Using SSHFS (Secure Shell Filesystem)

SSHFS (Secure Shell Filesystem) allows you to securely mount your Ruachost hosting account’s filesystem on your local computer. Once mounted, you can browse, edit, and manage files on your hosting account as if they were stored locally — all over an encrypted SSH connection.

What is SSHFS?

SSHFS uses the SSH protocol to provide secure, encrypted access to your hosting files. With SSHFS, you can:

• Access remote files as if they were on your computer.
• Edit files directly with your local applications.
• Transfer files securely without needing a separate FTP client.

Requirements

Before using SSHFS, ensure you have:

• A Ruachost hosting account with SSH access enabled.
• Your SSH login details (hostname, username, port, and password or SSH key).
• SSHFS installed on your local computer (installation steps vary by operating system).

Setting Up SSHFS

On Windows

Windows does not include SSHFS by default. You can use Win-SSHFS (with Dokan library) or third-party tools like SSHFS-Win.

1. Install the required components (WinFsp + SSHFS-Win).

2. Open the SSHFS manager tool.

3. Enter your Ruachost server details:

   • Host: yourdomain.com or server IP
   • Port: usually 22 (or custom port if configured)
   • Username: your Ruachost account username
   • Password/Key: your SSH password or private key

4. Assign a drive letter (e.g., Z:).

5. Click Mount.

Your hosting account will now appear as a local drive in Windows Explorer.

On macOS

1. Install macFUSE and SSHFS (available via osxfuse.github.io).

2. Open Terminal.

3. Create a local mount point:

   mkdir -p ~/mnt/website

4. Mount your hosting account:

   sshfs username@yourdomain.com:/home/username ~/mnt/website

   • Replace username with your Ruachost account username.
   • Replace yourdomain.com with your domain or server IP.
   • Use -p 7822 if your SSH port is not the default 22.

5. Access your files in Finder under the mnt/ruachost directory.

To unmount:

umount ~/mnt/website

On Linux

1. Install SSHFS:

   • On Ubuntu/Debian:

     sudo apt-get install sshfs

   • On CentOS/AlmaLinux/Fedora:

     sudo yum install fuse-sshfs

2. Create a local mount point:

   mkdir -p ~/mnt/ruachost

3. Mount your hosting account:

   sshfs username@yourdomain.com:/home/username ~/mnt/website

4. Access your files in your file manager or terminal.

To unmount:

fusermount -u ~/mnt/website

Security Tips

• Use SSH keys instead of passwords for stronger security.
• Restrict SSH access to trusted IPs where possible.
• Always unmount the filesystem when not in use.