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To connect, open Cyberduck, choose SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol), enter your VPS hostname, SSH port, username, and either the account password or the matching SSH private key, then verify the server’s host-key fingerprint before accepting it. SFTP runs through SSH, so the VPS must have an SSH service and SFTP subsystem available, and the port must be reachable through both firewalls.
What you need before opening Cyberduck
Gather these details from your VPS provider or administrator:
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- SSH port: commonly 22, but providers and administrators may change it. Use the configured value rather than assuming 22.
- Login username: the Linux account you will use, such as an administrator-created user. A provider’s web-console username is not always the same as its SSH username.
- Authentication method: either the account password or an SSH private-key file whose matching public key is authorized for that account.
- Optional remote path: the directory you want to open after login, such as an application folder or a user’s home directory.
SFTP is not a separate web-hosting protocol. Cyberduck is opening an SSH connection and using the SFTP subsystem exposed by the SSH server. If SSH is disabled, the service is listening on another port, or a firewall blocks that port, changing settings inside Cyberduck will not solve the problem.
Which values go in Cyberduck?
| Cyberduck field | What to enter | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Protocol | SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) | Choosing FTP, FTPS, or WebDAV instead of SFTP |
| Server | Your VPS hostname or public IP address | Including https://, a path, or a port in this field |
| Port | The VPS’s SSH port; 22 is common but not guaranteed | Using a hosting-panel or web-server port |
| Username | The remote operating-system account used for SSH | Using an email address or a different control-panel login |
| Password | The SSH password, if password authentication is enabled | Entering the VPS-provider account password when the server expects a Linux-user password |
| SSH Private Key | The private key file corresponding to a public key in the remote account’s ~/.ssh/authorized_keys |
Selecting a public-key file, a certificate, or a key for another user |
Keep the private key on the computer running Cyberduck. The server receives proof that you possess the key; it does not need, and should never be given, the private-key file itself.
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Connect in Cyberduck step by step
1. Open a new connection
- Launch Cyberduck.
- Choose File → Open Connection. In versions that show a toolbar shortcut, New Connection opens the same connection window.
- Open the protocol menu and select SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol).
Do not select ordinary FTP merely because the VPS hosts files. SFTP is the SSH-based option and normally uses the SSH service already provided by the server.
2. Enter the server, port, and username
- In Server, type the VPS hostname or IP address exactly as supplied.
- In Port, enter the SSH port configured on the VPS. Leave it at 22 only when you have confirmed that SSH is listening there.
- In Username, enter the remote account name.
Enter only the host name or address in Server. A value such as https://vps.example or vps.example/var/www is not a valid server field for this dialog. A remote directory is configured after the connection or through a bookmark.
3. Choose password or private-key authentication
For password login, enter the SSH password in Password. The server must allow password authentication for that account; many hardened VPS configurations disable it.
For key login, leave the password empty, open SSH Private Key → Choose, and select the private-key file. If the key is encrypted, Cyberduck asks for its passphrase. The passphrase unlocks the local key and is not the same as the VPS account password.
4. Start the connection
- Click Connect.
- Wait for Cyberduck to negotiate SSH and authenticate.
- If authentication succeeds, the remote directory appears in the browser window. You can drag files between the local computer and the VPS, create folders where your account has permission, and open files for editing according to the permissions granted by the server.
An SFTP login does not automatically grant root access. The visible files and available actions depend on the Unix account, directory permissions, chroot rules, and any provider restrictions applied to that account.
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Verify the host key before accepting it
On the first connection to an SSH server, Cyberduck displays a host-key verification prompt. The host key is the server’s cryptographic identity. Compare the fingerprint shown by Cyberduck with the fingerprint supplied by your VPS provider or administrator through a trusted channel.
- Read the fingerprint in Cyberduck’s verification dialog.
- Obtain the expected fingerprint from the provider’s control panel, provisioning message, or administrator.
- Compare the complete value, not just the first few characters.
- Accept the key only when the values match and you are certain the hostname and port are correct.
If you cannot verify the fingerprint, cancel the connection and ask the administrator to confirm it. Accepting an unknown key can hide a misdirected connection or a man-in-the-middle attack. Cyberduck remembers an accepted host key for later connections. A future warning that the key has changed is not a routine prompt: stop, check whether the VPS was rebuilt or its SSH host keys were intentionally rotated, and confirm the new fingerprint before accepting it.
Use an SSH key with Cyberduck
How public-key authentication works
Key authentication uses a pair. The private key stays in a protected file on your computer. The corresponding public key is placed in the remote account’s ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file. During login, the server checks a signature made by the private key against an authorized public key; the private key is never uploaded.
