Using scp (Secure Copy)

scp (Secure Copy) lets you copy files to or from a remote system over SSH. It's straightforward for single file or directory transfers.

This command copies a local file to a remote system.

This command copies a file from a remote system to your current local directory (the dot represents the current directory).

This command copies an entire directory recursively to the remote system. The -r flag is essential for copying directories.

Using sftp (Interactive Transfer)

sftp opens an interactive session like an FTP client, but encrypted. It's useful for multiple file operations in one session.

This command starts an SFTP session. Once connected, you can use various commands:

• ls → list files on the remote system
• cd folder → change directory on the remote system
• get file.txt → download a file from remote to local
• put file.txt → upload a file from local to remote
• exit → close the SFTP session

Practical Examples

Here are some common real-world scenarios:

Example 1: Backing up a log file from a remote server to your local backup directory.

Example 2: Uploading website files to a remote web server directory.

sftp> cd /var/www/html
sftp> put index.html
sftp> exit

Example 3: Interactive file management with SFTP, changing directory on the remote system and uploading a specific file.