Dreamweaver 8 - SFTP doesn't work with new server; is there a workaround?

[travise38589766]

I've been using Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 (code view only) since it first came out.  I tried Adobe's later versions a couple times over the years, but found them uglier, slower, and less reliable.  So I stuck with Dreamweaver 8.

This week our server was upgrade to a version which no longer supports whatever [outdates] SSH ciphers Dreamweaver 8 uses.  The server folks are unwilling to make security exceptions for me, so they said I should switch to a newer version of Dreamweaver.  I've been trying Dreamweaver 21.5 but find it ugly, slow, buggy, and harder to use (especially when it comes to file management) than Dreamweaver 8.  I've said as much to the server folks and they said I could try to use Dreamweaver 8 with an SSH proxy, but I don't know how to do that.

So my question are:

Does anyone here have experience with getting older versions of Dreamweaver (like the late, great version 8) to connect to servers which require new SFTP ciphers? 

Is an SSH proxy something you'd set up on your own PC, or does it have to be on an external server (which seems like it would slow down connections to the destination server)? 

Is there a Dreamweaver Extension that modifies DW8's SFTP to include modern ciphers?  (I have no idea where to look for extensions anymore).

[BenPleysier]

My recommendation is to walk away from Dreamweaver.

Having said that, your best option for FTP is to use FileZilla, even when using the latest version of Dreamweaver. 

[travise38589766]

FileZilla works well with my server.  However, the challenge is finding a way to efficiently upload only the file I'm currently editing.

If I am making a change to one file, here's my flow:

1) open the test site in Dreamweaver

2) open a file

3) make a change to the file

4) upload the file to the test server

5) test the change

6) repeat steps 3-5 until satisfied

7) switch to the live site in Dreamweaver (same local files but different remote destination)

8) upload the file to the live server

9) verify that the change is working correctly on the live site

10) close the file in Dreamweaver

The challenge with Filezilla or any external uploader is finding a way to tell is what file to upload and to which server (steps 4 and 8).  That's why I love Dreamweaver's built-in SFTP since it always lets me upload the file I am currently editing.

[BenPleysier]

Tools like VS Code (with SFTP extensions) or Wappler might surprise you. They're lightweight, fast, and customizable - without the Adobe bloat.

If you want to try SSH Proxy (a.k.a. Jump Host or Tunnel)

• You’d set this up on your own PC using tools like OpenSSH or PuTTY (on Windows).
• It acts as a middleman: DW8 connects to the proxy using its old ciphers, and the proxy forwards traffic to the real server using modern ciphers.
• This can work, but setup is technical and may introduce latency or complexity—especially if switching between test/live environments.

[Nancy OShea]

It would be irresponsible to let you keep using DW8 for modern site development. It has no concept of RWD (responsive web design), WCAG (web accessibility), PHP 8, modern JavaScript, current HTML5 or CSS3 code.  You might as well be coding with a quill & ink pot. 

IDES: PHP Storm, Visual Studio Code or Eclipse. 

WORKFLOW: The local testing server (WAMP) is where my local site folder resides. See screenshot.

When I save a file from my code editor, it's auto saved to the testing server. There's nothing to upload. One less step to perform.

FileZilla opens my local testing server, from which I upload files to the remote server.