SCP File Transfers
Why can’t I use FTP?
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is used to transfer files from one
computer to another. FTP does not encrypt the data that it sends,
making it easy for hackers to obtain your username and password.
For this reason, we block the FTP protocol to ensure the safety
of our computer network.
SCP
SCP (Secure Copy) is an alternative to FTP that uses secure shell
encryption to transfer files from one computer to the other. This
protects your username and password along with the files you are
transferring from outside interception. To use SCP on Windows you
will need an SCP client.
SCP Windows Clients
There are several SCP clients that are freely available on the
Internet. The following is a list of some of the more popular
clients.
Instruction for WinSCP
WinSCP is fairly straight-forward and easy to use. You can either get
an installation package or a standalone application. The standalone
application is a small executable that you can put anywhere on your
computer or onto a removable device like a USB flashdrive. The following
provides step by step instructions:
-
Once you have installed/downloaded WinSCP, launch it by clicking on
the shortcut or the executable itself.
-
In the window that appears type in the name of a
CS machine in the Host name (e.g.
hecto.cs.umn.edu ).
-
Type in your
CS username and UNIX password in the appropriate fields.
-
Make sure to select "SCP" from the Protocol menu and then
click on "Login".
-
A "Warning" window will come up and ask if you want to
"Continue connecting and add host key to the cache?"
Click Yes.
-
WinSCP will now display a window that is split in two with your
local computer on the left and your
CS UNIX home directory on the right. You can navigate through the
directories by clicking on them or using the pulldown menus. You
are able to move directories to and from each location either by
using the "Copy" button at the bottom or by merely
dragging and dropping them into the desired location.
Note: If you are looking for your "Y:\" drive files they
are in the "windows" directory of your account.
-
Make sure to close WinSCP when you are done transferring the files.
How do I copy files that are in my Windows desktop or the My Documents folder of my account?
You cannot access the files that are located in your Windows profile
using SCP. When you use SCP you are connecting to UNIX machines, which
do not have access to your Windows profile. Since the Windows profile
is very volatile, we recommend that you store your files on your Y:\
drive. The Y:\ drive is accessible through your UNIX account in the
/windows directory, making it possible to access the files using SCP.
For more information on your Y:\ drive, see:
Mounting a Windows home directory and other Samba shares.
Linux/Unix/Solaris/etc.
SCP is usually part of the base UNIX installation. The scp command has
the following syntax:
scp <source_file> <destination_file>
Either file name can have a hostname with a user alias in front of it.
The following example shows how to copy a file (example.c) from your
current directory at home to your
CS account:
scp example.c username@hecto.cs.umn.edu:~
(Note: ~ is your home directory, so ~/example/ would be the example
directory inside your home directory. For more information please see
the man pages: "man scp".
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