Step-by-Step Tutorial: Installing and Configuring PuTTY Secure Copy Client

The PuTTY Secure Copy Client (PSCP) is a command-line tool used to transfer files securely between a local Windows machine and a remote Linux/Unix server over an encrypted SSH connection.

Unlike the standard graphical PuTTY application, PSCP does not have a user interface and must be run directly through the Windows Command Prompt (cmd) or PowerShell. Setting Up PSCP Download pscp.exe from the official PuTTY website. Save the file on your computer.

Move pscp.exe to your primary project folder, or add its file directory path to your Windows Environment Variables (PATH) so you can run the command from any location on your machine. Basic Command Syntax

The fundamental structure for a PSCP transfer relies on establishing a source and a target location: pscp [options] source target Use code with caution.

Remote locations are always designated using the following structure: username@remote_host:/path/to/file. Step-by-Step File Transfers 1. Uploading Files (Local Windows to Remote Server)

Open your Command Prompt, navigate to the folder where your local file is saved, and run:

pscp C:\localfolder\document.txt username@server_ip:/home/username/destination/ Use code with caution.

C:\localfolder\document.txt: The exact location of the file on your Windows computer.

username@server_ip: Your login credentials and the server’s IP address/domain.

:/home/username/destination/: The absolute path directory where the file should be placed on the remote machine. 2. Downloading Files (Remote Server to Local Windows)

To fetch a file from your remote host and save it locally, switch the source and target parameters:

pscp username@server_ip:/home/username/remote_file.txt C:\localfolder\ Use code with caution. 3. Transferring Entire Directories

By default, PSCP only moves single files. If you need to copy an entire folder and all of its contents, you must add the -r (recursive) flag:

pscp -r C:\localfolder\myfolder username@server_ip:/home/username/destination/ Use code with caution. Essential PSCP Command Options

You can append these common flags to your command to modify how the application handles your secure transfer: Глава 5: Using PSCP to transfer files securely – PuTTY