Mount Remote Directories with SSHFS on Ubuntu 24.04

Install SSHFS on the client

Open a terminal and run `sudo apt install sshfs` to install the 💿 package. Once finished, create a local folder like `mkdir ~/sshmnt` to serve as the mount point.

Install SSHFS by running the command below.

sudo apt install sshfs

After installation, create a mount point for the remote directory on the client computer with the command below.

mkdir ~/sshmnt

Mount the remote directory using the SSHFS command structured like this:

sshfs svr1.example.com:/home/richard/october ~/sshmnt

• svr1.example.com => remote server with SSH running
• /home/richard/october => remote directory you want to mount
• ~/sshmnt => local mount point created on the client

Verify the filesystem by running the command below after mounting the remote directory.

df -hT

An output matching the one below confirms the remote directory is mounted.

ilesystem                             Type        Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
tmpfs                                  tmpfs       336M  2.0M  334M   1% /run
/dev/sda2                              ext4         49G  9.2G   38G  20% /
tmpfs                                  tmpfs       1.7G     0  1.7G   0% /dev/shm
tmpfs                                  tmpfs       5.0M  8.0K  5.0M   1% /run/lock
svr1.example.com:/home/richard/october fuse.sshfs   40G  9.7G   28G  27% /home/richard/sshmnt

The mount point also appears inside the File Manager.

Unmount

Unmounting the directory safely disconnects the remote files once work finishes. Confirming the terminal is outside the mounted folder allows running 'fusermount -u ~/sshmnt' to disconnect.

fusermount -u ~/sshmnt

Exiting the mount point remains necessary for unmounting the remote directory.

That completes the setup process.

Conclusion:

SSHFS provides a reliable and secure method to access remote directories natively on local Ubuntu systems. Briefly, SSHFS requires minimal configuration, interacts natively with local files, and relies on secure encryption.

• Easy Setup: SSHFS can be installed quickly with a simple command and minimal configuration.
• Direct Access: Once mounted, you can interact with remote files as if they were local, enhancing ease of use.
• Secure Connection: SSHFS relies on SSH to ensure your data transfer remains safe and encrypted.
• Flexible Usage: It's suitable for various applications, whether for document editing, data processing, or file management.
• Simple Unmounting: You can easily disconnect from the remote directory when done, maintaining cleanliness in your system.

Workflows involving remote servers benefit from SSHFS, making file access efficient and secure.