failed to inisialise sftp after update to 3.5.3

[iansane]

Hi, I have several servers I connect to with sftp through port 2222. After updating filezilla none of them will work. I get the error message, "Fatal: unable to initialise SFTP on server: could not connect". The same connections will work over ftp port 21. I found a few old posts saying to update the client but I have the latest version. I also tried the nightly build and get the same error.

Anyone know what is causing the issue?

Thanks

[botg]

"Fatal: unable to initialise SFTP on server: could not connect

This seems to be a server problem. Please contact the server administrator for assistance.

[iansane]

"Fatal: unable to initialise SFTP on server: could not connect

This seems to be a server problem. Please contact the server administrator for assistance.

Wow, a server problem caused by updating filezilla client? I don't mean to be insulting but that was the quickest, easiest, and most ridiculous answer I could receive to this problem.

As I said, the problem did not occur until I updated the filezilla client. Obviously something has changed in filezilla and the way it is trying to communicate sftp to the server that is causing the server to refuse to initialize the sftp connection the way filezilla is asking it to. Even if this is an issue on the server, it was a change in filezilla that caused it to become a problem. So, I'd like to hear from anyone else who had this issue who may know what I need to do to troubleshoot the issue.

Thank you

[boco]

What was your previous version? FileZilla uses a slightly adapted component of the PuTTY software (fzsftp.exe, based on psftp.exe). I believe that component was updated a few versions ago.

Can you connect with latest PuTTY's psftp.exe directly? Some people seem to had issues with PuTTY 0.61 and beyond where 0.60 worked fine.

[iansane]

thanks for the suggestion Boco,

I tested putty and winscp and both of them tell me shell access is not enabled for the servers I'm having the problem with. This would seem to imply that it is a server side problem if it had not worked fine before the update. But since putty and winscp can not connect either I tend to think maybe the problem on the server just wasn't being detected by the older version of filezilla.

I'll contact hostgator and see what they say. According to the support forum, this is supposed to be supported on all servers.
"SFTP is allowed on any server, and you can connect with PuTTY or WinSCP over port 2222 (port 22 for dedicated and VPS accounts)."

This has been true until now but I'll ask them to look into it. Maybe the way the connection goes through the main server on shared accounts and uses cpanel login to determine which account is causing an issue.

[boco]

FileZilla only supports SFTP, without shell access. The error message sounds like it is a (temporary?) problem on the server, in that it is unable to init an SFTP session for you. I guess by ''shell access'', the clients refer to Secure SHell (SSH) protocol.

Note that putty.exe will try a direct SSH2 session. For SFTP use psftp.exe.

[iansane]

Well, I found that one of my own shared accounts setup on my reseller plan it works. Actually all psftp, filezilla, winscp, and putty work with that one.

As for the accounts that don't work, even psftp gives me the "unable to init sftp" error.

So as you say, it probably is a temporary issue on the server. sftp without shell access is what I have been using but I'm not to well educated on how this works sense I was under the impression that the s in sftp was accomplished through ssh. Guess I have some to learn about that.

@botg, sorry this turns out to be most likely a server issue. I just don't feel that dismissing it because of the error message without troubleshooting the problem was correct, based on the fact that it started after updating the client.

I don't know if the other programs worked before or not because I have always been using filezilla. I haven't spoken to hostgator yet but will post it here if they provide me with a solution in case it is helpful to anyone else.

Thank you

[boco]

I was under the impression that the s in sftp was accomplished through ssh.

Actually SFTP uses the SSH2 protocol. It's using a subset of the SSH2 functionality to simulate an FTP-like experience.

[fcam]

I also use HostGator and can't connect using SFTP to port 2222, after upgrade to 3.5.3.

I went back to 3.5.2 and works again. I'll stick with that version until I figure this out

thanks

[iansane]

fcam,

I'm sorry to hear you experienced the same problem but glad I'm not just crazy

Have you tested any of the other options mentioned above (winscp, putty, psftp.exe)?

[iansane]

I was busy with some other things for a couple days but finally uninstalled and found 3.5.2 on filehippo(thank goodness) and installed it. Everything works fine now. I had to completely uninstall 3.5.3 for it to work. The downgrade option in the installer didn't work

[botg]

There have been no code changes related to SFTP between 3.5.2 and 3.5.3, the sources are identical.

[iansane]

Well, it's automagically fixed.

I decided to try the portable version of 3.5.3 on linux and windows and it worked perfectly.

Then I decided to try letting the full install 3.5.2 update like I had done originally and now updated to 3.5.3 it is working perfectly.

All I can guess is that something got corrupted during the update the first time and when I did a complete uninstall to install 3.5.2 it fixed the issue making it seem that 3.5.2 was working and 3.5.3 was not working. Actually it was the complete uninstall and re-install that fixed the issue, not the version downgrade.

So, thank you all for your suggestions and trying to help me resolve the issue.