SCP - Secure Copy Protocol

SCP is a method of securely transferring files between a local host and a remote host or between two remote hosts.

1. Format: [username@]<computer>:<path>

   • Username: If not specified, your local username is used.

   • Computer: Can be a hostname (e.g., computer.cornell.edu) or an IP address.

   • Colon (:): Indicates a remote location.

   • Path: If not specified, the remote user’s home directory is used.

Examples:

Copying a file to a remote server

• “directory” must exist on the remote computer

• Paths beginning with “/” are absolute, others are relative to home directory

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To recursively copy a directory to a remote computer:

• The “-r” option specifies the recursive copy

• If “directory” doesn’t exist on the remote, it will be created

• If it does exist, just the contents will be copied