ftp (File Transfer Protocol) has been traditionally used to transfer files from one computer system to another. However, ftp is insecure: passwords are transmitted "in the clear" (without any encryption). In addition, the ftp server software itself can be a security risk. Finally, machines for which the ftp port is open to connections from outside NJIT, as are the afsN.njit.edu mentioned below, are subject to ftp attacks from outside NJIT. For these reasons, support for insecure ftp is being removed from NJIT systems.
For years, NJIT users have used ftp to afsN.njit.edu, N=1,2,..., from on- and off-campus, to transfer files to/from their local machines and AFS filespace. (Note that if the local machine is an AFS client, file transfer to/from AFS is much simplified, and does not use ftp - just copy files to their destination). On Tuesday 08 January 2008, ftp will be disabled for in-bound connections on the public-access machines afs1.njit.edu to afs35.njit.edu. For those users whose local machine is not an AFS client, transfer of files to/from AFS, both from on- and off-campus, will need to use either sftp or scp. Both are secure protocols, based on ssh (secure shell).Most users will use sftp, not scp. sftp operates in a manner very similar to that of ftp - it allows the user to carry out various operations, such as navigating remote and local file systems, in addition to actual file transfer. scp is usually used to transfer a single file or group of files to/from a known location from/to a known location; scp is most often used in scripts (batch or non-interactive mode).
The following table gives information regarding the names and locations of the sftp and scp clients (programs) for various operating systems; these are the clients to be used to connect to afsN beginning 1/8/08.
| System | SFTP client location | SCP client location | Comments | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | /usr/local/bin/sftp | /usr/local/bin/scp | See Note 1 | None |
| MacOS X | /usr/bin/sftp | /usr/bin/scp | None | None |
| Solaris | /usr/local/bin/sftp | /usr/local/bin/scp | See Note 1 | None |
| Windows | SSH Secure Shell | N/A | Needs to be installed on your PC | Download FAQ |
| System | SFTP client location | SCP client location | Comments | Links |
1. Path locations given are for machines that are AFS clients. Locations for
non-AFS clients may differ.
2. If you use ssh key exchange to log in to a host, your AFS token will currently
not be passed to that host. This means that in the sftp session
you may not be able to access directories that you can access on your local AFS
client (on which you get a token upon login). Users who use ssh key exchange
can use scp instead of sftp. [Notes on using scp will appear here
in the near future]. A version of sftp that supports passing your AFS token from
your local machine to the target machine is being investigated.