dashboard.

Save a private SSH key in PuTTYgen
Use PuTTYgen to save the private key on Windows.

Add the Private Key to FileZilla

1

Start FileZilla and open Edit > Settings.

Open FileZilla settings
Open the FileZilla Settings window.
2

Open the SFTP section, click Add keyfile, and select the previously saved private SSH key.

Click OK to save the configuration.

Add a private SSH key to FileZilla
Add the private SSH key in the FileZilla SFTP settings.

Configure the SFTP Site

3

Open File > Site Manager.

Open FileZilla Site Manager
Open Site Manager to create the SFTP connection.
4

Click New site and provide the connection details below.

Host Enter the platform SSH host in the format gate.{hoster_domain}.
Port Enter 3022.
Protocol Select SFTP – SSH File Transfer Protocol.
Logon Type Select Normal.
User Enter the container Node ID and your User ID separated by a hyphen: {node_id}-{user_id}.

The Node ID is available in the environment container list or through the SSH console. The User ID is the number shown before the @ symbol in the platform SSH connection string.

FileZilla SFTP connection settings
Specify the SSH gateway, port, protocol, logon type, and combined node/user identity.
5

Click Connect. After authentication succeeds, the remote container folders appear in the FileZilla remote-site panel.

Remote container folders in FileZilla
The container file system becomes available in the remote-site panel.
✓

SFTP connection complete

You can now securely browse, upload, download, rename, and manage application files through the SFTP connection.

Connect through FISH

The following workflow demonstrates FISH access by establishing a secure connection between a remote container and Midnight Commander.

Verify the Private SSH Key

1

Confirm that the local computer contains the private key associated with the public SSH key uploaded to the platform dashboard.

The default file is usually located at one of the following paths:

/home/<username>/.ssh/id_rsa /home/<username>/.ssh/id_dsa
2

Check the ownership and permissions of the private key.

ls -la /home/<username>/.ssh/id_rsa

For a DSA key, use:

ls -la /home/<username>/.ssh/id_dsa
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Required key permissions

The key must be owned by your local username and should normally use permission mode 400 or 600. The connection can fail when other users can read the private key.

Configure Midnight Commander

3

Install and start Midnight Commander.

4

Press F9 to display the menu bar. Open the menu for the left or right panel and select Shell link.

Select Shell link in Midnight Commander
Select Shell link from the selected Midnight Commander panel.
5

In the Shell link to machine dialog, enter the container Node ID followed by the platform SSH connection string.

{node_id}-{user_id}@{ssh_host}:3022

Click OK to establish the connection.

Enter the FISH SSH connection in Midnight Commander
Enter the combined Node ID, User ID, SSH host, and port.
6

After the connection is established, the container file structure appears in the selected Midnight Commander panel.

Remote container file structure in Midnight Commander
The remote container file system is displayed in the selected panel.
✓

FISH connection complete

You can now securely manage the container file system through Midnight Commander using shell-based file operations.

Related Documentation