fs.sshfs
Pyfilesystem2 over SSH using paramiko
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need SSH file access in Python and want to avoid paramiko's low-level SFTP API. The package is stable, dependency-light, and carries no vulnerabilities. The main caveat is dormancy—no active maintenance since mid-2023—so it's best for stable use cases rather than projects requiring ongoing feature development or rapid bug fixes. Copyleft licensing (LGPLv2+) requires review if you plan to distribute proprietary derivatives.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires a working SSH server and valid credentials (password, key, or SSH config).
- paramiko must be able to negotiate a connection; host key verification policy defaults to AutoAddPolicy.
- Installation is straightforward with low friction—a pure-Python wheel with six runtime dependencies including paramiko and fs.
License · maintenance · safety
LGPLv2+ (copyleft) — Licensed under LGPLv2+, a copyleft license. Derivative works and modifications must be distributed under compatible terms; static linking or proprietary wrapping requires legal review.
last release 2023-08-17 (1093 days) · last repo commit 2024-01-23 · 94 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 123,416 downloads/mo, #11,908 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
import fs
my_fs = fs.open_fs("ssh://user@host/path")
# Or with the constructor:
from fs.sshfs import SSHFS
my_fs = SSHFS(host='example.com', user='alice', pkey='/home/alice/.ssh/id_rsa')- Whether the package handles modern SSH key formats (ed25519, etc.) or is limited to older paramiko-supported types.
- Performance characteristics for large file transfers or bulk directory operations over high-latency links.
- Compatibility with recent OpenSSH server versions and non-standard SSH configurations.
What it is and what it does
fs.sshfs wraps paramiko's SSH/SFTP client in a PyFilesystem2 abstraction, so you can treat a remote SSH server as a filesystem object in Python. Instead of manually opening SFTP channels and handling protocol details, you use the same high-level API (open, read, write, listdir, mkdir) that PyFilesystem2 provides for local, memory, and other storage backends. It supports both simple URL-based connection (via fs.open_fs) and direct constructor calls with fine-grained control over timeouts, compression, key authentication, and SSH config file integration.
The package depends on paramiko for SSH transport, fs for the filesystem abstraction, property-cached for performance optimization, and six for Python 2/3 compatibility. It runs on Python 2.7 and 3.5 onwards. While dormant since mid-2023, it remains stable and carries no known security vulnerabilities, making it suitable for applications that need transparent SSH file access without managing low-level SFTP protocol details.
Use it for
- Backup or sync scripts that treat remote servers as local directories without custom SFTP boilerplate.
- Data processing pipelines that read/write files on remote machines using standard filesystem operations.
- Configuration management tools that need to traverse and modify files across multiple SSH hosts uniformly.
- Testing frameworks that stage test data on remote servers and verify results using filesystem assertions.
- Multi-tenant applications that expose per-user remote storage via a consistent filesystem interface.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need SSH file access in Python and want to avoid paramiko's low-level SFTP API.
The package is stable, dependency-light, and carries no vulnerabilities. The main caveat is dormancy—no active maintenance since mid-2023—so it's best for stable use cases rather than projects requiring ongoing feature development or rapid bug fixes. Copyleft licensing (LGPLv2+) requires review if you plan to distribute proprietary derivatives.
Install
fs-sshfs on PyPI
Before you install
Installation is straightforward with low friction—a pure-Python wheel with six runtime dependencies including paramiko and fs. The package is dormant (last release 2023-08-17, last commit 2024-01-23), but marked Production/Stable and has no known vulnerabilities.
Requires a working SSH server and valid credentials (password, key, or SSH config). paramiko must be able to negotiate a connection; host key verification policy defaults to AutoAddPolicy.
License in practice
Licensed under LGPLv2+, a copyleft license. Derivative works and modifications must be distributed under compatible terms; static linking or proprietary wrapping requires legal review.
Quickstart
import fs
my_fs = fs.open_fs("ssh://user@host/path")
# Or with the constructor:
from fs.sshfs import SSHFS
my_fs = SSHFS(host='example.com', user='alice', pkey='/home/alice/.ssh/id_rsa')Verify before relying
- Whether the package handles modern SSH key formats (ed25519, etc.) or is limited to older paramiko-supported types.
- Performance characteristics for large file transfers or bulk directory operations over high-latency links.
- Compatibility with recent OpenSSH server versions and non-standard SSH configurations.
Package facts
| License | LGPLv2+ copyleft |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release !=3.0.*,!=3.1.*,!=3.2.*,!=3.3.*,>=2.7 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 6 packagesproperty-cachedfsparamikosixsetuptoolsconfigparser |
| Maintenance | Dormant 1,093 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 123,416 / month, #11,908 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: GNU Lesser General Public License v2 or later (LGPLv2+)Operating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: InternetTopic :: SecurityTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python ModulesTopic :: System :: Filesystems |
Evidence: fs.sshfs-1.0.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl
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See also fs · sshfs · littlefs-python · python-rrmngmnt · sshconf · pysftp · fs-s3fs · sftpretty · mock-ssh-server · scp