SFTP File Transfer
When you connect to an SSH server, SailFish automatically establishes an SFTP channel. You can browse, upload, download, and edit remote files through a visual interface—no need to memorize any commands.
Opening the Remote File Manager
- Connect to an SSH server first (see SSH Connection)
- Click the file manager icon (folder icon) in the left sidebar
- The file manager automatically displays the remote server’s file system
If the current tab is a local terminal, the file manager shows local files. Switch to an SSH tab and it will automatically display remote files.
Browsing Files
Navigation
- Click a folder to enter a subdirectory
- Click the path bar to type a path for quick navigation (e.g.
/var/log/nginx) - Click the back arrow to go to the parent directory
- Click the home icon to jump to your user home directory
File Information
For each file or folder, the list shows:
- Name and icon (based on type)
- File size
- Modification time
- Permissions (rwx format)
Display Options
- Hidden files: Toggle with the “Show hidden files” button in the toolbar (files starting with
.) - Sort: By name, size, or modification time
Uploading Files
Transfer files from your local machine to the remote server:
Drag and Drop
The most intuitive method—drag files from your system file manager (Finder or File Explorer) directly onto SailFish’s file manager panel.
- Supports multiple files
- Supports folders (recursive upload)
- A progress bar shows upload status
Upload Button
Click the Upload button in the toolbar and select local files in the file picker.
Upload Notes
- Files are uploaded to the current directory
- If a file with the same name exists, you will be prompted to overwrite
- For large files, wait for completion; the progress bar shows transfer status
- Ensure the remote directory has write permissions (otherwise uploads will fail)
Downloading Files
Download files from the remote server to your local machine:
- Locate the file in the file list
- Right-click the file and choose Download
- Select the local save location
- Wait for the download to complete
Tip: To download an entire directory, ask the AI to pack it into tar.gz first, then download the archive:
Pack /var/log/nginx into a tar.gz file so I can download it
Editing Remote Files
Double-click a text file to open it in the built-in editor. The editor supports:
- Syntax highlighting: Automatically detects file type and applies highlighting
- Save sync: Press
Ctrl/Cmd + Sto save; changes sync back to the server - Large file warning: Prompts when opening very large files to avoid lag
Common editing scenarios:
| File Type | Typical Files |
|---|---|
| Web server config | nginx.conf, apache2.conf, .htaccess |
| App config | docker-compose.yml, config.yaml, .env |
| Scripts | deploy.sh, backup.sh, crontab |
| Application code | .py, .js, .go and other code files |
Binary files (images, archives) cannot be opened in the editor; double-clicking them will show an unsupported message.
File Operations
Right-click a file or folder for these options:
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| New File | Create an empty file in the current directory |
| New Folder | Create a folder in the current directory |
| Rename | Change the file or folder name |
| Delete | Delete the file or folder (⚠️ Cannot be undone; use with care) |
| Permissions | View and change Unix permissions (e.g. 755, 644) |
| Download | Download to local machine |
Asking the AI to Handle Files
Besides the visual interface, you can use natural language to have the AI perform more complex file operations:
Basic Operations
Download /var/log/nginx/access.log from the server to my local desktop
Upload my local deploy.sh to /home/user/ on the server
Batch Operations
Delete log files older than 7 days in /var/log/
Back up all .conf files from /home/app/config/ to /home/app/config_backup/
File Analysis
Check the last 50 lines of /var/log/nginx/error.log for any errors
Count files by type and total size in /home/data/
Pack and Download
Pack today's logs from /home/app/logs/ into a single tar.gz file