sftp sync extension for VS Code

Syncs your local directory with a remote server directory. Allows you to optionally edit upload a file to the remote directory after it saves locally. This allows you to edit more or less directly on the server similar to WinScp or other similar programs.

Very powerful, with smart features. Very simple, requires just three lines of config! Very fast, finished in a blink.

• Features
  • Browser remote with Remote Explorer
  • Diff local and remote
  • Sync directory
  • Upload/Download
  • Upload on save
  • File Watcher
  • Multiple configs
  • Switchable profiles
• Commands
• Debug
• Support SFTP Project

Usage

If your latest files are on the server, you can start with an empty local folder, then download your project, and from that point sync.

1. In VS Code, open a local directory you wish to sync to the remote server (or create an empty directory that you wish to first download the contents of a remote server folder in order to edit locally).
2. Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac open command palette, run SFTP: config command.
3. A basic configuration file will appear named sftp.json under the .vscode directory. Edit the parameters to match your setup.

For instance:

{
    "name": "Profile Name",
    "host": "name_of_remote_host",
    "protocol": "ftp",
    "port": 21,
    "secure": true,
    "username": "username",
    "remotePath": "/public_html/project",  <---- This is the path which will be downloaded if you "Download Project"
    "password": "password",  
    "uploadOnSave": true
}

The password parameter is optional but if you don't add it, you will be constantly prompted for a password. Note that you must escape any backslashes and other special characters with a backslash.

There are other Example Configs below.

3. Save and close the sftp.json file.
4. Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac open command palette.
5. Type "sftp" and you'll now see a number of other comands.
6. A good one to start with if you want to start with a remote folder is SFTP: Download Project. This will download the directory shown in the remotePath setting in sftp.json to your local open directory.
7. Done - you can now edit locally and after each save it will upload to your remote file.
8. Enjoy !

For detailed usage. Please go to wiki.

Example Configs

You can see the full config here.

• Simple
• Profiles
• Multiple Context
• Connection Hopping
  • Single Hop
  • Multiple Hop
• Config in User Setting

Simple

{
  "host": "host",
  "username": "username",
  "remotePath": "/remote/workspace"
}

Profiles

{
  "username": "username",
  "password": "password",
  "remotePath": "/remote/workspace/a",
  "watcher": {
    "files": "dist/*.{js,css}",
    "autoUpload": false,
    "autoDelete": false
  },
  "profiles": {
    "dev": {
      "host": "dev-host",
      "remotePath": "/dev",
      "uploadOnSave": true
    },
    "prod": {
      "host": "prod-host",
      "remotePath": "/prod"
    }
  },
  "defaultProfile": "dev"
}

Note： context and watcher are only available at root level.

Use SFTP: Set Profile to switch profile.

Multiple Context

The context must not be same.

[
  {
    "name": "server1",
    "context": "project/build",
    "host": "host",
    "username": "username",
    "password": "password",
    "remotePath": "/remote/project/build"
  },
  {
    "name": "server2",
    "context": "project/src",
    "host": "host",
    "username": "username",
    "password": "password",
    "remotePath": "/remote/project/src"
  }
]

Note： name is required in this mode.

Connection Hopping

You can connect to a target server through a proxy with ssh protocol.

Note： Variable substitution is not working in a hop config.

Single Hop

local -> hop -> target

{
  "name": "target",
  "remotePath": "/path/in/target",
  
  // hop
  "host": "hopHost",
  "username": "hopUsername",
  "privateKeyPath": "/Users/localUser/.ssh/id_rsa", // The key file is assumed on the local.

  "hop": {
    // target
    "host": "targetHost",
    "username": "targetUsername",
    "privateKeyPath": "/Users/hopUser/.ssh/id_rsa", // The key file is assumed on the hop.
  }
}

Multiple Hop

local -> hopa -> hopb -> target

{
  "name": "target",
  "remotePath": "/path/in/target",

  // hopa
  "host": "hopAHost",
  "username": "hopAUsername",
  "privateKeyPath": "/Users/hopAUsername/.ssh/id_rsa" // The key file is assumed on the local.

  "hop": [
    // hopb
    {
      "host": "hopBHost",
      "username": "hopBUsername",
      "privateKeyPath": "/Users/hopaUser/.ssh/id_rsa" // The key file is assumed on the hopa.
    },

    // target
    {
      "host": "targetHost",
      "username": "targetUsername",
      "privateKeyPath": "/Users/hopbUser/.ssh/id_rsa", // The key file is assumed on the hopb.
    }
  ]
}

Config in User Setting

You can use remote to tell sftp to get the config from remote-fs.

In User Setting:

"remotefs.remote": {
  "dev": {
    "scheme": "sftp",
    "host": "host",
    "username": "username",
    "rootPath": "/path/to/somewhere"
  },
  "projectX": {
    "scheme": "sftp",
    "host": "host",
    "username": "username",
    "privateKeyPath": "/Users/xx/.ssh/id_rsa",
    "rootPath": "/home/foo/some/projectx"
  }
}

In sftp.json:

{
  "remote": "dev",
  "remotePath": "/home/xx/",
  "uploadOnSave": true,
  "ignore": [".vscode", ".git", ".DS_Store"]
}

Remote Explorer

Remote Explorer lets you explore files in remote. You can open Remote Explorer by:

1. Run Command View: Show SFTP.
2. Click SFTP view in Activity Bar.

You can only view a files content with Remote Explorer. Run command SFTP: Edit in Local to edit it in local.

Note： You need to manually refresh the parent folder after you delete a file to make the explorer updated.

Debug

1. Open User Settings.

   • On Windows/Linux - File > Preferences > Settings
   • On macOS - Code > Preferences > Settings

2. Set sftp.debug to true and reload vscode.

3. View the logs in View > Output > sftp.

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