Working with Remote Files using bcftools and samtools (HTSlib)
· 18 min read
HTSlib-based tools like bcftools and samtools provide powerful capabilities for working with genomic data stored on remote servers. Whether your data is in AWS S3, accessible via FTP, or hosted on HTTPS endpoints, these tools allow you to efficiently query and subset remote files without downloading entire datasets. This guide covers authentication, remote file access patterns, and practical workflows.