FTP over SSH problems

displacedtexan · 01-25-2008, 01:00 PM

So, my web host doesn't offer SFTP, but does offer SSH, so I am trying to connect to the ftp server via an SSH tunnel.

I am forwarding local port 2021 to the IP address of the server's port 21.

When I connect via my ftp client I get:

"Status: Connecting to 127.0.0.1:2021...
Status: Connection established, waiting for welcome message...
Response: 220 ProFTPD 1.3.1 Server ready.
Command: USER blah
Response: 331 Password required for blah
Command: PASS *******
Response: 230 User blah logged in
Command: SYST
Response: 215 UNIX Type: L8
Command: FEAT
Response: 211-Features:
Response: MDTM
Response: AUTH TLS
Response: PBSZ
Response: PROT
Response: REST STREAM
Response: SIZE
Response: 211 End
Status: Connected
Status: Retrieving directory listing...
Command: PWD
Response: 257 "/" is the current directory
Command: TYPE I
Response: 200 Type set to I
Command: PASV
Response: 227 Entering Passive Mode (208,115,37,162,138,27).
Command: LIST"

And no further response. If I try active mode, I get:

"Response: 257 "/" is the current directory
Command: TYPE I
Response: 200 Type set to I
Command: PORT 127,0,0,1,7,229
Response: 500 Illegal PORT command
Error: Failed to retrieve directory listing"

Now I would like to both the control and data ftp stream to be encrypted, if possible.

So, what am I doing wrong?

Thanks!!

mtford · 01-25-2008, 01:17 PM

I don't think tunnelling works easily for FTP: see the FAQ at
http://www.stunnel.org/faq/troubleshooting.html#ToC18

Have you tried scp?

displacedtexan · 01-26-2008, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtford

I don't think tunnelling works easily for FTP: see the FAQ at
http://www.stunnel.org/faq/troubleshooting.html#ToC18

Have you tried scp?

Yeah, I have tried scp. The hosting company has it disabled somehow. They use jailed ssh, although I am not sure that is what is keeping me from using scp.

Any other ideas?

Thanks!!

mtford · 01-26-2008, 10:46 AM

The other option is to emulate scp using the ssh command-line. I've used the following commands in bash, but they probably work in other shells too.

Code:

To get a file:
ssh user@host "cat /remote/file/to/read" > /local/file/to/write

To put a file:
ssh user@host "cat > /remote/file/to/write" < /local/file/to/read

Wildcard copies won't be simple with this method, so you'll probably have to tar.gz the files first, and untar them from a shell at the other end (assuming you have enough space to tar the files, otherwise you'll have to be creative).