Prepare the server account
- Identify the exact remote username that Cyberduck will use.
- On the VPS, create the account’s
~/.sshdirectory if it does not exist. - Add the public-key line to
~/.ssh/authorized_keysfor that account. Keep the line intact, including its key type and comment. - Ensure the account and SSH configuration permit public-key authentication.
- Use permissions that do not allow unrelated users to modify the key files; an administrator can apply the permissions required by the operating system and SSH configuration.
A public key installed under one account does not authorize a different account. Likewise, selecting a private key that does not match the installed public key produces an authentication failure even when the file itself is valid.
Select the private key in Cyberduck
- Open File → Open Connection and select SFTP.
- Enter the server, SSH port, and username associated with the authorized public key.
- Choose SSH Private Key → Choose.
- Select the private-key file, enter its passphrase if requested, and click Connect.
If the key was created in a format your Cyberduck installation cannot read, convert or re-export it with a trusted SSH-key utility, retain a secure backup of the original, and protect the converted file with appropriate local permissions. Do not email the private key or paste it into a support ticket.
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Password login versus SSH-key login
| Consideration | Password | SSH key |
|---|---|---|
| Exposure | Can be guessed, phished, reused, or captured by malware; protection depends on password policy and server settings. | The private key remains local, and a passphrase can protect it; theft of the file is still serious. |
| Setup effort | Usually quickest when the provider has enabled password authentication. | Requires installing the public key for the correct account and selecting the matching private key. |
| Automation | Awkward and unsafe for unattended transfers because scripts must handle a secret. | Better suited to repeatable transfers and automation, with careful key storage and access control. |
| Management | Rotate the account password and update every tool that uses it. | Revoke one public-key entry or rotate one key without changing other accounts; track which systems hold each private key. |
| Provider support | Only works when SSH password authentication is enabled for the account. | Works when the SSH server accepts public keys and the matching public key is authorized. |
For a one-time setup, password authentication may be simpler. For regular administration or scripted transfers, a passphrase-protected key is generally easier to limit and rotate, provided the provider supports it and you can manage the key securely.
Open the right remote directory
After login, Cyberduck normally opens the account’s default directory. To reach another location, navigate through the remote folders if the account has permission. You can also save the destination in a bookmark using Cyberduck’s Path option so that future connections open there.
When a path appears missing
- Check that the path is remote, not a local path copied from Finder or File Explorer.
- Use the account’s actual home-directory location; a path such as
/rootis unavailable to ordinary users unless permissions explicitly allow it. - Remember that SFTP shows what the logged-in account can read. A directory can exist but remain invisible or inaccessible because of Unix permissions, ACLs, chroot restrictions, or provider policy.
- If the path contains spaces or unusual characters, navigate to it in Cyberduck first and then save the working location as a bookmark.
Troubleshoot connection failures
“Cannot reach server” or the connection times out
This indicates a reachability problem before authentication. Check the following in order:
- Confirm the hostname or IP address has no typing error and resolves to the intended VPS.
- Confirm the SSH port supplied by the provider. A nonstandard port must be entered explicitly.
- Check the VPS firewall or cloud security group and allow inbound TCP traffic on that SSH port from your current network where appropriate.
- Check the local network, VPN, corporate firewall, or endpoint security software for outbound blocking.
- Ask an administrator to verify that the SSH service is running and listening on the expected interface and port.
A web site loading in a browser does not prove that SSH is reachable; web traffic and SSH commonly use different ports and firewall rules. If the VPS was recently rebuilt or its address changed, confirm the new address before troubleshooting credentials.
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“Authentication failed”
Once the server is reachable, authentication failures usually mean one of the supplied identity details is wrong:
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- Verify the username, including capitalization and spelling.
- For passwords, check that the password is for the SSH account, not merely the provider’s billing or control-panel account.
- For keys, confirm that Cyberduck is using the intended private-key file and that the file’s passphrase is correct.
- Confirm that the matching public key is present in the target account’s
~/.ssh/authorized_keys, not another user’s file. - Check server-side SSH settings and logs if you administer the VPS; public-key or password authentication may have been disabled.
Do not “fix” a failed key login by sending the private key to the server. Install only the public key and keep the private key local.
“Too many authentication failures”
Cyberduck can use keys offered by an SSH agent. If the agent holds many identities, the server may reject the session after seeing several keys before Cyberduck reaches the correct one. Limit the identities offered:
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- Open your local SSH configuration file,
~/.ssh/config. - Add a host-specific rule for the VPS alias or hostname.
