Hello All:

Can someone please explain in simple terms on how SSH and SFTP works. Can you use each separately or are they always used together? Online information isn't quit clear about this. very confusing to me. I use ssh server on my laptop occasionally and it works well. Some videos online speak both ssh and sftp in the same breath and that what confuses me.
I tried to use SFTP:// username ETC by it's self but wont connect.
Thank you.

You don't tell us what you did/tried (saying "username ETC" tells us nothing), so we can't say why you're having a problem, with what. You don't tell us the program you're using, how you're trying to access it, with any relevant details. You've been using Linux for nine years now, so it's odd that you haven't had more exposure with SSH, and odd that you can't find the VERY ample resources/examples available with a brief search. Very first hit for "linux sftp example":
https://linuxize.com/post/how-to-use...ransfer-files/

...which as a VERY clear command line for usage. Using it with things like Filezilla or other GUI's will most probably prompt you for a user ID/password, providing you select the right protocol. Connecting to SFTP is nearly identical to using old-style FTP, except SFTP gives you the option of doing a secure keyswap, so you don't have to enter passwords (if you'd like to; that's optional). SFTP is part of the SSH 'stack', along with SCP...they use one service, over one port. Again, AMPLE documentation/examples...you don't say what you've read or what you're confused about. And getting information from 'videos online' isn't usually a good source.

by default, sftp is a subsystem of ssh.

From the client perspective they are separate commands but you can typically run them from different terminals at the same time.

From the server perspective sshd has to be running or sftp does not work.

You have not posted enough information as to how you are trying to connect.

What distribution is running on the server?
Is sshd running?
Does the firewall if running allow ssh traffic

What distribution is running on the client?
sftp:// would indicate you are trying to connect to the server using a file browser or maybe lftp. What file browser are you using?
Most browsers have a built in sftp client but some systems might require extra packages to be installed.

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