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--- access_to_home_dir_with_sshfs [2021/02/02 14:48] – created ac1mde
+++ access_to_home_dir_with_sshfs [2023/10/18 11:06] (current) – ac1mde
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-**SSHFS to home directory**
+**SSHFS to home directory (Linux Desktop)**\\
-You can mount your home directory onto a Linux desktop using SSHFS, so that it appears as a local folder.
+On a Linux desktop, you can mount your home directory onto a Linux desktop using SSHFS, so that it appears as a local folder.
-If you just want to do this once, mount it from stafflogin; you use the command sshfs <code><username>@stafflogin: /home/<username>/H-drive</code>
+Firstly, the SSHFS package must be installed: **sudo apt install sshfs**
+If you just want to do this once, mount it from stafflogin; you use the command
+<code>sshfs <username>@stafflogin: /home/<username>/H-drive</code>
 You will need to mkdir H-drive, if you don't have one already. (or mount it on some other already existing folder)
 If you don't have private/public key authentication set up, you'll be asked for your password before it mounts it.
-**Automatic mount of homedir on login**
+**Automatic mount of homedir on login**\\
 You can also have your home directory mounted automatically from stafflogin every time you log in. This can be especially useful for those who are administering their own Linux desktop, as they won't have the homedir mounted automatically by default. The process varies depending on the Linux OS you're using, but this is the general idea:
-First you have to set up public-private key authentication without passphrase. To do this, you have to run ssh-keygen, don't give a passphrase, then copy the contents of the resulting ''id_rsa.pub'' file to your ''~/.ssh/authorized_keys'' file on stafflogin.
+First you have to set up public-private key authentication without passphrase. To do this, you have to run **ssh-keygen**, don't give a passphrase, then copy the contents of the resulting **id_rsa.pub** file to your **~/.ssh/authorized_keys** file on stafflogin.
-Once public key is in place, you should then be able to mount the home directory directly from stafflogin. Like this: ''sshfs <username>@stafflogin: /home/<username>/H-drive''. Check you can do this without having to enter a password before proceeding further.
+Once public key is in place, you should then be able to mount the home directory directly from stafflogin. Like this: **sshfs <username>@stafflogin: /home/<username>/H-drive**. Check you can do this without having to enter a password before proceeding further.
-You can either use pam_mount (to install run apt-get install libpam_mount) or your OS's 'Startup Programs' feature to start the above sshfs mount command at login. The pam_mount option is preferable because it will handle the mount and unmount at login and logout automatically. For help configuring, run man pam_mount.conf for the configuration options. An example snippet of the relevant config within /etc/security/pam_mount.conf.xml is here:
+You can either use pam_mount (to install run **sudo apt-get install libpam_mount**) or your OS's 'Startup Programs' feature to start the above sshfs mount command at login. The pam_mount option is preferable because it will handle the mount and unmount at login and logout automatically. For help configuring, run man pam_mount.conf for the configuration options. You should normally only need to edit the "Volume Definitions" section. An example snippet of the relevant config within /etc/security/pam_mount.conf.xml is here:
 <code>
 <volume fstype="fuse" path="sshfs#%(USER)@stafflogin.dcs.shef.ac.uk:" mountpoint="~/H-drive" gid="500-9999"/>
 </code>
-**SSHFS from Windows?**
+------------
-Simple answer: not really.\\
-There is a project to provide SSHFS client for Windows, but it does not appear to be maintained anymore (as of Nov 15). If you want to try it anyway, search online for 'SSHFS Windows' and you'll find it easily enough.
+**SSHFS on Windows**
-It's probably easier, and certainly more reliable, to use WinSCP (winscp.net) which is an SFTP client; the interface provides you with a folder that you can drag and drop to just like with Windows Explorer (or whatever it's called these days).
+If you have WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) on a Windows Desktop, the above instructions for SSHFS can be used. It is not possible, however, to use pam_mount to automatically mount it when the Linux session is started up.