Ubuntu server remote file access

[compdoc]

>> SSH does allows access to files, but not in the same way. You would 
>> have to copy the files to your PC first to use them. And having port 
>> 22 open invites

>Sorry? They're already kept on the server which runs 24/7. The whole point
of this is that I can read and update files at home without having to carry
a copy of everything everywhere.

Well, I wasn't very clear, I guess. You can open files without a VPN using
the SFTP client, the companion to SSH, but it's a manual process. (open the
client, connect, find the file, open it, etc.) 

And I know there is tunneling through SSH to provide a type of VPN, but I
have never done this and so cannot provide details. 

Either way, a VPN is preferred, IMO.