How to mount a remote server folder

Background

I wanted to mount a specific remote folder sitting on a Linux-based server (for the purpose of this blog I call it hpc_data) so that I navigate to it with Finder. More specifically I want to use the macOS c.q. brew implementation of a little Linux-tool named rename that for some particular reasons works much better in the brew implementation.

I thought it would be easy with brew install sshfs but this is no longer supported on macOS. I couldn’t figure it out with StackExchange and some blogs on Google. So, I turned to ChatGPT and got some great instructions. Yes, I admit it, I use ChatGPT. A lot actually, especially for coding related things; it helps a lot with fixing errors or setting up a well structured script.

Setting up a sshfs-alternative on macOS

There sshfs alternative method to mount remote directories on macOS works using macFUSE and FUSE for macOS with a replacement tool for sshfs called osxfuse or FUSE-T.

Here’s how to set this up:

Step 1: Install macFUSE

1. Go to the macFUSE website and download the latest release of macFUSE.

2. Install the macFUSE package by following the instructions.

Step 2: Install `FUSE-T` as an `sshfs` Alternative

Once macFUSE is installed, you'll need to use a tool that provides sshfs-like functionality on macOS. FUSE-T is a suitable replacement.

1. Install FUSE-T via Homebrew - I assume you have brew installed:

brew install macfuse
brew install gromgit/fuse/sshfs-mac

Step 3: Mount the Remote Directory

Now, you can mount your remote folder with sshfs-like functionality using the sshfs-mac tool:

1. Create your local mount point (if not already created):

   mkdir ~/mnt/hpc_data

2. Mount the remote directory using `sshfs-mac`:

   sshfs -o ssh_command="ssh -Y -i ~/.ssh/location_of_id_rsa_file -l YOUR_USERNAME -L 9999:location.of.server.com:22 location.of.server.com" YOUR_USERNAME@location.of.server.com:/data/location/on/your/favorit/sever ~/mnt/hpc_data

This should work similarly to sshfs but using the updated macOS-compatible tools.

Step 4: Unmount When Done

When you're done, you can unmount the directory:

umount ~/mnt/hpc_data

or use:

diskutil unmount ~/mnt/hpc_data

This setup allows you to navigate the remote directory in Finder.

Taking it a bit further

However, I’d like to simplify the latter workflow. I’d like to have either a command I could type on the Terminal, for instance mount_hpc_data.

Option 1: Use a Shell Alias/Function

You can add the `sshfs-mac` command to your shell configuration file (like `.bashrc` or `.zshrc`) to create an easy-to-use function or alias for mounting the directory. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open your terminal and edit your shell configuration file:

   nano ~/.bashrc

   I am a bash user - call me a Bourne-fan. The standard on macOS is nowadays zsh, so it would be nano ~/.zshrc in that case. Anyway…

2. Add the following function (or alias) for easy mounting:

   function mount_bulkhpt() {

      sshfs-mac -o ssh_command="ssh -Y -i ~/.ssh/location_of_id_rsa_file -l YOUR_USERNAME -L 9999:location.of.server.com:22 location.of.server.com" YOUR_USERNAME@location.of.server.com:/data/location/on/your/favorit/sever ~/mnt/hpc_data

   }

   function unmount_bulkhpt() {

      umount ~/mnt/hpc_data

   }

   You could also replace this part ssh -Y -i ~/.ssh/location_of_id_rsa_file -l YOUR_USERNAME -L 9999:location.of.server.com:22 location.of.server.com with something like ssh load_hpc_data and set this SSH configuration to your .ssh/config. In either case, this function will mount the remote directory to ~/mnt/hpc_data.

3. Save the file (Ctrl + X, then Y, and press Enter).

4. Reload your shell configuration:

   source ~/.bashrc (or ~/.zshrc for the common users)

5. Now, to mount the remote directory, simply type the following in your Terminal::

   mount_bulkhpt

6. And when you're done, unmount it with:

   unmount_bulkhpt

Option 2: Write a Simple Mounting Script

Of course, you can also dump the above in a dedicated script to handle the mounting process, which you can run anytime.

1. Create a script file:

   nano ~/bin/mount_hpc_data.sh

2. Add the following content to the script:

   bash

   #!/bin/bash

   sshfs-mac -o ssh_command="ssh -Y -i ~/.ssh/location_of_id_rsa_file -l YOUR_USERNAME -L 9999:location.of.server.com:22 location.of.server.com" YOUR_USERNAME@location.of.server.com:/data/location/on/your/favorit/sever ~/mnt/hpc_data

3. Make the script executable:

   chmod +x ~/bin/mount_hpc_data.sh

4. Now, whenever you want to mount the folder, simply run:

   bash ~/bin/mount_hpc_data.sh

Both of these methods allow you to easily mount remote directories.

In this case ChatGPT made my life a lot easier. It was only 5 minutes work, okay, excluding this blogpost. The amount time I already spend searching on StackExchange and Google was much longer - try 30+ minutes.

You may have to change some macOS security settings for this to work. Just follow the instructions when you first hit mount_bulkhpt or run your mount_hpc_data.sh script.

A paid alternative

Of course, the above is the cheep version: it’s free and if you’re an admin of your system you shouldn’t have any issues. There’s is also a great alternative that comes with a price, but it’s a good deal, especially in combination with the free version of it’s twin-buddy. I am talking about Mountain Duck. This little program settles in your menubar and in the Finder and enables you to load a remote disk after you opened a tunnel in Terminal.

In my use-case using Mountain Duck is very handy, as I can use some scripts, slideDupIdentify.py or slideRename.py, from the slideToolKit that require dmtx and show an image thumbnail. So I open a Terminal, navigate to the right folder, and use slideRename.py to quickly rename some whole-slide image files on the remote folder. If you’re already using CyberDuck all your bookmarks will be readily available in Mountain Duck.

Security

Of course the above - specifically the Terminal version - should be used with care. Security and data integretity may be compromised when multiple users access the same folder, or when a user has far reaching rights on a given folder structure. So, be advised: tread carefully.