How to Setup SFTP Server on CentOS Stream 10

To set up an SFTP server on CentOS Stream 10, follow this step-by-step guide.

Step 1 : Verify that the SSH daemon (sshd) is installed and running:

sudo systemctl status sshd

Step 2 : Open the SSH configuration file to add SFTP settings:

sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Add the SFTP configuration:

Subsystem sftp internal-sftp

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

Step 3 : If you want to allow login using a password, ensure this line in sshd_config is set to:

PasswordAuthentication yes

Step 4 : Restart the SSH service to apply changes:

sudo systemctl restart sshd

Step 5 : Create a dedicated group for SFTP users:

sudo groupadd sftp

Step 6 : Create a new user for SFTP:

sudo adduser sftpuser

Step 7 : Assign a password to the SFTP user:

sudo passwd sftpuser

Step 8 : Add the new user to the sftp:

sudo usermod -aG sftp sftpuser

Step 9 : Set the user's home directory with proper permissions:

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

Step 10 : Restart the SSH service to ensure all configurations are loaded:

sudo systemctl restart sshd

Step 11 : Use an SFTP client like FileZilla to test the connection.

- Open FileZilla.

- Add a new site in the Site Manager.

- Enter the Host (your server's IP address or domain).

Select SFTP - SSH File Transfer Protocol as the protocol.

Set the Port to 22.

Under Login Type, choose "Normal."

Enter the Username (e.g., sftpuser) and the Password you set earlier.

Step 12 : Click "Connect."

- If prompted with an "Unknown Host Key" warning, click OK to accept it.

Congratulations! You've successfully set up an SFTP server on CentOS Stream 10.