AlmaLinux 10

How to Set Up an SFTP Server on AlmaLinux 10

To set up an SFTP server on AlmaLinux 10, configure the SSH service to allow secure file transfer using SFTP with restricted user access.

Step 1 : Verify that the SSH daemon is installed and running.

sudo systemctl status sshd

Step 2 : Open the SSH configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Add or update the following SFTP configuration:

Subsystem sftp internal-sftp

Match Group sftpusers
        ChrootDirectory %h
        X11Forwarding no
        AllowTcpForwarding no
        ForceCommand internal-sftp

Step 3 : If you want users to log in using a password, make sure the following line is set:

PasswordAuthentication yes

Save and close the file.

Step 4 : Apply the configuration changes.

sudo systemctl restart sshd

Step 5 : Create a group for SFTP users.

sudo groupadd sftpusers

Step 6 : Create a new user for SFTP access.

sudo adduser sftpuser

Step 7 : Set a password for the SFTP user.

sudo passwd sftpuser

Step 8 : Add the user to the SFTP group.

sudo usermod -aG sftpusers sftpuser

Step 9 : Set correct ownership and permissions for the SFTP user's home directory.

sudo chown root:root /home/sftpuser
sudo chmod 755 /home/sftpuser

sudo mkdir /home/sftpuser/uploads
sudo chown sftpuser:sftpusers /home/sftpuser/uploads
sudo chmod 755 /home/sftpuser/uploads

Step 10 : Restart SSH to ensure all settings are applied.

sudo systemctl restart sshd

Step 11 : Test the SFTP Connection

- Open an SFTP client such as FileZilla.

- Go to Site Manager and add a new site.

  • Enter your server IP address or domain name in the Host field.
  • Choose SFTP – SSH File Transfer Protocol.
  • Set Port to 22.
  • Select Logon Type: Normal, then enter the username and password.

- Click Connect.

- If a message about an unknown host key appears, click OK to continue.

Congratulations, you have successfully set up an SFTP server on AlmaLinux 10.