Transferring Files

Securely Transferring Files Between Systems

When a host is running the sshd service, it can also facilitate secure file transfers between systems. There are several commands available for this purpose:

• scp: For copying files.
• rsync: For synchronizing files.
• sftp: For transferring files using an FTP-like interface over SSH.

Using scp to Securely Copy Files

The scp (secure copy) command functions similarly to the cp (copy) command for local files, but it also supports remote hosts. This allows you to copy files and directories to and from remote systems.

• Basic Syntax: To copy a file to a remote host, you would use the command:
• scp /local/path/to/file user@remotehost:/remote/path/to/file Example: Copying the /etc/hosts file to the /tmp directory on server2:
• scp /etc/hosts server2:/tmp
• Copying as Another User: To copy a file to your home directory on server2 as the root user:
• scp root@server2:/etc/passwd ~
• Copying Directories: Use the -r option to copy an entire directory structure:
• scp -r /local/dir user@remotehost:/remote/dir Example: Copying the /etc directory from server2 to the /tmp directory:
• scp -r server2:/etc /tmp
• Specifying Non-Default SSH Port: To connect to a non-default SSH port, use the -P option (note the uppercase P for scp, while ssh uses lowercase -p):
• scp -P port_number /local/path/to/file user@remotehost:/remote/path/to/file

Using sftp to Securely Transfer Files

The sftp (SSH File Transfer Protocol) command provides an FTP-like interface for secure file transfers over SSH.

• Starting an sftp Session:
• Open an sftp session to a remote server running the sshd service:
• sftp user@remotehost
• Typical sftp Commands:
  • put to upload a file from your local system to the remote server.get to download a file from the remote server to your local system.
  Example commands within an sftp session:
• sftp> put /local/path/to/file /remote/path/to/file
• sftp> get /remote/path/to/file /local/path/to/file
  • Local Directory: The local directory context is important. When you put a file, it is taken from the current local directory. When you get a file, it is stored in the current local directory.

Using rsync for File Synchronization

The rsync command is a powerful tool for synchronizing files and directories between systems. It provides various options to control what is synchronized and how.

By leveraging these commands, you can securely and efficiently transfer files between systems, ensuring data integrity and security.

The rsync command leverages SSH to synchronize files between a remote directory and a local directory. The primary advantage of synchronization is that only the differences between files are transferred, making the process efficient. For instance, if a 100-MiB file has only a few changed blocks since the last sync, only those changes will be transferred. This method is known as delta synchronization.

Common rsync Options

Here are some frequently used rsync options:

Using SFTP to Manage Files on a Remote Server

Add a Hostname: From a sudo shell, add a line to match the IP address of server2 to the hostname server2.

Open an SFTP Session: From a terminal, type:

sftp student@server2

This opens an SFTP prompt on server

List Files: Type ls to see the files in the current working directory on the remote server
how Remote Directory: Type pwd to display the current directory on the remote server
Show Local Directory: Type lpwd to display your local current directory
Change Local Directory: Type lcd /tmp to change the local directory to /tmp
Upload a File: Type put /etc/hosts to upload the /etc/hosts file from server1 to the home directory of the student user on server2
Close SFTP Session: Type exit to close the SFTP session.

Configuring Key-Based Authentication for SSH

For enhanced security, especially when SSH is used over the Internet, it’s advisable to use public/private key authentication instead of passwords. This method is generally enabled by default due to its increased security.

Setting Up Key-Based Authentication

Generate Key Pair: On the client machine, generate a public/private key pair using:

ssh-keygen

Accept the default filename (~/.ssh/id_rsa) and press Enter twice when prompted for a passphrase if you prefer not to use one.

Copy Public Key to Server: Use ssh-copy-id to transfer the public key to the remote server:

ssh-copy-id user@server2

You will be prompted for the remote user’s password one last time.

Verify Key-Based Authentication: Test the setup by logging into the remote server:

ssh user@server2 You should be able to log in without entering a password.

Important Considerations

• The public key is stored in the ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file on the server.
• Multiple users can have their keys in the authorized_keys file; ensure not to overwrite this file to avoid disrupting other users’ access.

By following these steps, you can securely and efficiently transfer files between systems, manage remote files with SFTP, and enhance your SSH security with key-based authentication.

Revision: Transferring Files

Using scp (Secure Copy Protocol)

scp is used to securely copy files between hosts on a network.

Copy a file from the local system to a remote system:

scp /path/to/local/file username@remote_host:/path/to/remote/directory

Example:

scp /home/user/file.txt user@192.168.1.100:/home/user/

• Copy a file from a remote system to the local system:

scp username@remote_host:/path/to/remote/file /path/to/local/directory

Example:

scp user@192.168.1.100:/home/user/file.txt /home/user/

• Copy a directory recursively from the local system to a remote system:

scp -r /path/to/local/directory username@remote_host:/path/to/remote/directory

Example:

scp -r /home/user/mydir user@192.168.1.100:/home/user/

Using rsync (Remote Sync)

rsync is used for efficiently transferring and synchronizing files between systems.

1. Synchronize a file from the local system to a remote system:

rsync -av /path/to/local/file username@remote_host:/path/to/remote/directory

Example:

rsync -av /home/user/file.txt user@192.168.1.100:/home/user/

• Synchronize a file from a remote system to the local system:

rsync -av username@remote_host:/path/to/remote/file /path/to/local/directory

Example:

rsync -av user@192.168.1.100:/home/user/file.txt /home/user/

• Synchronize a directory from the local system to a remote system:

rsync -av /path/to/local/directory username@remote_host:/path/to/remote/directory

Example:

rsync -av /home/user/mydir/ user@192.168.1.100:/home/user/mydir/

Using sftp (SSH File Transfer Protocol)

sftp is an interactive file transfer program, similar to ftp, but uses SSH for security.

1. Start an sftp session:

sftp username@remote_host

Example:

sftp user@192.168.1.100

• Use put command to upload a file from local to remote system:

sftp> put /path/to/local/file /path/to/remote/directory

Example:

sftp> put /home/user/file.txt /home/user/

• Use get command to download a file from remote to local system:

sftp> get /path/to/remote/file /path/to/local/directory

Example:

sftp> get /home/user/file.txt /home/user/

• Use put -r command to upload a directory recursively from local to remote system:

sftp> put -r /path/to/local/directory /path/to/remote/directory

Example:

sftp> put -r /home/user/mydir /home/user/

These commands cover various scenarios of file transfer which are essential for general system administration tasks.