- Set
IdentitiesOnly yesso SSH offers only the explicitly selected identity. - Set
IdentityFileto the intended private-key path, or select that key explicitly in Cyberduck’s SSH Private Key → Choose control. - Reconnect and confirm that the selected key matches the public key authorized on the VPS.
Cyberduck reads relevant OpenSSH settings, including HostName, User, IdentityFile, IdentityAgent, ProxyJump, PreferredAuthentications, and IdentitiesOnly. A matching host rule can therefore centralize the username, key, agent behavior, and connection route instead of duplicating them in every bookmark.
A host-key warning says the key changed
Do not accept the replacement automatically. First determine whether the VPS was reinstalled, migrated, cloned, or deliberately had its SSH host keys rotated. Ask the provider or administrator for the current fingerprint and compare it with Cyberduck’s warning. If no legitimate change is confirmed, cancel the connection and investigate possible DNS, address, or interception problems.
The connection succeeds but the expected folder is unavailable
This is usually a path or permission issue rather than an SFTP protocol failure. Confirm the remote account, navigate from its home directory, and save a verified destination with the bookmark’s Path setting. If the account cannot read or write the directory, an administrator must change ownership, permissions, ACLs, or the account’s chroot configuration; Cyberduck cannot bypass those server controls.
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Use a bastion host or SSH alias
Some VPS networks do not expose the application server directly. Instead, SSH access goes through a bastion (jump) host. Cyberduck can read an OpenSSH ProxyJump setting, allowing the SSH connection to traverse the bastion when the local configuration is correct.
- Create or obtain the SSH configuration entries for the bastion and destination host from the administrator.
- Verify that the destination’s
HostName,User,IdentityFile, and, where needed,IdentityAgentare correct. - Add
ProxyJumpfor the destination alias. - Use the destination alias in Cyberduck’s Server field and select SFTP.
- Verify the destination host key when prompted; the bastion is a transport hop, not a substitute for verifying the final server identity.
If the bastion requires a different username or key, define those settings for the bastion’s host entry. A successful login to the jump host alone does not prove that the destination account or SFTP subsystem is configured.
Save a reusable Cyberduck bookmark
Once a connection works, save it as a bookmark so the protocol, server, port, username, key selection, and remote path are not retyped each time. Review the bookmark after a VPS migration or credential rotation: a saved port, address, or key can become stale while still looking valid.
- Use a descriptive name that identifies the environment, such as production or staging, without putting passwords or private-key contents in the name.
- Set the remote Path only after confirming the account can reach it.
- Keep authentication secrets out of shared bookmark exports and shared computers.
- When a key is revoked or replaced, update the bookmark and remove obsolete private keys from devices that no longer need them.
Cyberduck’s command-line option
Cyberduck also provides the duck command-line tool. It accepts SFTP URIs and can be supplied an identity/private-key path for public-key authentication. That makes it useful for scripted or repeatable uploads and downloads, while the desktop application is better for interactive browsing and drag-and-drop work.
Before automating a transfer, confirm the URI’s host, port, username, and remote path, and test the same identity interactively. Store scripts and key files with restricted access, avoid placing passphrases directly in command lines, and use the tool’s built-in help to confirm the exact options supported by the installed Cyberduck version.
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Security checklist for every VPS connection
- Use SFTP, not an unrelated file-transfer protocol, when the VPS exposes SSH/SFTP.
- Verify the SSH port and restrict firewall access to trusted networks where practical.
- Check the host-key fingerprint on the first connection and whenever Cyberduck reports a change.
- Prefer a separate, least-privileged user for file transfers instead of routinely using root.
- Use a passphrase-protected private key and keep backups in an encrypted location.
- Never upload or share a private key; only the public key belongs in
authorized_keys. - Remove revoked public keys from the server and old private keys from devices that no longer require access.
- Review Cyberduck bookmarks and OpenSSH configuration for stale addresses, ports, usernames, and identity files.
Quick diagnosis: where the failure occurs
| Observed behavior | Likely stage | First check |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate timeout or “cannot open connection” | Network reachability | Hostname, SSH port, VPS firewall, local firewall, and SSH listener |
| Host-key prompt appears | Server reached; identity not yet trusted locally | Compare the displayed fingerprint with the provider or administrator’s value |
| “Authentication failed” | Credentials or server authorization | Username, password/key passphrase, selected private key, and authorized_keys |
| “Too many authentication failures” | Too many agent identities offered | IdentitiesOnly yes, IdentityFile, or explicit key selection |
| Login works but files are missing | Path or permissions | Remote path, account permissions, ownership, ACLs, and chroot rules |
| Previously trusted host now warns | Host identity changed | Confirm rebuild, migration, or key rotation before accepting anything |
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