`scp` command

Copy files between computers over SSH.

Downloads & file transfer
Package openssh-client
6 options · 6 examples

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Syntax
Common options
Examples
Tips
Guides
Related commands

Syntax

scp [options] source… destination

Provided by the openssh-client package. Run man scp for the full manual.

Common options

Option	What it does
`-r`	Copy directories
`-P PORT`	SSH port (capital P)
`-i FILE`	Private key
`-p`	Keep times and modes
`-C`	Compress during transfer
`-l KBIT`	Limit the bandwidth

Examples

Upload a file
```
scp backup.tar.gz user@server:/tmp/
```
Download a file
```
scp user@server:/var/log/syslog .
```
Copy a directory
```
scp -r site/ user@server:/var/www/
```
Use another port
```
scp -P 2222 file.txt user@server:~
```

Use a key

scp -i ~/.ssh/key.pem app.zip ubuntu@server:~

Between two remote hosts
```
scp user@a:/data/file user@b:/data/
```

Tips

For big or repeated copies, rsync is faster and can resume.

scp guides

Resolved ‘bash: scp: command not found’ Issue in Linux Security · Updated Apr 2025
How to Pass Password to ssh/scp Command in Bash Script Shell Scripting · Updated Apr 2025

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