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ssh2_sftp

(PECL ssh2 >= 0.9.0)

ssh2_sftpInitialize SFTP subsystem

Description

ssh2_sftp(resource $session): resource|false

Request the SFTP subsystem from an already connected SSH2 server.

Parameters

session

An SSH connection link identifier, obtained from a call to ssh2_connect().

Return Values

This method returns an SSH2 SFTP resource for use with all other ssh2_sftp_*() methods and the ssh2.sftp:// fopen wrapper, or false on failure.

Examples

Example #1 Opening a file via SFTP

<?php
$connection
= ssh2_connect('shell.example.com', 22);
ssh2_auth_password($connection, 'username', 'password');

$sftp = ssh2_sftp($connection);

$stream = fopen('ssh2.sftp://' . intval($sftp) . '/path/to/file', 'r');
?>

See Also

add a note

User Contributed Notes 13 notes

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48
David Barnes
17 years ago
Here is an example of how to send a file with SFTP:

<?php

class SFTPConnection
{
private
$connection;
private
$sftp;

public function
__construct($host, $port=22)
{
$this->connection = @ssh2_connect($host, $port);
if (!
$this->connection)
throw new
Exception("Could not connect to $host on port $port.");
}

public function
login($username, $password)
{
if (! @
ssh2_auth_password($this->connection, $username, $password))
throw new
Exception("Could not authenticate with username $username " .
"and password $password.");

$this->sftp = @ssh2_sftp($this->connection);
if (!
$this->sftp)
throw new
Exception("Could not initialize SFTP subsystem.");
}

public function
uploadFile($local_file, $remote_file)
{
$sftp = $this->sftp;
$stream = @fopen("ssh2.sftp://$sftp$remote_file", 'w');

if (!
$stream)
throw new
Exception("Could not open file: $remote_file");

$data_to_send = @file_get_contents($local_file);
if (
$data_to_send === false)
throw new
Exception("Could not open local file: $local_file.");

if (@
fwrite($stream, $data_to_send) === false)
throw new
Exception("Could not send data from file: $local_file.");

@
fclose($stream);
}
}

try
{
$sftp = new SFTPConnection("localhost", 22);
$sftp->login("username", "password");
$sftp->uploadFile("/tmp/to_be_sent", "/tmp/to_be_received");
}
catch (
Exception $e)
{
echo
$e->getMessage() . "\n";
}

?>
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6
Josh
8 years ago
Note that you must enter the full wrapper URI order for functions that accept those parameters to work properly. For example, this (which is referenced more than once in other comments) does not work:

while (false !== ($file = readdir($handle))) if (is_dir($file)) { /* ... */ }

This does work:

$sc = ssh2_sftp(...);
while (false !== ($file = readdir($handle))) if (is_dir("ssh2.sftp://$sc/$file")) { /* ... */ }

You need to pass the "path" into these functions as an fopen() wrapper URI.
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2
btafoya at briantafoya dot com
6 years ago
Here is a modified SFTPConnection class previously posted that returns a recursive directory scanFilesystem method.

<?php
class SFTPConnection
{
private
$connection;
private
$sftp;

public function
__construct($host, $port=22)
{
$this->connection = @ssh2_connect($host, $port);
if (!
$this->connection)
throw new
Exception("Could not connect to $host on port $port.");
}

public function
login($username, $password)
{
if (! @
ssh2_auth_password($this->connection, $username, $password))
throw new
Exception("Could not authenticate with username $username " . "and password $password.");
$this->sftp = @ssh2_sftp($this->connection);
if (!
$this->sftp)
throw new
Exception("Could not initialize SFTP subsystem.");
}

public function
uploadFile($local_file, $remote_file)
{
$sftp = $this->sftp;
$stream = @fopen("ssh2.sftp://$sftp$remote_file", 'w');
if (!
$stream)
throw new
Exception("Could not open file: $remote_file");
$data_to_send = @file_get_contents($local_file);
if (
$data_to_send === false)
throw new
Exception("Could not open local file: $local_file.");
if (@
fwrite($stream, $data_to_send) === false)
throw new
Exception("Could not send data from file: $local_file.");
@
fclose($stream);
}

function
scanFilesystem($remote_file) {
$sftp = $this->sftp;
$dir = "ssh2.sftp://$sftp$remote_file";
$tempArray = array();

if (
is_dir($dir)) {
if (
$dh = opendir($dir)) {
while ((
$file = readdir($dh)) !== false) {
$filetype = filetype($dir . $file);
if(
$filetype == "dir") {
$tmp = $this->scanFilesystem($remote_file . $file . "/");
foreach(
$tmp as $t) {
$tempArray[] = $file . "/" . $t;
}
} else {
$tempArray[] = $file;
}
}
closedir($dh);
}
}

return
$tempArray;
}

public function
receiveFile($remote_file, $local_file)
{
$sftp = $this->sftp;
$stream = @fopen("ssh2.sftp://$sftp$remote_file", 'r');
if (!
$stream)
throw new
Exception("Could not open file: $remote_file");
$contents = fread($stream, filesize("ssh2.sftp://$sftp$remote_file"));
file_put_contents ($local_file, $contents);
@
fclose($stream);
}

public function
deleteFile($remote_file){
$sftp = $this->sftp;
unlink("ssh2.sftp://$sftp$remote_file");
}
}
?>
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8
bas weerman
15 years ago
I added some functionality for scanning the filesystem and receiving and deleting files.

