Secure Copy Files Between Linux and Linux Servers

SCP (Secure Copy Protocol) is a simple and secure way to transfer files between your Linux machine and a Linux server. This article explains how to use the scp command in the Linux terminal to copy files to and from a Linux server.

Step 1: Ensure SSH is Enabled on the Linux Server

Make sure the SSH service is installed and running on your Linux server. Use the following command:
sudo apt-get install openssh-server

Step 2: Use the scp Command to Transfer Files

Copy a File from Local to Remote Server

To upload a file from your local machine to the Linux server:
scp /path/to/local/file username@hostname_or_ip:/path/to/remote/directory
  • Replace /path/to/local/file with the full path to the file on your local machine.
  • Replace username with your Linux server username.
  • Replace hostname_or_ip with your server’s IP address or domain name.
  • Replace /path/to/remote/directory with the target directory on the server.

Copy a File from Remote Server to Local Machine

To download a file from the Linux server to your local machine:
scp username@hostname_or_ip:/path/to/remote/file /path/to/local/directory
  • Replace /path/to/remote/file with the file’s path on the server.
  • Replace /path/to/local/directory with the target directory on your local machine.

Example Commands

Upload Example

scp ~/Documents/example.txt user@192.168.1.10:/home/user/uploads

Download Example

scp user@192.168.1.10:/home/user/uploads/example.txt ~/Downloads