tramp + sftp?

tramp + sftp?

[Miles Bader]

Is tramp capable of properly using sftp?  I can currently use the "ssh"
method, but opening a connection is really, really, really slow (and
prone to failure), largely it seems due to all the various grot tramp
has to transfer to deal with a doing transfers over a shell
connection.  As my firewall times out connections pretty fast, this can
be quite annoying.

sftp seems to have most of the capabilities for doing proper file
transfer[1] without any shell connection at all, and wouldn't require any
connection setup other than the initial login.

Thanks,

-Miles


[1] Here's the sftp commands:

   sftp> help
   Available commands:
   cd path                       Change remote directory to 'path'
   lcd path                      Change local directory to 'path'
   chgrp grp path                Change group of file 'path' to 'grp'
   chmod mode path               Change permissions of file 'path' to 'mode'
   chown own path                Change owner of file 'path' to 'own'
   help                          Display this help text
   get remote-path [local-path]  Download file
   lls [ls-options [path]]       Display local directory listing
   ln oldpath newpath            Symlink remote file
   lmkdir path                   Create local directory
   lpwd                          Print local working directory
   ls [path]                     Display remote directory listing
   lumask umask                  Set local umask to 'umask'
   mkdir path                    Create remote directory
   progress                      Toggle display of progress meter
   put local-path [remote-path]  Upload file
   pwd                           Display remote working directory
   exit                          Quit sftp
   quit                          Quit sftp
   rename oldpath newpath        Rename remote file
   rmdir path                    Remove remote directory
   rm path                       Delete remote file
   symlink oldpath newpath       Symlink remote file
   version                       Show SFTP version
   !command                      Execute 'command' in local shell
   !                             Escape to local shell
   ?                             Synonym for help

-- 
自らを空にして、心を開く時、道は開かれる

Re: tramp + sftp?

[Michael Albinus]

Miles Bader <miles@lsi.nec.co.jp> writes:

> Is tramp capable of properly using sftp?  I can currently use the "ssh"
> method, but opening a connection is really, really, really slow (and
> prone to failure), largely it seems due to all the various grot tramp
> has to transfer to deal with a doing transfers over a shell
> connection.  As my firewall times out connections pretty fast, this can
> be quite annoying.
>
> sftp seems to have most of the capabilities for doing proper file
> transfer[1] without any shell connection at all, and wouldn't require any
> connection setup other than the initial login.

It's not a question of Tramp. Tramp passes all commands to ange-ftp,
it has no own FTP engine inside.

I remember that Kai made some investigations, the problem was that
sftp replies with strings not compatible with what ange-ftp expects.

So the answer is likely NO for the time being.

> Thanks,
>
> -Miles

Best regards, Michael.

Re: tramp + sftp?

[Stefan Monnier]

> Is tramp capable of properly using sftp?  I can currently use the "ssh"

It's probably easier to get ange-ftp to use sftp.
Tramp is designed for the case where the "other end" is a shell (that's why
it works with su, telnet, multi-hop, ...). `sftp' is quite different.


        Stefan