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scp ./local-file.txt [email protected]:/home/deploy/The command connects over SSH, authenticates as the specified VPS user, and transfers the file. For downloads, reverse the order. Use -i for a particular SSH key, uppercase -P for a non-standard port, and -r for a directory tree. The destination directory must already exist and be writable by the account you use.
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What scp does when you copy to a VPS
The OpenSSH project describes scp as a command that “copies files between hosts on a network.” A VPS is simply the remote host in this command. You identify it with a DNS name or IP address, an SSH login user, and, when necessary, a port and private key.
Current OpenSSH implementations run the transfer through SSH and use the SFTP protocol by default. That means scp uses the same encrypted connection and authentication as an SSH login; it does not create a separate password or encryption system. The legacy scp protocol is selected only with the -O compatibility option.
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Every transfer has two endpoints:
- Local: a path on the computer where you run the command.
- Remote:
[user@]host:path, or an equivalentscp://URI.
The general form is:
scp [options] source targetFor an upload, the source is local and the target is remote. For a download, the remote path is the source and your local path is the target.
Prerequisites before the first transfer
Have these details from your VPS setup:
- The VPS DNS name or IP address.
- The login username, such as
deploy. - The SSH port. It is often the default SSH port, but your server may use another one.
- The local path to the private key, if the server requires key authentication.
- A remote directory that the login user can write to.
First test the login itself. Substitute the same user, host, port, and key that you intend to use with scp:
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 -p 2222 [email protected]If this command cannot connect, fix the SSH connection before investigating a file path. Check the hostname or IP address, firewall rules, port, username, and key selection. A successful SSH login confirms that the network route and authentication details are usable for scp too.
Upload one file to your VPS
Copy a file into a remote directory
Run this locally:
scp ./local-file.txt [email protected]:/home/deploy/./local-file.txt is the source on your computer. The part before the colon identifies the VPS and account. The path after the colon is the destination directory. When the trailing destination is a directory, the original filename is retained.
Upload and rename in one command
Give the destination a filename instead of a directory:
scp ./build/app.tar.gz [email protected]:/tmp/app-release.tar.gzThe local file is stored on the VPS as /tmp/app-release.tar.gz. The parent directory must exist, and your account must be allowed to create or replace that file.
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After the transfer, inspect the remote path through SSH:
ssh [email protected] 'ls -l /tmp/app-release.tar.gz'This verifies both the spelling and the final location without relying on the progress display from scp.
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Download a file from the VPS
Put the remote path first and a local directory second:
scp [email protected]:/var/log/app.log ./logs/The file is copied from /var/log/app.log into the local ./logs/ directory. The local directory must already exist. To choose a different local filename, specify the full target path:
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Copy a directory recursively
Add -r when the source is a directory:
scp -r ./site [email protected]:/var/www/This copies the site directory and its contents below /var/www/. The manual notes that symbolic links encountered while traversing a directory with -r are followed, so check the tree if it contains links that point outside the directory you intended to transfer.
You can also download an entire remote directory:
scp -r [email protected]:/home/deploy/releases ./Recursive copying is convenient for small deployment trees. For a very large tree, consider whether transferring an archive as one file better suits your workflow; scp itself does not provide a separate synchronization or resume command.
Use an SSH key with scp
Select a private key explicitly
Use -i followed by the private-key path:
scp -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 ./backup.tar.gz [email protected]:/home/deploy/The option selects the identity file used for public-key authentication. Keep the private key on your local computer. It should never be copied to the VPS as part of a file-transfer workflow.
If your SSH configuration already selects the right key for a host alias, you can omit -i and use that alias. When a transfer unexpectedly asks for a password or reports an authentication failure, specify the key explicitly and test the same combination with ssh.
Combine a key with other connection options
Options can be placed together before the source and target:
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scp -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 -P 2222 -r ./site [email protected]:/var/www/This selects the private key, connects to port 2222, and recursively uploads the site directory.
