SFTP Sync Plus

This is an independent, community-maintained fork — not the original "SFTP" extension by Natizyskunk / liximomo. It has its own name, icon and repository. Use it if the original stopped working on recent VS Code.

A maintained, up-to-date fork of the popular VS Code SFTP extension — and it works on VS Code 1.123+ / Node 24, where the older versions crash.

Sync files between a local folder and a remote server over SFTP/SSH or FTP/FTPS: upload on save, download, two-way sync, a remote file explorer, multiple profiles and more.

Maintained by @fibanez7. Fork lineage: liximomo → Natizyskunk → this fork. MIT licensed — thanks to both for the original work.

How is this different from the original "SFTP" extension?

This is a separate listing with its own name, icon, repository and maintainer. It exists to keep the tool alive on modern VS Code:

	Original `SFTP` (Natizyskunk / liximomo)	SFTP Sync Plus (this fork)
VS Code 1.123+ / Node 24	❌ crashes (`isDate is not a function`)	✅ fixed
Maintenance	stalled (last release behind)	actively maintained
Icon & branding	blue file glyph	own green ⇅ icon
Repository	`Natizyskunk/vscode-sftp`	`fibanez7/vscode-sftp`
Your `sftp.json`	—	drop-in, no config changes

If the original still works for you, great — keep using it. This fork is for everyone it left stranded on a crash.

Why this fork?

The widely-installed SFTP extensions stopped working on recent VS Code: on VS Code 1.123+ (which ships Node 24 via Electron) opening or saving a file over SFTP crashed with TypeError: isDate is not a function. Upstream is slow to update. This fork keeps it alive.

Fixed in v1.17.0

Fix	Detail
✅ `isDate is not a function` on Node 24	Bumped `ssh2` to `^1.17.0` (uses `util.types.isDate`).
✅ Crash on connect (`"listener" argument must be of type function`)	Disconnect handlers were registered incorrectly.
✅ Source wouldn't recompile	Fixed missing command-constant imports and a path-handling type bug.

It's a drop-in replacement — your existing .vscode/sftp.json keeps working unchanged.

Features

📤 Upload files/folders/whole project — manually or automatically on save.
📥 Download files/folders/project from the server.
🔁 Sync Local→Remote, Remote→Local, or both directions.
🔍 Diff a local file against its remote version.
🗂️ Remote Explorer — browse, open, create and delete remote files from a sidebar.
👀 File watcher — react to external file changes.
👥 Multiple profiles (e.g. dev/prod) with one-click switching.
🪝 Connection hopping through one or more jump hosts.
🔑 Password, private key, SSH agent, and keyboard-interactive (2FA) auth.
🧩 Multiple contexts — map different local folders to different servers.
📄 Atomic / temp-file uploads to avoid serving half-written files.

Install

Open Extensions (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + X).
Uninstall any other SFTP extension to avoid duplicate commands.
Install SFTP Sync Plus from the Marketplace, or grab the .vsix from Releases and use ··· → Install from VSIX….
Reload VS Code.

Quick start

Open the local folder you want to sync.
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + P → SFTP: Config. This creates .vscode/sftp.json.

Edit it with your server details:

{
  "name": "My Server",
  "host": "192.168.0.10",
  "protocol": "sftp",          // "sftp" (default) or "ftp"
  "port": 22,
  "username": "user",
  "password": "secret",        // optional — omit to be prompted
  "remotePath": "/var/www/project",
  "uploadOnSave": true          // auto-upload every time you save
}

Save it. To pull an existing project down first, run SFTP: Download Project.
Edit locally — with uploadOnSave: true, every save syncs to the server.

Tip: leave password out and you'll be prompted securely instead of storing it in plain text. For keys, use privateKeyPath (see below).

Commands

Open the Command Palette (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + P) and type SFTP, or right-click files/folders in the Explorer. Keybinding: Ctrl + Alt + U = Upload Changed Files.

Transfer

Command	What it does
`SFTP: Upload File` / `Upload Folder`	Upload the selected file/folder.
`SFTP: Upload Active File` / `Active Folder`	Upload the file/folder open in the editor.
`SFTP: Upload Project`	Upload the whole project to `remotePath`.
`SFTP: Upload Changed Files`	Upload files changed in Git (working tree / index).
`SFTP: Force Upload`	Upload ignoring timestamp checks.
`SFTP: Download File` / `Folder` / `Project`	Download from the server.
`SFTP: Download Active File` / `Active Folder`	Download what's open in the editor.
`SFTP: Force Download`	Download ignoring timestamp checks.
`… To All Profiles` variants	Run the upload against every profile at once.
`SFTP: Cancel All Transfers`	Abort in-flight transfers.

Sync

Command	What it does
`SFTP: Sync Local -> Remote`	Make remote match local.
`SFTP: Sync Remote -> Local`	Make local match remote.
`SFTP: Sync Both Directions`	Two-way sync.

