Remote Storage: sshfs

Where Can I Use sshfs?

sshfs would be used to any system you can open an ssh connection to. This is the default way to long in to a shell session on a UNIX or Linux system. Right now, this would include SDF, as well as most of my personal systems.

Any prerequisites for sshfs?

• The sshfs software (the MacOS version)
• ssh (port 22) needs to be open to the file server.
• An account on the remote system that allows an ssh connection.
• The target directory is created.

Using sshfs

The basic command line is:

You will be prompted for the password associated with the remote user on the remote system. Enter it, and the remote path will be visible locally at the target directory.

An example:

jbleaux's home directory on foo.com will be mounted locally in the local user's home directory, under the foo.com directory locally.

For some local systems, the permissions will not default to the local user, but to a local sysadmin. SDF, for instance, has this quirk. To resolve this, the options -o idmap=user -o gid=500 will need to be utilized:

sshfs remote-user@remote-hostname:full-remote-path target-directory -o idmap=user -o gid=500

sshfs remote-user@remote-hostname:full-remote-path target-directory -o idmap=user -o uid=501

If .ssh/config has entries for the system in it, you can simplify it with just the associated name. For instance, if I have an entry for foo.com like this:

  Host foo
    HostName foo.com
    User jbleaux

sshfs foo:/home/jbleaux ~/foo.com

Unmounting sshfs

fusermount -u target-directory

So, to unmount our example:

fusermount -u ~/foo.com

Conventions for Remote Storage Guides.
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