Connect through a custom SSH port or jump host
Use a non-standard port
Use uppercase -P:
scp -P 2222 ./backup.tar.gz [email protected]:/home/deploy/-P selects the remote SSH port. Case matters: lowercase -p has a different purpose and preserves source modification times, access times, and mode bits. Confusing these options can send the command to the wrong port or preserve metadata when you did not intend to.
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Use a bastion host with ProxyJump
If the VPS is reachable only through an intermediary host, use -J exttt{} with the jump account and address:
scp -J [email protected] ./local-file [email protected]:/home/deploy/The connection first uses the bastion as a jump point and then reaches the VPS. The destination account remains deploy; the jump account is only for the intermediary connection.
Pass another SSH setting with -o
The -o option passes an SSH configuration setting. For example, if your environment has a host-specific SSH option configured, you can supply it on the command line in the same way you would with ssh. Keep the source and target after all options so the command is easy to audit.
Choose and verify the destination path
Upload to a user-owned directory first
Protected locations such as /var/www commonly reject writes from an ordinary deployment account. Upload to a directory owned by that account, then move the file with a privileged SSH command:
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scp ./app.tar.gz [email protected]:/home/deploy/
ssh [email protected] 'sudo install -m 0644 /home/deploy/app.tar.gz /var/www/app.tar.gz'The first command performs the file transfer as deploy. The second runs install with sudo and places the file at the protected path with mode 0644. This separates network transfer from the privileged operation; scp does not itself become root on the VPS.
Check that a directory exists and is writable
Inspect the remote directory before retrying a failed upload:
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ssh [email protected] 'pwd; ls -la /home/deploy/'For another destination, replace the path in the command. If the directory is missing, create it through an SSH session with an account authorized to do so. If it exists but is not writable, correct its ownership or permissions or choose a directory the login user owns.
Avoid colon ambiguity in local paths
The colon separates a remote host from its path. A local filename containing a colon can therefore be interpreted as a host specification. This matters especially with Windows-style names such as C:UsersNamefile.txt when they are passed unquoted through a shell that recognizes the colon syntax.
Use an explicit relative or absolute local path, or quote the path according to the shell you are using. For example, a local path beginning with ./ clearly identifies the source as local:
scp ./file.txt [email protected]:/home/deploy/Useful scp options
| Option | Purpose | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
-i identity_file |
Selects a private key for public-key authentication. | Use when the required key is not selected automatically by your SSH configuration. |
-P port |
Selects the remote SSH port. | Use for a VPS listening on a port other than the default. |
-r |
Recursively copies directories. | Use when the source or target is a directory tree. |
-p |
Preserves modification times, access times, and mode bits. | Use when source metadata must be retained. |
-C |
Enables SSH compression. | It can help with compressible text over a slow link; already-compressed archives may gain little. |
-q |
Suppresses the progress meter and diagnostics. | Use only when quiet output is required; omit it during troubleshooting. |
-v |
Increases SSH diagnostic output. | Use to inspect connection, authentication, and negotiation details. |
-l KBIT |
Limits transfer bandwidth in kilobits per second. | Use when the copy must not consume the entire available link. |
-J jump_host |
Uses a bastion through SSH ProxyJump. | Use when the VPS is reachable through an intermediary host. |
-O |
Selects the legacy scp protocol instead of the current SFTP-based behavior. | Use only for a documented compatibility requirement. |
For example, to upload a text-heavy directory through a key-authenticated server on port 2222 while limiting bandwidth:
scp -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 -P 2222 -C -l 20000 -r ./site [email protected]:/home/deploy/The limit is expressed in kilobits per second. Remove -C for an archive or other data that is already compressed.
Platform notes for local paths
Linux and macOS shells
Use relative paths such as ./build/app.tar.gz or absolute paths such as /Users/name/build/app.tar.gz. Quote a path when spaces or shell metacharacters are present:
scp "./release builds/app.tar.gz" [email protected]:/home/deploy/The quoting rules belong to your local shell; scp receives the resulting path.
Windows OpenSSH environments
OpenSSH clients on Windows accept Windows paths, but the colon in a drive-letter path can conflict with scp’s host-and-path syntax when the path is not clearly local. Use the path form required by your shell and quote it where appropriate. A relative path such as ./app.tar.gz avoids that ambiguity. If a path contains spaces, quote the entire local argument.
