Upload File From Local to Unix Server

Sooner or later on, you lot'll find yourself in a state of affairs where you have to upload the file to the remote server over SSH or copy a file from it.

In that location are various ways you tin transfer files over SSH. I am going to hash out the following methods hither:

1. scp: Legacy command which is existence deprecated
2. rsync: Popular control for file synchronization
3. sshfs: Mounting remote directory over SSH
4. sftp clients: GUI tool for accessing file over SFTP

For a successful file transfer over SSH, you demand to

• to have SSH access between the two machines
• to know the username and countersign on the remote machine
• IP address or hostname (on the aforementioned subnet) of the remote motorcar

With that aside, allow'south run across the methods for copying files between remote systems via SSH.

Method 1: Utilize scp command to copy files over SSH

I have read that scp is going to be deprecated. Still, it is my favorite tool for transferring files between systems over SSH. Why? Because its syntax is similar to the cp command.

Let's see how to use the scp control.

Copy files from the remote auto to your local machine

Here's the scenario. You want to copy files from the remote Linux system to the currently logged in organisation.

Hither's a generic syntax that copies the file from the home directory of the user on the remote system to the current directory of your locally logged in system.

            scp [email protected]_address:/dwelling/username/filename .          

Do yous see the similarity with the cp control? Information technology's almost the same except that you have to specify username and ip address with colon (:).

At present, let me show you a real-world example of this command.

In the example to a higher place, I copied the file remote.txt from the /home/abhishek/my_file directory on the remote organization to the current directory of the local machine.

This should requite you a hint that you should know the verbal location of the file on the remote system. The tab completion does not work on remote systems.

Copy files from your local motorcar to the remote machine

The scenario is slightly changed here. In this one, you are sending a local file to the remote system over SSH using scp.

This is a generic syntax which will copy the filename to the home directory of username on the remote system.

            scp filename [email protected]_address:/home/username          

In the above case, I copied local.txt file from the current directory to the dwelling house directory of the user abhishek on the remote system.

Then I logged into the remote organisation to show that the file has actually been copied.

You can copy directories as well

Retrieve I told you I similar scp because of its similarity with the cp command?

Like cp control, you can too use scp to copy directory over SSH. The syntax is similar to the cp command as well. Yous just have to use the -r option.

            scp -r source_dir [email protected]_address:/home/username/target_dir          

You tin can do a lot more with it. Read some more examples of scp command in this tutorial:

Using scp Command in Linux: 10 Practical Examples Explained

Here are some practical and essential scp command instance to show how to securely copy files betwixt remote Linux systems.

Linux Handbook Abhishek Prakash

Method 2: Use rsync to copy files and directories over SSH

Since scp is being deprecated, rsync is the next best tool for copying files between remote organization over SSH. Actually, it is better than scp in many terms.

The command syntax is the same as scp. Older versions of rsync had to apply rsync -e ssh but that'due south not the case anymore.

Re-create files from the remote automobile to your local car

Let's say you desire to re-create a file from the home directory of the user on the remote system to the electric current directory of your locally logged in system.

            rsync [email protected]_address:/home/username/filename .          

Let's take the same example yous saw with scp. I am copying the file remote.txt from the /domicile/abhishek/my_file directory on the remote system to the current directory of the local car.

Re-create files from your local machine to the remote automobile

Here is a generic syntax which will copy the file to the dwelling house directory of username on the remote system.

            rsync filename [electronic mail protected]_address:/dwelling house/username          

Time to see the real world instance. I am copying local.txt file from the current directory to the habitation directory of the user abhishek on the remote system.

How virtually copying directories with rsync?

It'southward the same. Just use -r option with rsync to re-create entire directory over SSH between remote systems.

            rsync -r source_dir [email protected]_address:/home/username/target_dir          

Take a look at this example. I copy the entire my_file directory from the remote organisation to the local organization.

rsync is a versatile tool. Information technology is essentially a tool for 'recursively syncing' the contents between 2 directories and quite popular for making automatic backups.

15 Practical Examples of rsync Command in Linux

Wondering how to employ rsync command? This article lists some of the essential usages of the rsync command in Linux.

Linux Handbook seeni

Method three: Using SSHFS to access files from remote system over SSH

There is also SSHFS (SSH Filesystem) that tin can be used to access remote files and directories. Notwithstanding, this is not very user-friendly just for copying files.

In this method, you mountain the remote directory on your local organisation. Once mounted, you can re-create files between the mounted directory and the local system.

You may demand to install sshfs on your local system first using your distribution'southward package manager.

On Debian and Ubuntu, you may use the following control:

            sudo apt install sshfs          

One time you have sshfs installed on your system, y'all can use it to mount the remote directory. It would exist improve to create a dedicated directory for the mount point.

            mkdir mount_dir          

Now mountain the desired directory on the remote car in this style:

            sshfs [email protected]_address:path_to_dir mount_dir          

Once it is mounted, y'all can copy files into this directory or from this directory every bit if it is on your local machine itself.

            cp local_file mount_dir          

Remember that yous have mounted this file. Once your work is done, you should also unmount it:

            umount mount_dir          

Here'south an instance where I mounted the my_file directory from the remote arrangement to the remote_dir directory on the local system. I copied the remote.txt file to the local system and then unmounted the directory.

Method four: Employ a GUI-based SFTP client for transferring files between remote systems

As the last resort, you can use an FTP client for transferring files between remote and local systems.

FileZilla is one of the most popular cross-platform FTP client. You can easily install on your local system.

In one case installed, go to File->Site Manager and add the remote system details like IP address, SSH port number, username and countersign.

Once y'all connect, you lot can see a split window view that shows the local filesystem on the left and the remote filesystem on the right.

To transfer the file, drag and drop files from left to right or correct to left. A progress bar appears at the bottom.

Which method practise yous adopt?

Alright! I showed various control line and GUI methods that tin can be used for copying files over SSH.

Now it is up to you to decide which method to use here. Practise annotate your preferred method for transferring files over SSH.

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Source: https://linuxhandbook.com/transfer-files-ssh/

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