Transferring Files with FileZilla

FileZilla is a free, cross-platform SFTP client with a drag-and-drop interface for moving files between your computer and CRCD storage. It's a good choice if you prefer a graphical tool over command-line scp or rsync. The screenshots below are from macOS; the Windows and Linux clients work the same way.

Connect to the VPN first

CRCD is reachable only from the University network. From off campus, connect to the GlobalProtect VPN before connecting with FileZilla.

Download the FileZilla Client from the FileZilla download page and install it, then work through the tabs below to connect and transfer files.

The first time you open FileZilla on macOS, confirm that you want to open an app downloaded from the internet. macOS may also ask FileZilla for permission to read a local location — such as a network volume — so it can list files to transfer; click Allow.

macOS confirming you want to open FileZilla, downloaded from the internet

macOS prompt to allow FileZilla to access files on a network volume

Fill in the Quickconnect bar at the top of the window, then click Quickconnect:

Field Value
Host sftp://h2p.crc.pitt.edu for SMP, MPI, or GPU; sftp://htc.crc.pitt.edu for HTC. The sftp:// prefix forces a secure connection.
Username Your Pitt username, all lowercase.
Password Your Pitt password.
Port 22

FileZilla Quickconnect bar filled in with host, username, password, and port 22

FileZilla asks whether to remember passwords — on your own computer, Save passwords is convenient; on a shared machine, choose Do not save passwords or protect them with a master password. Then, on first connection, FileZilla shows the server's host key: check Always trust this host, add this key to the cache and click OK.

FileZilla 'Remember passwords?' dialog

FileZilla 'Unknown host key' dialog showing the server fingerprint

Once connected, the Remote site panel on the right shows your CRCD home directory (/ihome/<group>/<username>); the Local site panel on the left is your own computer.

FileZilla connected, with the remote site showing the /ihome home directory

As you browse your computer to pick files, macOS asks FileZilla for permission to each personal folder (OneDrive, Desktop, Documents, Downloads). Click Allow on each so FileZilla can upload from and download to them.

macOS prompt to allow FileZilla to access files managed by OneDrive

macOS prompt to allow FileZilla to access your Desktop folder

macOS prompt to allow FileZilla to access your Documents folder

macOS prompt to allow FileZilla to access your Downloads folder

With both panels showing the folders you want, move files by dragging them between Local site and Remote site, or by double-clicking a file to send it to the other side. Progress appears in the transfer queue at the bottom, and finished transfers move to the Successful transfers tab.

FileZilla after a successful transfer, with the file now in the remote Downloads folder

FileZilla remembers recent connections. Next time, click the arrow next to Quickconnect and pick your saved host from the history instead of retyping it.

FileZilla Quickconnect dropdown showing the saved sftp connection in history

Where to put your data

Your home directory has a 75 GB quota. For large datasets, transfer into your group's project storage (/ix, /ix1, /vast) instead — see Storage Tiers and File Systems.