A repeatable deployment workflow
For routine releases, use the following sequence so connection problems and permission problems are separated:
- Confirm the connection: run
sshwith the intended user, key, host, and port. - Check the destination: verify the remote directory with
pwdandls -la. - Transfer to a writable staging path: upload the archive or build output under the login user’s home directory.
- Verify the file: use SSH to inspect its size, name, and location.
- Install into a protected path if necessary: use an authorized
sudo installcommand, setting the required mode. - Keep diagnostics available: do not use
-qwhile validating a new workflow.
A concrete release example is:
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 -p 2222 [email protected]
scp -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 -P 2222 ./app.tar.gz [email protected]:/home/deploy/
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 -p 2222 [email protected] 'ls -l /home/deploy/app.tar.gz'
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 -p 2222 [email protected] 'sudo install -m 0644 /home/deploy/app.tar.gz /var/www/app.tar.gz'Using the same connection parameters in every step prevents a successful login test from being misleading when the transfer uses a different key or port.
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“Permission denied”
This usually means either authentication failed or the authenticated account cannot write to the destination. First run the matching SSH command:
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 -p 2222 [email protected]If SSH itself rejects the key or account, correct authentication. If SSH succeeds but the copy is rejected, upload into a user-owned directory such as /home/deploy, then move the file with an authorized privileged command. Do not attempt to solve a remote filesystem permission problem by copying your private key to the VPS.
“No such file or directory”
Check both sides of the transfer. On the local computer, confirm the source path and filename. On the VPS, inspect the destination and its parent directory:
ssh [email protected] 'pwd; ls -la /path'Pay attention to capitalization, spelling, and whether you intended a directory or a complete destination filename.
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Connection timeout or refused
Verify the DNS name or IP address, firewall rules, SSH port, and username. If the server uses port 2222, scp must include uppercase -P 2222. A wrong port can look like a server outage.
Authentication uses the wrong key
Specify the intended identity explicitly with -i and use the same key in the SSH test. Keep the private key local and protect its file permissions. If your SSH configuration has several identities, explicit selection makes the transfer predictable.
The host-key prompt is unexpected
On a first connection, SSH may ask you to verify the server’s host-key fingerprint. Confirm that fingerprint through a trusted VPS provider console or documentation before accepting it. Do not approve an unfamiliar fingerprint merely to make the command continue.
Diagnostics are too limited
Remove -q and add -v:
scp -v -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 ./file.txt [email protected]:/home/deploy/The verbose output exposes connection and authentication negotiation details. Use it to distinguish a network or login failure from a remote path or permission failure.
Quick Recap
Security practices for scp transfers
- Protect the private key: keep it on the local computer and never upload it to the VPS.
- Verify host keys: check a new server’s fingerprint through a trusted console or documented channel.
- Use key authentication where possible: it avoids putting a password in a command and works with the same SSH authentication used by the login session.
- Keep secrets out of shell history: do not place passwords, tokens, or other credentials in command arguments.
- Use the least-privileged destination: stage uploads in a directory the deployment account owns, then perform only the required privileged installation step.
- Review recursive sources: because
-rfollows symbolic links encountered during traversal, inspect links before copying a directory tree.
Quick command reference
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Upload one file | scp ./local-file.txt [email protected]:/home/deploy/ |
| Upload with a new name | scp ./build/app.tar.gz [email protected]:/tmp/app-release.tar.gz |
| Download one file | scp [email protected]:/var/log/app.log ./logs/ |
| Copy a directory | scp -r ./site [email protected]:/var/www/ |
| Use a private key | scp -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 ./backup.tar.gz [email protected]:/home/deploy/ |
| Use a custom port | scp -P 2222 ./backup.tar.gz [email protected]:/home/deploy/ |
| Use a jump host | scp -J [email protected] ./local-file [email protected]:/home/deploy/ |
| Show connection diagnostics | scp -v ./local-file.txt [email protected]:/home/deploy/ |
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