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Supported sftp Commands

You can use the following commands in interactive sftp sessions and in sftp batch files.

ascii [-s] [remote_newline] [local_newline]

Sets the current file transfer mode to ASCII. ASCII mode is useful for translating end-of-line characters. Use remote_newline and local_newline if you need to override the default handling of new lines. Supported values for remote_newline are 'DOS' (\r\n) and 'Unix' (\n). If no explicit value for the remote end-of-line convention is given, the remote host is queried to provide the convention. If the remote host does not support this functionality, the DOS end-of-line convention is assumed. The only supported value for e3 is 'Unix' (\n). Use -s to display the current transfer mode.

auto

Sets the transfer mode to 'auto'. In auto mode, the transfer method is determined by file extension. Files with specified file extensions use ASCII transfer; all other files use binary transfer. The default list of ASCII file types is "txt, htm*, pl, php*. To modify this list for a given sftp session, use the setext command. To change the default file extension list, use the client keyword FileCopyAsciiExtensions.

binary

Sets the transfer mode to binary. In this mode, files transfer without any modification. Binary is the default transfer mode. This command is useful for turning off ASCII mode within a batch script.

bye

This is a synonym for quit.

cd directory

Changes the remote directory to directory.

chgrp *group file *

Sets group ownership of files or directories specified by file to group. The group must be specified as a numeric group id (GID).

chmod [-R] mode file

Sets file permissions for the files or directories specified by file. The mode must be specified in numeric format (for example, 664). Use -R to change files and directories recursively.

chown owner file

Sets the owner of the files or directories specified by file to owner. The owner must be specified as a numeric user id (UID).

close

Closes the connection to the remote server without exiting sftp.

debug debug_level | disable | no

Sets the debug level. Increasing the value increases the amount of information displayed. Use 1, 2, 3, or 99. (Values 4-98 are accepted, but are equivalent to 3.) Use either 'disable' or 'no' to disable debugging.

dir

This is a synonym for ls.

exit

This is a synonym for quit.

get [--preserve] | [-p] remote-file [remote-file...]

Copies the specified file or files to the current local working directory. (To copy to a different location, use lcd to change the local working directory.) If a file with the same name already exists, the existing file is overwritten. Wildcards are supported, but name substitution occurs on file names only, not directories. Use either --preserve or -p to preserve file attributes and time stamps.

getext

Displays the current list of file extensions that use ASCII file transfer when auto mode is enabled. Use auto to enable auto mode. Use setext to change this list for the current session. Use the client keyword FileCopyAsciiExtensions to change the default list.

help | ? [command]

Displays sftp help. Use command to display help on the specified command.

lcd directory

Sets the local directory to directory.

lls [-1 | -a | -f | -l | -n | -r | -S | -t | --] [file]

Displays the local directory listing. The options are:

  • -1 (one column)
  • -a (show hidden files)
  • -f (do not sort)
  • -l (long list format)
  • -n (long list format with numeric user and group ids)
  • -r (reverse order)
  • -S (sort by size)
  • -t (sort by file access time)
  • -- (treat hyphens that follow as ordinary characters.)

lmkdir directory

Creates the specified local directory.

ln

This is a synonym for symlink.

lpwd

Displays the local working directory.

ls [-1 | -a | -f | -l | -n | -r | -S | -t | --] [file]

Displays the remote directory listing. The options are the same as for lls, and are described above.

mget

This is a synonym for get.

mkdir directory

Creates the specified remote directory.

mput

This is a synonym for put.

open [-l | [user@]host]

Opens a connection to the specified host. Use -l to connect to the local host; in which case both local and remote commands act on files on the local file system.

put [--preserve] | [-p] local_file [local_file...]

Copies the specified file or files to the current remote working directory. (To copy to a different location, use cd to change the remote working directory.) If a file with the same name already exists, the existing file is overwritten. Wildcards are supported, but name substitution occurs on file names only, not directories. Use either --preserve or -p to preserve file attributes and time stamps.

pwd

Displays the remote working directory.

quit

Exits sftp and closes the connection.

rename source destination

Renames a file from source to destination. No rename occurs if the destination file already exists.

rm file

Deletes the specified remote file or files. Wildcards are supported.

rmdir directory

Deletes the specified remote directory.

setext

Specifies the current list of file extensions that use ASCII file transfer when auto mode is enabled. To specify multiple extensions, use a comma or space-separated list; this command is not cumulative. Wildcard (zsh-glob) characters are supported. Don't precede file extensions with a period. To specify extensions containing spaces, use quotation marks around the extension or use a backslash as an escape character. Use auto to enable auto mode. Use getext to display the current list. Use the client keyword FileCopyAsciiExtensions to change the default list.

Creates a symbolic link (soft) from linked_path to target_path on the remote host.

verbose

Sets the debug level to verbose mode, which is equivalent to setting the debug level to 2. To disable verbose mode, use 'debug disable'.

version

Displays the supported SFTP protocol version.