This guide explains how to transfer your configuration from the Tiny SFTP Server to the Buru SFTP Server.

To execute the migration, you must manually retrieve your settings from the configuration file and apply them to the Buru version using the Web Administration dashboard.

Prerequisites

To perform the migration, you need the following:

• Access to the RebexTinySftpServer.exe.config file.
  • This file is located in the same folder as the Tiny SFTP executable.
• The Buru SFTP Server installer.
• Administrative privileges to install the Buru SFTP Server as a Windows Service.

Any setting can be applied to an already-installed instance of Buru SFTP Server; refer to the individual settings sections for more details.

Retrieve current settings

Before installing the new server, you need to access your current configuration values from the Tiny SFTP Server configuration file. The configuration file RebexTinySftpServer.exe.config is located in the same folder as the Tiny SFTP executable.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
  <appSettings>
    <!-- user credentials and root directory -->
    <add key="userName" value="tester" />
    <add key="userPassword" value="password" />
    <add key="userRootDir" value="C:\data" />

    <!-- server port -->
    <add key="sshPort" value="22" />

    <!-- comma-separated list of IP addresses the server will be bound to -->
    <add key="sshIPBindings" value="Any" />

    <!-- server host keys -->
    <add key="rsaPrivateKeyFile" value="server-private-key-rsa.ppk" />
    <add key="rsaPrivateKeyPassword" value="my-super-secure-password" />
    <add key="dssPrivateKeyFile" value="server-private-key-dss.ppk" />
    <add key="dssPrivateKeyPassword" value="my-super-secure-password" />

    <!-- directory path with user public keys for public key authentication -->
    <add key="userPublicKeyDir" value="C:\my_keys" />

    <!-- comma-separated list of enabled encryption ciphers -->
    <add key="ciphers" value="aes256-gcm@openssh.com, aes128-gcm@openssh.com, chacha20-poly1305@openssh.com" />

    <!-- ... -->
  </appSettings>
</configuration>

Install Buru SFTP Server

The most efficient way to migrate your primary user is to recreate them directly during the installation process.

Run the Buru SFTP Server installer, accept the License Agreement, select the destination location, and click Install. After completing the installation, the Buru SFTP Server configuration wizard will open.

Configure the Buru SFTP Server

When the Buru SFTP Server configuration wizard opens, you can step through the initial setup, add the primary user, and migrate most of the settings used in the Tiny SFTP Server:

Select server edition

Click Next.

See Licensing for the differences between Professional, Free, and Trial editions.

Register SSH/SFTP server as a Windows Service

Use the default options and click Next. The service account identity is used by the operating system to run the service and is not related to the user account used to log in to SFTP.

See Service account for guidance on choosing the right account.

SSH/SFTP endpoint configuration

• SSH port should use the sshPort value from the Tiny SFTP Server configuration.
• Local addresses should use the sshIPBindings values, converted to the appropriate format:
  • Specific IPv4/IPv6 addresses or hostnames should be added as is.
  • Special keywords should be mapped as follows:
    • IPv4Loopback → 127.0.0.1
    • IPv6Loopback → ::1
    • Loopback → 127.0.0.1, ::1
    • IPv4Any → 0.0.0.0
    • IPv6Any → ::
    • Any → 0.0.0.0, ::

See Enable SSH/SFTP for the full endpoint configuration reference.

Register Web Administration as a Windows Service

Enable Web Administration to activate the browser-based dashboard. We recommend using the default settings and clicking Next. As with the SSH/SFTP service, this service account identity is unrelated to the user account used to log in to SFTP.

Web administration endpoint configuration

Use the default settings and click Next. By default, it will be available at http://localhost:8880 and is only accessible from the same machine unless the configuration is changed to allow remote access.

Add user

If you want the migrated user to also have administrative access to the Web Admin, configure their credentials here using the values retrieved from Tiny SFTP configuration (userName, userPassword, userRootDir) and check the Allow access to Web administration option. Use full path as the SFTP root directory.

Otherwise, create a dedicated admin account here and add the Tiny SFTP user later through the Web Admin dashboard or CLI. In this case, keep the SFTP root directory field empty.

See User management overview and Manage users with Web Administration for adding more users after installation.

Post-installation tasks

Click Next and Finish to complete the installation.

You can now access the Web Administration dashboard (http://localhost:8880/) and log in with the credentials you just created.

The remaining settings from the Tiny configuration are not part of the wizard and must be applied afterwards through the Web Administration dashboard.

Additional users

Tiny supports only a single user; Buru supports any number, each with its own SFTP and/or Web Admin access. Add further accounts after installation when you need more SFTP users, or when the Tiny user should remain SFTP-only and a separate admin account handles the Web Admin.

See Manage users with Web Administration or Manage users with the CLI.

User public keys

If the Tiny configuration sets userPublicKeyDir, the directory at that path contains one or more .pub files that authorize the user to log in without a password. Buru stores public keys per user instead of in a shared directory, so each .pub file from userPublicKeyDir must be attached to the migrated user account.

In the Web Admin, open the user, expand Authentication settings, enable Public key authentication (SSH/SFTP only), and use Add public key file to upload each .pub file from the userPublicKeyDir folder. See Enable public key authentication for details.

Server private keys

The Tiny SFTP Server identifies itself with the private keys referenced by rsaPrivateKeyFile and dssPrivateKeyFile (optionally decrypted with rsaPrivateKeyPassword and dssPrivateKeyPassword). Buru generates a fresh set of host keys during installation, so migrating the Tiny keys is only necessary when existing clients must keep trusting the same server identity. Otherwise, clients will be prompted to accept the new server key on first connection.

The original key files can be reused as-is — every format Tiny accepts (PKCS #8, OpenSSH/OpenSSL SSLeay, PuTTY .ppk) is also read natively by Buru.

In the Web Admin, open Server configuration ⇒ SSH keys and remove the auto-generated entries for any key type you are about to migrate. Then, under SSH server key locations, enter the full path to the key file copied from the Tiny installation and click Add key path. If the key is encrypted, append ;password="<rsaPrivateKeyPassword>" to the path (escape inner double quotes and backslashes with \). Click Save and restart to apply.

See the keys reference for the full path syntax and the list of supported key file formats.