Quickstart

Get up and running with React Native SSH SFTP in minutes

This guide will help you connect to an SSH server and execute your first command in just a few minutes.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• Completed the installation steps
• An SSH server you can connect to (hostname, port, username, and password or private key)
• A React Native project set up and running

Connect and execute a command

Follow these steps to establish your first SSH connection and run a command.

1. Import the library

   Import the SSHClient class into your React Native component:

   import SSHClient from '@dylankenneally/react-native-ssh-sftp';
   
2. Connect to your server

   Use either password or key-based authentication to connect:

   Password Authentication

   const client = await SSHClient.connectWithPassword(
     "10.0.0.10",    // host
     22,             // port
     "username",     // username
     "password"      // password
   );
   

   Private Key Authentication

   const privateKey = "-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----\n...";
   const passphrase = "optional-passphrase"; // optional
   
   const client = await SSHClient.connectWithKey(
     "10.0.0.10",    // host
     22,             // port
     "username",     // username
     privateKey,     // private key
     passphrase      // passphrase (optional)
   );
   
3. Execute a command

   Run a command on the remote server:

   const output = await client.execute('ls -la');
   console.log(output);
   
4. Clean up

   Always disconnect when you’re done:

   client.disconnect();
   

Complete example

Here’s a full React component that connects to an SSH server and executes a command:

import React, { useState } from 'react';
import { View, Button, Text, ScrollView } from 'react-native';
import SSHClient from '@dylankenneally/react-native-ssh-sftp';

export default function SSHExample() {
  const [output, setOutput] = useState('');
  const [error, setError] = useState('');

  const runSSHCommand = async () => {
    let client;
    try {
      // Connect to the server
      client = await SSHClient.connectWithPassword(
        "10.0.0.10",
        22,
        "username",
        "password"
      );

      // Execute a command
      const result = await client.execute('uname -a');
      setOutput(result);
      setError('');
    } catch (err) {
      setError(err.message);
      setOutput('');
    } finally {
      // Always disconnect
      if (client) {
        client.disconnect();
      }
    }
  };

  return (
    <View style={{ padding: 20 }}>
      <Button title="Run SSH Command" onPress={runSSHCommand} />
      
      {output && (
        <ScrollView style={{ marginTop: 20, padding: 10, backgroundColor: '#f0f0f0' }}>
          <Text style={{ fontFamily: 'monospace' }}>{output}</Text>
        </ScrollView>
      )}
      
      {error && (
        <Text style={{ color: 'red', marginTop: 10 }}>Error: {error}</Text>
      )}
    </View>
  );
}

This example uses password authentication for simplicity. In production, consider using key-based authentication for better security.

Next steps

Now that you’ve successfully connected and executed a command, explore more features:

Interactive Shell

Learn how to create interactive shell sessions

SFTP Operations

Transfer files and manage directories

Authentication

Understand authentication methods and key management

API Reference

Explore the complete API documentation