class SFTPConnection
{
private $connection;
private $sftp;

public function __construct($host, $port=22)
{
$this->connection = @ssh2_connect($host, $port);
if (! $this->connection)
throw new Exception("Could not connect to $host on port $port.");
}

public function login($username, $password)
{
if (! @ssh2_auth_password($this->connection, $username, $password))
throw new Exception("Could not authenticate with username $username " . "and password $password.");
$this->sftp = @ssh2_sftp($this->connection);
if (! $this->sftp)
throw new Exception("Could not initialize SFTP subsystem.");
}

public function uploadFile($local_file, $remote_file)
{
$sftp = $this->sftp;
$stream = @fopen("ssh2.sftp://$sftp$remote_file", 'w');
if (! $stream)
throw new Exception("Could not open file: $remote_file");
$data_to_send = @file_get_contents($local_file);
if ($data_to_send === false)
throw new Exception("Could not open local file: $local_file.");
if (@fwrite($stream, $data_to_send) === false)
throw new Exception("Could not send data from file: $local_file.");
@fclose($stream);
}

function scanFilesystem($remote_file) {
$sftp = $this->sftp;
$dir = "ssh2.sftp://$sftp$remote_file";
$tempArray = array();
$handle = opendir($dir);
// List all the files
while (false !== ($file = readdir($handle))) {
if (substr("$file", 0, 1) != "."){
if(is_dir($file)){
// $tempArray[$file] = $this->scanFilesystem("$dir/$file");
} else {
$tempArray[]=$file;
}
}
}
closedir($handle);
return $tempArray;
}

public function receiveFile($remote_file, $local_file)
{
$sftp = $this->sftp;
$stream = @fopen("ssh2.sftp://$sftp$remote_file", 'r');
if (! $stream)
throw new Exception("Could not open file: $remote_file");
$contents = fread($stream, filesize("ssh2.sftp://$sftp$remote_file"));
file_put_contents ($local_file, $contents);
@fclose($stream);
}

public function deleteFile($remote_file){
$sftp = $this->sftp;
unlink("ssh2.sftp://$sftp$remote_file");
}
}
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2
bas weerman
15 years ago
I changed the read function to:

public function receiveFile($remote_file, $local_file)
{
$sftp = $this->sftp;
$stream = @fopen("ssh2.sftp://$sftp$remote_file", 'r');
if (! $stream)
throw new Exception("Could not open file: $remote_file");
$size = $this->getFileSize($remote_file);
$contents = '';
$read = 0;
$len = $size;
while ($read < $len && ($buf = fread($stream, $len - $read))) {
$read += strlen($buf);
$contents .= $buf;
}
file_put_contents ($local_file, $contents);
@fclose($stream);
}

public function getFileSize($file){
$sftp = $this->sftp;
return filesize("ssh2.sftp://$sftp$file");
}
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2
Curtis Wyatt
16 years ago
The sftp class provided by David Barnes works great. However, if you get errors about fopen and it failing to open a stream, try the fully qualified path on the remote server.

For example, if you are uploading a file to /Users/username/Sites/file.txt this may not work:

<?php
try {
$sftp = new SFTPConnection("localhost", 22);
$sftp->login("username", "password");
$sftp->uploadFile("/tmp/to_be_sent", "Sites/file.txt");
}
catch (
Exception $e) {
echo
$e->getMessage() . "\n";
}
?>

but this will:

<?php
try {
$sftp = new SFTPConnection("localhost", 22);
$sftp->login("username", "password");
$sftp->uploadFile("/tmp/to_be_sent", "/Users/username/Sites/file.txt");
}
catch (
Exception $e) {
echo
$e->getMessage() . "\n";
}
?>

Don't assume that since you are connecting as that user that you are starting in its home space.

Another possible option is that you need to use http://us.php.net/manual/en/function.ssh2-sftp-mkdir.php first to make the directory if it does not exist already, and then upload the file into it.
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1
Jaybee
9 years ago
When uploading (writing) a file you must use an absolute path, not a relative one.

