How to transfer files using the scp command

Introduction

Secure Copy Protocol (SCP) is a fast and secure way to transfer files between Unix-like systems. It uses Secure Shell (SSH) to transfer data and provides strong authentication and secure encrypted communications. This tutorial will guide you through the process of transferring files between servers using SCP. Since SCP uses SSH to secure the process, once SSH is set up and enabled, we can easily use SCP to transfer files between servers.

Prerequisites

• Familiarity with the server address, username, and password or SSH keys for authentication.
• Access to two servers with SCP installed and configured.

Step 1 – Connect to the server

Before using SCP, make sure you have SSH access to both servers. To establish an SSH connection, open a terminal and use the SSH command to connect to the server:

ssh username@server_ip

Step 2 – Use scp to transfer single and multiple files

Transfer a single file

To transfer a file from your device to the server:

scp /path/to/local/file username@server_ip:/path/to/remote/directory

scp username@server_ip:/path/to/remote/file /path/to/local/directory

scp -r /path/to/local/directory username@server_ip:/path/to/remote/directory

Step 3 – Check the files

After the transfer, check the integrity of the files:

1. Connect to the destination server: Use SSH to log in to the server where the files were transferred.
2. Navigate to directory: Change to the directory where the files were uploaded.
3. File list: from ls Or ls -l Use to view files and their details.
4. Check file integrity: Optionally, compare file sizes or use checksums (e.g. using md5sum) to make sure the files are intact.

Result

In this tutorial, you learned how to transfer files between servers using SCP. SCP provides a secure and efficient way to transfer files, and with these simple steps, you can easily move files between servers securely. It is an invaluable tool for system administrators and anyone who needs to securely transfer data across a network. Remember, always verify the integrity of your files after transferring them to make sure they are complete and not corrupted.