How to Setup SFTP Server on CentOS Stream 9

To set up an SFTP server on CentOS Stream 9, follow the steps below.

Step 1 : Ensure that the sshd is installed and running on your CentOS Stream system.

sudo systemctl status sshd

Step 2 : Open the sshd configuration file.

sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Add the following lines to enable SFTP:

Subsystem sftp internal-sftp

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

Step 3 : If you want to allow password-based logins, set PasswordAuthentication yes in the sshd_config file.

Step 4 : Restart the SSH server to apply the changes:

systemctl restart sshd

Step 5 : Create a group specifically for SFTP users:

sudo groupadd sftp

Step 6 : Add a new user for SFTP access:

sudo adduser sftpuser

Step 7 : Set a password for the newly created user:

sudo passwd sftpuser

Step 8 : Add the user to the SFTP group:

sudo usermod -aG sftp sftpuser

Step 9 : Ensure that the directory structure for the SFTP user is appropriately set up.

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 again:

systemctl restart sshd

Step 11 : Test Connect

- Open your SFTP client (e.g., FileZilla).

- Add a new site.

• Enter the "Host" (your server's IP or hostname).
• Choose "SFTP - SSH File Transfer Protocol."
• Set the "Port" to 22.
• Choose "Normal," enter the username and password.

- Click "Connect."

Congratulations, you have successfully set up an SFTP server on CentOS Stream 9.