If, like me, you want to use a relative path, you can use the following code:

$fh=fopen("ssh2.sftp://$sftp".ssh2_sftp_realpath($sftp,".")."/fileinmyhomedir.txt");
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2
webakiro at gmail dot com
8 years ago
If you wish to store once the protocol + ressource used ("ssh2.sftp://$sftp";)
There's a little trick to know...
This won't work :

<?php
function connect(){
$connection = ssh2_connect('shell.example.com', 22);
ssh2_auth_password($connection, 'username', 'password');
$sftp = ssh2_sftp($connection);
return
"ssh2.sftp://$sftp";
}
$remote = connect();
is_file( $remote."/path/to/file");
// Warning
// Message: is_file(): ## is not a valid SSH2 SFTP resource
?>

You need to have $sftp still avaible at moment the function (is_file, filesize, fopen, ...) uses it
Otherwise, I guess the GC cleans it up and closes the ssh2_stfp connection
That's why this work :

<?php
function connect(){
//...
global $sftp;
$sftp = ssh2_sftp($connection);
return
"ssh2.sftp://$sftp";
}
$remote = connect();
is_file( $remote."/path/to/file");

// Or way better :

class myClass {
public function
connect(){
//...
$this->sftp = ssh2_sftp($connection);
$this->remote = "ssh2.sftp://".$this->sftp;
}
public function
test(){
is_file( $this->remote."/path/to/file");
}
}
$obj = new myClass();
$obj->connect();
$obj->test();
?>
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1
Jarrod Christman
6 years ago
David's code works wonderfully except for one thing, it wouldn't upload a file until I placed a forward slash after '$sftp'

public function uploadFile($local_file, $remote_file)
{
$sftp = $this->sftp;
// Original
// "ssh2.sftp://$sftp$remote_file"
$stream = @fopen("ssh2.sftp://$sftp/$remote_file", 'w');

if (! $stream)
throw new Exception("Could not open file: $remote_file");

$data_to_send = @file_get_contents($local_file);
if ($data_to_send === false)
throw new Exception("Could not open local file: $local_file.");

if (@fwrite($stream, $data_to_send) === false)
throw new Exception("Could not send data from file: $local_file.");

@fclose($stream);
}
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0
Youz
4 years ago
Adding a function to previous class to connect with key instead of user/password

<?php
public function loginWithKey($username, $publicKey, $privateKey, $passphrase = null)
{
if (!@
ssh2_auth_pubkey_file($this->connection, $username, $publicKey, $privateKey, $passphrase)) {
throw new
Exception("Could not authenticate with given keys or passphrase");
}

$this->sftp = @ssh2_sftp($this->connection);
if (!
$this->sftp) {
throw new
Exception("Could not initialize SFTP subsystem.");
}
}

?>
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0
php at kanariepiet dot com
5 years ago
Remember to use stream_set_chunk_size() on the resource for performance reasons, especially if you're uploading large files on links with high latency.

SFTP can only send 32K of data in one packet and libssh2 will wait for a response after each packet sent. So with a default chunk size of 8K the upload will be very slow.
If you set the chunk size to for example 1Mb, libssh2 will send that chunk in multiple packets of 32K and then wait for a response, making the upload much faster.
(see man libssh2_sftp_write for more details)

<?php
$connection
= ssh2_connect('shell.example.com', 22);
ssh2_auth_password($connection, 'username', 'password');
$sftp = ssh2_sftp($connection);
$stream = fopen("ssh2.sftp://$sftp/path/to/file", 'w');

stream_set_chunk_size($stream, 1024*1024);
fwrite($stream, $data);
?>
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0
sandipshah at vthrive dot com
14 years ago
In

$stream = fopen("ssh2.sftp://$sftp/path/to/file", 'r');

please make sure that you are specifying the "absolute" path to a file.

If not, you'll get errors like

"Unable to open file ..."

The reasoning is simple ... ssh2.sftp://$sftp points to the "root" directory on the remote server, where, most likely, one does not have access.

It is necessary to point it to your "home" directory. For example, "ssh2.sftp://$sftp/home/username/filename" ... where "/home/username" is where your home directory is.
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0
duke1 at drakkon dot net
15 years ago
if anyone is interested on how to get a directory listing:
$SSH_CONNECTION= ssh2_connect('shell.example.com', 22);
ssh2_auth_password($SSH_CONNECTION, 'username', 'password');
//-------------------------------------------------------------------
//this function finds all files within given directory and returns them
function scanFilesystem($dir) {
$tempArray = array();
$handle = opendir($dir);
// List all the files
while (false !== ($file = readdir($handle))) {
if (substr("$file", 0, 1) != "."){
if(is_dir($file)){
$tempArray[$file]=scanFilesystem("$dir/$file");
} else {
$tempArray[]=$file;
}
}
}
closedir($handle);
return $tempArray;
}

//-------------------------------------------------------------------
$sftp = ssh2_sftp($SSH_CONNECTION);

//code to get listing of all OUTGOING files
$dir = "ssh2.sftp://$sftp/outgoing";
$outgoing = scanFilesystem($dir);
sort($outgoing);
print_r($outgoing);
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