Questions[winscp](server)

I am trying to connect to our remote server using winSCP. It was working before. But from today I am not able to connect to the server using SFTP. If I changed the protocol to SCP, then I am able to connect. Also I am able to connect using putty.

Following is the winSCP log. (removed host details)

. 2011-11-07 20:18:54.593 Using SFTP protocol.
. 2011-11-07 20:18:54.593 Doing startup conversation with host.
> 2011-11-07 20:18:54.593 Type: SSH_FXP_INIT, Size: 5, Number: -1
. 2011-11-07 20:18:54.593 Server sent command exit status 127
. 2011-11-07 20:18:54.593 Disconnected: All channels closed
* 2011-11-07 20:18:54.624 (ESshFatal) Connection has been unexpectedly closed. Server sent command exit status 127.
* 2011-11-07 20:18:54.624 Cannot initialize SFTP protocol. Is the host running a SFTP server?
. 2011-11-07 20:31:40.036 Looking up host <<host name>>
. 2011-11-07 20:31:40.052 Connecting to <<ip>> port 22
. 2011-11-07 20:31:40.630 Server version: SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_5.8
. 2011-11-07 20:31:40.630 We claim version: SSH-2.0-WinSCP_release_4.1.6
. 2011-11-07 20:31:40.630 SSPI: acquired credentials for: <<username>>
. 2011-11-07 20:31:40.630 Constructed service principal name 'host/<<hostname>>'
. 2011-11-07 20:31:40.802 GSSKEX disabled: The specified target is unknown or unreachable

. 2011-11-07 20:31:40.802 Using SSH protocol version 2
. 2011-11-07 20:31:40.927 Doing Diffie-Hellman group exchange
. 2011-11-07 20:31:41.224 Doing Diffie-Hellman key exchange with hash SHA-1
. 2011-11-07 20:31:41.787 Host key fingerprint is:
. 2011-11-07 20:31:41.787 ssh-rsa 2048 b9:2a:b8:56:a0:72:ff:10:11:d2:3e:55:95:5f:54:e2
. 2011-11-07 20:31:41.787 Initialised AES-256 SDCTR client->server encryption
. 2011-11-07 20:31:41.787 Initialised HMAC-SHA1 client->server MAC algorithm
. 2011-11-07 20:31:41.787 Initialised AES-256 SDCTR server->client encryption
. 2011-11-07 20:31:41.787 Initialised HMAC-SHA1 server->client MAC algorithm
! 2011-11-07 20:31:42.068 Using username <<username>>.
. 2011-11-07 20:31:42.677 Keyboard-interactive authentication refused
. 2011-11-07 20:31:42.677 Prompt (6, SSH password, , &Password: )
. 2011-11-07 20:31:46.568 Sent password
. 2011-11-07 20:31:46.865 Access granted
. 2011-11-07 20:31:47.162 Opened channel for session
. 2011-11-07 20:31:47.475 Started a shell/command
. 2011-11-07 20:31:47.475 Doing startup conversation with host.
> 2011-11-07 20:31:47.475 Type: SSH_FXP_INIT, Size: 5, Number: -1
. 2011-11-07 20:31:47.475 Server sent command exit status 127
. 2011-11-07 20:31:47.475 Disconnected: All channels closed
* 2011-11-07 20:31:47.506 (ESshFatal) Connection has been unexpectedly closed. Server sent command exit status 127.
* 2011-11-07 20:31:47.506 Cannot initialize SFTP protocol. Is the host running a SFTP server?

Recent happenings.

For some reason our site was not accessible yesterday. We informed our host and they rebooted the server. This problem is happening only after that.

I have issued "locate sftp-server", it returns two locations.

/usr/libexec/openssh/sftp-server /usr/local/libexec/sftp-server

It looks like the second folder (/usr/local/libexec/sftp-server) is created/updated the day before yesterday. Also sshd-config file got updated on the same day. From the rpmpkgs logs, it looks like vsftpd also updated on the same date.

I suspected some auto update had happened. I checked the yum-updatesd.conf, but auto updates disabled there.

How to make sftp-server work again? In sshd-config the Subsystem is pointing to /usr/libexec/openssh/sftp-server. Should I change that to /usr/local/libexec/sftp-server?

Can I restart sshd from putty? I don't want to screw up the ssh connection also. I would like to solve this without rebooting the system again.

Please let me know if you want any more info. Thanks in advance

I would like to synchronize my local directory content with another local directory on another partition or disk (or e.g. a pendrive).
I can synchronize my local directory content with a remote one (through FTP) with WinSCP, even with keeping remote directory up to date continously, but I don't know any programs that do the same between local directories.
I'm mainly looking for a program for Windows, and it should also be compatible with XP.

Can you help me with this? Thanks in advance.

0 down vote favorite

1) How can I login amazon ec2 with root directly in putty??

each time i need to su - root first and change to root...is there any other ways??

2) How can I login amazon ec2 with root directly in winscp or filezilla??

since i want to "push" the file to some directly from my computer, but i cannot do this (e.g.create dir when login with ec2-user)

I would like to edit files in my /etc from winscp.

I have administrator privileges on this computer, How can i edit files and save them from Winscp in folders that require sudo be written before any modifying changes.

I would like to do this because I hate editing files in the terminal on a windows machine, and Winscp provides a nice editor which is often way more conv

Please and thank you.

I added a user to a group and set the file and dir content to 775. When i use winscp to modify a file it complains it cant set the timestamp bc of a permission error. But it is able to update the file i edit. Why? details on how i set the user is here but i dont think anyone needs to read it Why cant a group member modify a file in a group he is part of?