Browse & compare

Command	What it does
`SFTP: Diff with Remote`	Diff a local file against its remote copy.
`SFTP: List` / `List Active Folder` / `List All`	List remote files.
`SFTP: Reveal in Remote Explorer`	Jump to a file in the Remote Explorer.
`SFTP: Edit in Local`	Open a remote-explorer file for local editing.
`SFTP: View Content`	Open a remote file read-only.
`SFTP: Refresh` / `Refresh Active Remote File`	Refresh the Remote Explorer.

Remote management

Command	What it does
`SFTP: Create Folder` / `Create File`	Create on the server.
`SFTP: Delete`	Delete a remote file/folder.
`SFTP: Open SSH in Terminal`	Open an SSH session to the server.
`SFTP: Set Profile`	Switch the active profile.
`SFTP: Config`	Create/open `sftp.json`.

Configuration reference

All settings live in .vscode/sftp.json. Below is every available option.

Connection

Option	Type	Default	Description
`name`	string	—	A label for this config (required for multi-context).
`host`	string	`localhost`	Server hostname or IP.
`port`	number	`22` (SFTP) / `21` (FTP)	Server port.
`protocol`	`"sftp"` \| `"ftp"`	`sftp`	Transfer protocol.
`username`	string	—	User for authentication.
`password`	string	—	Password. Omit to be prompted (avoids plaintext).
`remotePath`	string	`/`	Absolute base path on the server.
`context`	string	workspace root	Local path (relative to workspace) this config maps to.
`connectTimeout`	number (ms)	`10000`	How long to wait for the connection.

SFTP authentication

Option	Type	Default	Description
`privateKeyPath`	string	—	Absolute path to your private key.
`passphrase`	string \| `true`	—	Key passphrase. Set `true` to be prompted (no plaintext).
`agent`	string	—	Path to ssh-agent socket. Windows: `pageant` or a cygwin socket path.
`interactiveAuth`	boolean \| string[]	`false`	Keyboard-interactive auth (e.g. 2FA / Google Authenticator). Pass an array to auto-answer prompts.
`sshConfigPath`	string	—	Absolute path to an SSH config file (e.g. `~/.ssh/config`).
`algorithms`	object	—	Override transport algorithms: `kex`, `cipher`, `serverHostKey`, `hmac` (arrays).
`concurrency`	number	—	Number of concurrent operations.
`sshCustomParams`	string	`cd "${remotePath}"; exec $SHELL -l`	Extra params for Open SSH in Terminal.

FTP / FTPS

Option	Type	Default	Description
`secure`	boolean \| `"control"` \| `"implicit"`	`false`	`true` = encrypt control+data; `"control"` = control only; `"implicit"` = implicit TLS (usually port 990).
`secureOptions`	object	—	Options passed to Node's `tls.connect()` (certs, CAs, ciphers, `rejectUnauthorized`, etc.).

Transfer behavior

Option	Type	Default	Description
`uploadOnSave`	boolean	`false`	Upload automatically on every save.
`downloadOnOpen`	`"confirm"` \| boolean	`"confirm"`	Download a file when opened. `"confirm"` asks first.
`useTempFile`	boolean	`false`	Upload to a temp file first, so visitors never hit a half-written file.
`openSsh`	boolean	`false`	Atomic uploads (OpenSSH servers only). Requires `useTempFile: true`.

Sync behavior

Configure the Sync commands via syncOption:

Option	Type	Default	Description
`syncOption.delete`	boolean	`true`	Delete files at the destination that don't exist at the source.
`syncOption.skipCreate`	boolean	`true`	Don't create new files at the destination.
`syncOption.ignoreExisting`	boolean	`true`	Don't update files that already exist at the destination.
`syncOption.update`	boolean	`true`	Only overwrite when the source file is newer.

Ignoring files

Option	Type	Default	Description
`ignore`	string[]	`[".vscode", ".git", ".DS_Store"]`	Glob patterns to skip (gitignore syntax).
`ignoreFile`	string	`.gitignore`	Path to an ignore file (absolute or relative to workspace).

Remote Explorer options

Option	Type	Default	Description
`remoteExplorer.filesExclude`	string[]	`[]`	Patterns to hide in the Remote Explorer.
`remoteExplorer.order`	number	`0`	Sort order (ascending; ties broken by name).

Advanced

Option	Type	Default	Description
`watcher.files`	string (glob)	`*/`	Files to watch for external changes.
`watcher.autoUpload`	boolean	`true`	Upload when a watched file changes.
`watcher.autoDelete`	boolean	`false`	Delete remote when a watched file is deleted.
`remoteTimeOffsetInHours`	number	—	Hour difference between local and server (remote − local).
`limitOpenFilesOnRemote`	number \| `true`	`true`	Cap concurrent remote file descriptors (`true` = 222). Don't set unless you must.
`remote`	string	—	Pull config from a `remotefs.remote` entry in User Settings.
`defaultProfile`	string	—	Profile to activate by default.

context and watcher are only valid at the root level.

