scp and rsync for file transfer in Linux CLI - Commands & Configuration

Introduction

Sometimes you need to move files between computers safely and efficiently. scp and rsync are tools that help you copy files over a network, making sure your data gets where it needs to go.

When you want to copy a file from your laptop to a remote server quickly and securely.

When you need to back up a folder from one computer to another and keep the files in sync.

When you want to transfer files but only update the parts that changed to save time.

When you want to copy files over SSH without setting up extra services.

When you want to resume a file transfer if it was interrupted.

Commands

This command copies the file 'document.txt' from your local computer to the remote computer at IP 192.168.1.10 in the user's home directory. It uses SSH to transfer securely.

Terminal

scp /home/user/document.txt user@192.168.1.10:/home/user/

Expected Output

document.txt                                    100%   12KB  12.0KB/s   00:01

This command copies the entire 'photos' folder recursively to the remote user's home directory. The -r flag means copy folders and their contents.

Terminal

scp -r /home/user/photos user@192.168.1.10:/home/user/

Expected Output

photos/file1.jpg                                100%  500KB 500.0KB/s   00:01

photos/file2.jpg                                100%  450KB 450.0KB/s   00:01

→

-r - Copy directories recursively

This command syncs the 'project' folder to the remote 'project_backup' folder. It copies only changed files, preserves permissions, and compresses data during transfer.

Terminal

rsync -avz /home/user/project/ user@192.168.1.10:/home/user/project_backup/

Expected Output

sending incremental file list

file1.txt

file2.txt



sent 1.2M bytes  received 45 bytes  800.00K bytes/sec

total size is 1.1M  speedup is 0.92

→

-a - Archive mode to preserve permissions and timestamps

→

-v - Verbose output to see progress

→

-z - Compress data during transfer

This command copies a large file showing progress. It helps track transfer status for big files.

Terminal

rsync -avz --progress /home/user/largefile.iso user@192.168.1.10:/home/user/

Expected Output

largefile.iso

  100%  700MB  10.0MB/s  00:01

→

--progress - Show progress during transfer

Key Concept

If you remember nothing else, remember: scp copies files securely and simply, while rsync efficiently syncs files by copying only what changed.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting the -r flag when copying folders with scp

scp will fail or only copy the folder itself without contents

Always add -r to copy directories recursively with scp

Using rsync without a trailing slash on the source folder

rsync copies the folder itself instead of its contents, causing unexpected folder nesting

Add a trailing slash to the source path to copy only contents, e.g., /home/user/project/

Not specifying the remote username in scp or rsync commands

The command may fail or try to connect with the wrong user

Always include user@ before the remote IP or hostname

Summary

scp copies files or folders securely over SSH with simple commands.

rsync syncs files efficiently by copying only changes and can compress data.

Use -r with scp for folders and trailing slashes with rsync to control folder copying.