SFTP on Android, next to your terminal

Termexa includes an SFTP file window for every SSH host you save. It uses the same sign-in as the terminal, so there is nothing extra to set up, and you can switch between the shell and the files of the same server in one tap.

The problem with files on a phone

A separate file app means a second set of hosts and credentials to keep in sync.
Editing a config file in vim with a phone keyboard is slow and easy to get wrong.
Mobile connections interrupt large downloads, and you lose track of what finished.

Work with server files in Termexa

Open the file window. Tap the folder button at the top of a terminal, or ⋮ → Open files on a running host in Terminals. It opens on the same host, through the same jump host if you use one.
Find your way. The path bar shows where you are; tap it to type a path. Filter the folder by name, sort by name, size or date, show hidden files, and tap the star to bookmark folders you visit often.
Move files. Upload from the phone with the system file picker. Download to a folder you pick once or choose each time. Long-press to select several items, then copy, move, rename, delete or change permissions.
Edit and preview. Open text files in the built-in editor, with find and go-to-line. Images and Markdown open in a preview; swipe between the images in a folder, and save, share, open in another app or delete from the preview.
Handle archives on the server. Select files, then ⋮ → Compress… or Extract here. The work runs on the server with its own archive tools, so nothing large has to travel to the phone.
Leave transfers running. Uploads and downloads keep going after you close the window. The Transfers list shows progress and history for every host, with cancel and retry.

Illustration of the Termexa file window, drawn from the app's layout. Not a screenshot.

Example: hand a file from the phone to the server

From the terminal, the Attach and Photo keys upload a file, a photo, a camera shot or an image on the clipboard to ~/termexa-uploads/ on the server and type its path at the prompt, so you can use it straight away:

$ file ~/termexa-uploads/IMG_2041.jpg

Transfers you can trust

An interrupted single-file download can resume; Termexa checks the partial file's size and modification time first.
Failed items in a folder or multi-file transfer can be retried without redoing the ones that worked.
Finished downloads can be opened or shared from the history. A downloaded APK opens in the system installer.
History is grouped into Today, Yesterday and earlier dates, and keeps the latest 100 results.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to set up SFTP separately?

No. The file window uses the host's SSH sign-in. The server needs its SFTP subsystem enabled, which most OpenSSH servers have by default.

Can interrupted downloads resume?

A single-file download can resume after Termexa checks the partial file. For folders and multi-file transfers, the failed items can be retried.

Can I edit files on the server?

Yes. Text files open in the built-in editor with find and go-to-line, and save back to the server.

Does it extract zip and tar archives?

Yes, using the archive tools installed on the server. If the server does not allow running commands or lacks the tool, Termexa tells you.

Does it sync folders automatically?

No. Termexa transfers the files you choose; it does not keep folders in sync, and it does not change file owners. Permissions can be changed.

Can I browse files on the phone itself?

Yes, for the local terminal: its file window browses the local terminal's home folder.