Profiles

Define environments and switch between them with SFTP: Set Profile:

{
  "username": "user",
  "password": "secret",
  "remotePath": "/remote/workspace/a",
  "watcher": {
    "files": "dist/*.{js,css}",
    "autoUpload": false,
    "autoDelete": false
  },
  "profiles": {
    "dev":  { "host": "dev-host",  "remotePath": "/dev",  "uploadOnSave": true },
    "prod": { "host": "prod-host", "remotePath": "/prod" }
  },
  "defaultProfile": "dev"
}

Multiple contexts

Map different local folders to different servers. Each context must be unique, and name is required:

[
  {
    "name": "build",
    "context": "project/build",
    "host": "host", "username": "user", "password": "secret",
    "remotePath": "/remote/project/build"
  },
  {
    "name": "src",
    "context": "project/src",
    "host": "host", "username": "user", "password": "secret",
    "remotePath": "/remote/project/src"
  }
]

Connection hopping (jump host)

Reach a target server through one or more SSH proxies. (Variable substitution is not supported inside a hop config.)

Single hop — local → hop → target:

{
  "name": "target",
  "remotePath": "/path/in/target",

  "host": "hopHost",
  "username": "hopUser",
  "privateKeyPath": "/Users/me/.ssh/id_rsa",   // key lives on the local machine

  "hop": {
    "host": "targetHost",
    "username": "targetUser",
    "privateKeyPath": "/Users/hopUser/.ssh/id_rsa"  // key lives on the hop
  }
}

Multiple hops — local → hopA → hopB → target: pass hop as an array, each entry's key living on the previous host.

Config from User Settings (remote-fs)

Reuse a connection defined for remote-fs via the remote key.

User Settings:

"remotefs.remote": {
  "dev": { "scheme": "sftp", "host": "host", "username": "user", "rootPath": "/path/to/somewhere" }
}

sftp.json:

{
  "remote": "dev",
  "remotePath": "/home/xx/",
  "uploadOnSave": false
}

VS Code settings

Set these in your User/Workspace Settings (not sftp.json):

Setting	Default	Description
`sftp.printDebugLog`	`false`	Print debug logs to the SFTP output channel (reload after changing).
`sftp.debug`	`false`	Enable debug logging (reload after changing).
`sftp.downloadWhenOpenInRemoteExplorer`	`false`	Use Download instead of View Content when opening a file in the Remote Explorer.

Remote Explorer

Browse the server from a dedicated sidebar:

Run View: Show SFTP, or click the SFTP icon in the Activity Bar.
Files open read-only by default — run SFTP: Edit in Local to edit one locally.
Multi-select with Ctrl/Shift to download/upload several items at once.

After deleting a file, manually refresh the parent folder if the view doesn't update.

Debugging

Open Settings → set sftp.debug to true → reload VS Code.
View logs in View → Output → sftp.

When reporting an issue, this log (with secrets removed) is the most useful thing to include.

FAQ

See FAQ.md.

Credits & license

Released under the MIT License. This is a maintained fork — full credit to the original authors:

liximomo — original extension.
Natizyskunk — long-running maintained fork this one continues.

Issues and pull requests welcome: https://github.com/fibanez7/vscode-sftp/issues

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 881 Commits
.github		.github
.vscode		.vscode
__mocks__		__mocks__
assets		assets
docs		docs
resources		resources
schema		schema
src		src
test		test
.gitignore		.gitignore
.vscodeignore		.vscodeignore
CHANGELOG.md		CHANGELOG.md
CONTRIBUTING.md		CONTRIBUTING.md
FAQ.md		FAQ.md
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
package-lock.json		package-lock.json
package.json		package.json
tsconfig.json		tsconfig.json
tslint.json		tslint.json
webpack.config.js		webpack.config.js

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SFTP Sync Plus

How is this different from the original "SFTP" extension?

Why this fork?

Table of contents

Features

Install

Quick start

Commands

Configuration reference

Connection

SFTP authentication

FTP / FTPS

Transfer behavior

Sync behavior

Ignoring files

Remote Explorer options

Advanced

Profiles

Multiple contexts

Connection hopping (jump host)

Config from User Settings (remote-fs)

VS Code settings

Remote Explorer

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SFTP Sync Plus

How is this different from the original "SFTP" extension?

Why this fork?

Table of contents

Features

Install

Quick start

Commands

Configuration reference

Connection

SFTP authentication

FTP / FTPS

Transfer behavior

Sync behavior

Ignoring files

Remote Explorer options

Advanced

Profiles

Multiple contexts

Connection hopping (jump host)

Config from User Settings (remote-fs)

VS Code settings

Remote Explorer

Debugging

FAQ

Credits & license

About

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