How to Fix Connection Issues to Remote Filesystems in Thunar on Debian Xfce

If you’re using Debian with Xfce and facing connection issues in Thunar (such as accessing WebDAV, SMB, FTP, etc.), it is because Thunar may fail to connect to remote filesystems even if the GVFS package is installed. This issue usually occurs because Thunar lacks the necessary backends to support these protocols.

The Solution Link to heading

Install GVFS Backends: Open a terminal and execute the following command:
```
sudo apt install gvfs-backends
```
This package provides the necessary components for connecting to remote filesystems.
Install Additional Packages (if needed): Depending on the protocol you need, you may also need the following packages:
- SMB (Windows Shares):
```
sudo apt install gvfs-smb
```
- FTP Support:
```
sudo apt install gvfs-fuse
```
- SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol):
```
sudo apt install gvfs-backends
```
Restart Thunar: Close and reopen Thunar to reload the GVFS modules. If this does not work, restart your Xfce session by logging out and back in.
Check for gvfs-daemon: Ensure that the GVFS daemon is running by executing:
```
ps aux | grep gvfs
```
If it is not running, you may need to restart your session or manually start it:
```
/usr/libexec/gvfsd &
```

Test Connection: Open Thunar and test access to the remote location by entering the address in the URL bar, e.g.,

smb://server.local/share
ftp://username@ftp.example.com/
davs://webdav.example.com/
sftp://user@server.local/