fuse: bad mount point `/mnt': Transport endpoint is not connected

I needed to locally edit remote files on my server, so I tried to mount the whole remote file system (/) on my local system with SSHFS like so:

 $ sshfs [email protected]:// /mnt -p 22

Then it stuck (cursor blinking, no output), so obviously I cancelled it with Ctrl+C.

After that, the mount point folder /mnt became sort of unusable, unreachable (you name it) and kept returning me this error message on any attempt to access it:

fuse: bad mount point `/mnt': Transport endpoint is not connected

And it took this weird look in its parent folder:

$ ls -l /
...
d?????????   ? ?    ?        ?            ? mnt`
...

How can I resolve the error and get back to normal?

What should I do to be able to use SSHFS?

1. Kill all sshfs processes

• Either with killall command:

  killall sshfs
  

  or selectively:

• Find all running sshfs processes:

  ps -ef | grep sshfs | grep -v grep
  

  Say you've got two of them running:

  $ ps -ef | grep sshfs | grep -v grep
  root     10906  5170  0 07:14 pts/0    00:00:00 sudo sshfs
  root     10907 10906  0 07:14 pts/0    00:00:00 sshfs 
  

• Now kill them both or selectively by identifying them by their PID:

  sudo kill -9 10906 10907
  

  
  

2. Unmount your mount point

sudo umount -l /mnt

3. Edit /etc/fuse.conf so you never meet the fuse: bad mount point `/mnt': Transport endpoint is not connected error again:

• Open it as root with your favorite editor, for example

  sudo atom /etc/fuse.conf
  

• Uncomment the user_allow_other line.
• Save and close.

4. Use SSHFS with the following options:

sudo sshfs \
-d \
-o allow_other \
-o reconnect \
-o ServerAliveInterval=15 \
[email protected]:/ /mnt \
-p 12345 \
-C

• -d turns debug mode on (gives more output)
• -o stands for "option"
• -p allows you to specify port number
• -C turns on compression
  

Sources:

• https://www.unix.com/unix-for-dummies-questions-and-answers/2470-correct-use-ps-ef-grep.html
• http://slopjong.de/2013/04/26/sshfs-transport-endpoint-is-not-connected
• https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/184965/open-file-from-remote-computer-on-host-computer