SFTP locations

Strata reaches sftp:// locations through GIO/GVfs, the same URI-native path it uses for every other remote scheme. This page covers what the client supports.

Addresses

Press Ctrl+L, type an address, and press Enter.

A password typed in the address, such as sftp://alice:secret@host/path or sftp://alice;password=secret@host/path, is taken out of the address before Strata connects. The location bar returns to the breadcrumbs while it connects. The password is used for that one connection attempt and never saved. If it is rejected, the normal sign-in dialog opens.

SCP-style addresses such as user@host:path, and UNC paths such as \\host\share or //host/share, are refused with "UNC paths (\\host\share) and SCP-style addresses (user@host:path) aren't supported. Use a URI instead, such as smb://host/share, sftp://host/path, ftp://host/path, or dav://host/path."

A scheme Strata does not handle, such as ssh://host or scp://host, is refused with "The ssh:// scheme isn't supported. Use an absolute local path or one of: smb://, sftp://, ftp://, ftps://, dav://, davs://, or recent:///." Schemes match regardless of case, so SFTP://host/path works. A refused address opens an Unable to open location dialog, and the location bar returns to the current location.

Browsing an SFTP location

Opening an sftp:// address mounts it first if needed, then opens it. Entries keep their sftp:// address; Strata never shows the /run/user/$UID/gvfs/… FUSE path.

The location field and Properties show non-ASCII characters decoded, such as sftp://host/café, when the whole path is valid UTF-8 and contains no %2F. Spaces and other reserved characters stay percent-encoded, such as sftp://host/My%20Share. Otherwise the whole path shows percent-encoded, such as sftp://host/share/%FF%20name. Column headings, peek headings, and window titles show percent-decoded names. Files whose names are not valid UTF-8 are still listed. An entry whose address Strata cannot convert is left out of the listing.

A large folder fills in progressively. Loading finishes only after every row read so far is shown. A load stops after 100,000 entries or 10 seconds. A warning icon beside the folder's heading then marks a partial listing: "This directory has more entries than could be loaded; showing a partial listing." A folder you open by typing a non-ASCII address, such as sftp://host/café x, still refreshes when an entry is created or deleted in it. If you leave a folder before it finishes loading, its remaining rows never appear in the folder you moved to or in columns that were closed. Breadcrumbs, history, column descent, and hover peek work as they do on local folders. You can copy a remote file, drag it out, or open it in its default application.

Ejecting or unmounting the SFTP mount from its DEVICES row while you browse inside it returns the browser to Home.

Authentication

The SFTP backend decides which credentials it needs and asks Strata for them:

• Password — the backend requests a username and password. Strata shows Authentication required with only the fields the backend asked for, and a Connect button. SMB's domain and anonymous options do not appear on an SFTP prompt. If the backend can save passwords, the dialog also offers Password storage: Don't remember (the default), Until logout, or Forever. Strata itself stores nothing; the backend and your keyring keep the password.
• SSH key — the agent or an unencrypted key answers without any prompt.
• Encrypted key — ssh-add can unlock it in your agent before connecting. If GVfs asks Strata for the key's passphrase, the dialog is titled Passphrase required and its field is labelled Passphrase. Not every GVfs/OpenSSH configuration sends a key-passphrase request to Strata.

Wrong credentials reopen the dialog with "Those credentials weren’t accepted. Check … and try again." The message names only the fields the dialog shows, such as "Check username, password and try again." or, on a key prompt, "Check passphrase and try again." If the prompt has no fields to name, it says "That attempt wasn’t accepted. Try again." Cancel or Escape returns to the previous location with no error dialog and no history entry.

Host keys

An unrecognized or changed host key opens Verify server identity. It shows the backend's question and every choice the backend offers, and Strata never answers it for you. The dialog warns: "Only continue after verifying the SSH host key through a trusted source." and "If the server did not provide a fingerprint, verify it outside Strata before continuing."

The backend may not supply a fingerprint (it can report ???); verify the server's SSH host key through a trusted channel before choosing to continue. The rejecting choice, such as Cancel, comes first and has focus. Declining with that choice, Escape, or the close button returns to the previous location with no sign-in dialog and no error.

A changed key may indicate interception; verify it with the server administrator before accepting. Depending on your GVfs and OpenSSH setup, a changed key can instead fail at once with the host-key message under Failures. Verify the new fingerprint before you reconnect.

Failures

Each failure has its own message. If the sftp backend isn't installed, opening an sftp:// address shows Unable to open location with: "The sftp:// backend isn't installed. Install your distribution's GVfs sftp backend, commonly packaged as gvfs or gvfs-backends, then try again."

A failure while connecting shows it in an Unable to connect dialog:

A host-key failure never reopens the sign-in dialog. When a connection or folder load fails with other backend text, or the backend asks about a host key, any address in that text is shown with its user info, query, and fragment removed.

At the default log level, connecting to and listing a remote location never logs its host, path, username, or password. A mount logs only the backend name, the mount strategy, and the outcome, with the error domain and code on failure. A folder load logs a request id, the backend name, entry counts, and elapsed times, plus the error domain and code or the reason when it fails or stops early. An entry left out of a listing logs a warning with only the request id and backend name. Run with RUST_LOG=strata=debug to log locations, including the folder and name of a left-out entry. Even then, URIs omit user info, authentication parameters, query, and fragment.

At startup Strata checks that GVfs (gvfsd) answers within 2 seconds. If it does not, Strata prints "GVFS is unresponsive; using local filesystem and volume support for this session." to standard error and the window still opens, with local file and volume support only. sftp:// and other remote addresses cannot open until you restart Strata with a working GVfs session.