Linux Pocket Guide, 2nd Edition

Name

scp — stdin  stdout  - file  -- opt  --help  --version

Synopsis

scp local_spec remote_spec

The scp (secure copy) command copies files and directories from one computer to another in batch. (For an interactive user interface, see sftp.) It encrypts all communication between the two machines. As a simple example, scp can copy a local file to a remote machine:

$ scp myfile remote.example.com:newfile

recursively copy a directory to a remote machine:

$ scp -r mydir remote.example.com:

copy a remote file to your local machine:

$ scp remote.example.com:myfile .

or recursively copy a remote directory to your local machine:

$ scp -r remote.example.com:mydir .

To specify an alternate username on the remote system, use the username@host syntax:

$ scp myfile [e-mail]:

Useful options

-p	Duplicate all file attributes (permissions, timestamps) when copying.
-r	Recursively copy a directory and its contents.
-v	Produce verbose output, useful for debugging.