Connect to Amazon EC2 file directory using Filezilla and SFTP

Question

I have created an AWS EC2 Instance and I want to be able to upload files to the server directory using FileZilla in the simplest and most straightforward fashion possible.

Answer 1

I've created a video tutorial for this. Just check:

Connect to Amazon EC2 file directory using FileZilla and SFTP, Video Tutorial

Summary of above video tutorial:

1. Edit (Preferences) > Settings > Connection > SFTP, Click "Add key file”
2. Browse to the location of your .pem file and select it.
3. A message box will appear asking your permission to convert the file into ppk format. Click Yes, then give the file a name and store it somewhere.
4. If the new file is shown in the list of Keyfiles, then continue to the next step. If not, then click "Add keyfile..." and select the converted file.

5. File > Site Manager Add a new site with the following parameters:

   Host: Your public DNS name of your EC2 instance, or the public IP address of the server.

   Protocol: SFTP

   Logon Type: Normal

   User: From the docs: "For Amazon Linux, the default user name is ec2-user. For RHEL5, the user name is often root but might be ec2-user. For Ubuntu, the user name is ubuntu. For SUSE Linux, the user name is root. For Debian, the user name is admin. Otherwise, check with your AMI provider."

   Press Connect Button - If saving of passwords has been disabled, you will be prompted that the logon type will be changed to 'Ask for password'. Say 'OK' and when connecting, at the password prompt push 'OK' without entering a password to proceed past the dialog.

   Note: FileZilla automatically figures out which key to use. You do not need to specify the key after importing it as described above.

If you use Cyberduck follow this.

Check this post if you have any permission issues.

Answer 2

This is very simple if you used your pem file ( I am using macOS / windows users can follow the same steps.)

1. Just download your FileZilla (I'm using macOS - and downloaded the free version, that's good enough)

2. Open Site Manager in FileZilla (⌘S) -> New Site

3. Put your hostname in the Host field.

Example: eca-**-**-**-111.ap-southwest-9.compute.amazonaws.com

• Select Protocol as SFTP - SSH File Transfer Protocol

• Select Logon type as Key File

• Put your user name in the User field : for me it's ubuntu (find your ssh user)

Note:

OS vs Username

Amazon - ec2-user

Centos - centos

Debian - admin or root

Fedora - ec2-user

RHEL - ec2-user or root

SUSE - ec2-user or root

Ubuntu - ubuntu or root

4. For the Key file field, browse your pem file: and click Connect

5. That's all :) have fun!

Note:

(Remember to allow SSH connection to your IP address from EC2) If not you will get connecting error message!

Note: Allowing your IP to connect your AWS instance via SFTP

EC2 -> SecurityGroups -> SSH -> Inbound rules -> Edit -> Add Rule ( SSH|TCP|22|My IP(it's get ip automatically | name for rule) -> Save