Raspbian sftp server – Guide

Raspbian is an open source and free operating system based on Debian GNU / Linux optimized to run on a Raspberry Pi.

Raspbian is a composed by the fusion of the words “Raspberry Pi” and “Debian”. This is a Debian modification specifically adapted for ARMv6-based systems with an FPU.

Installing and configuring sftp server on Raspbian

If you haven’t downloaded Raspbian yet : download the latest version from here

Enable SSH access from Raspbian

The easiest way to access the Raspberry FTP and use the SSH File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) secure connection offered by the SSH protocol. Using a secure SSH connection, you will have no FTP server to install and update (which is always a potential security breach).

On Raspbian you can activate it from the Raspberry Pi Configuration panel found in Menu > Preferences. Then on the interfaces tab, enable SSH. Restart the Pi to apply the changes.

You can also access the Raspberry Configuration Utility from the Terminal with the following command:

sudo raspi-config

Before going any further, you will need to know the IP address of the Raspberry. To do this, open the Terminal and enter the following command:

ifconfig

If the RPI is connected to WiFi, the IP address is in the wlan0 block. If it is connected via Ethernet, the IP address is in the eth0 block.

FileZilla (macOS, Windows, Linux)

FileZilla is the best known solution. You can download FileZilla from the official project site here. FileZilla is free and Open Source. It consists of a server part (only available for Windows), and a client part. FileZilla is available for macOS, 32-bit Windows, 64-bit Windows and Linux.

Once installed on your computer, start FileZilla. Configure the connection like this:

Host: the ip address of Raspberry
Identifier: default pi
Password: the password of the user pi. Default raspberry
Port: 22 (the SSH port)
click on fast connection