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Connecting over SFTP with an SSH key

To send many files at once — a plugins folder, mods, a whole world —, an SFTP client is more comfortable than the client area's file browser. You connect with an SSH key, never with a password: your account has no SFTP password.

Where to find your connection details

In the client area, open your server, then Settings → the SFTP access block. You will find:

  • the server (host), for example wings01mc.rmdc.cloud;
  • the port, for example 2201: it depends on the machine hosting your server;
  • the username, shaped like account.identifier: it is specific to each server.

Always copy the values shown on screen: they are the reference.

1. Create an SSH key

In a terminal (Windows: PowerShell; macOS and Linux: Terminal):

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f ~/.ssh/rmdcgames

Two files are created in the .ssh folder of your home directory: rmdcgames, the private key, which must never leave your computer, and rmdcgames.pub, the public key. The suggested passphrase protects the private key if your computer is stolen. On Windows, if the folder isn't found, replace ~ with $HOME.

Ed25519, ECDSA and RSA (2048 bits minimum) keys are accepted. Ed25519 is the right default.

2. Add the public key to your account

  1. Open rmdcgames.pub in a text editor and copy all of its content (it starts with ssh-ed25519).
  2. In the SFTP access block, name the key ("Laptop") and paste the content.
  3. Click Add key.

Never paste the file without .pub: that is your private key.

3. Connect

From a terminal, with the values from your screen:

sftp -i ~/.ssh/rmdcgames -P 2201 account.identifier@wings01mc.rmdc.cloud

With FileZilla or WinSCP: SFTP protocol, the host, port and username shown, and the private key file rmdcgames instead of a password (FileZilla: Settings › SFTP › Add key file).

Good to know

  • A key belongs to your account: it opens SFTP access to all your servers, including those shared with you if the owner gave you the SFTP permission.
  • Lost or sold a computer? Remove its key in the same block: connections made with it are refused immediately.
  • Until a key is added, connections are refused. A suspended server is no longer reachable over SFTP either.
  • The host and port can change if your server moves to another machine: if you are refused, check the Settings screen again.

To compare SFTP with the web file browser, also read SFTP, FTP or file manager.