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Using RCP to Copy Files between Machines

Marian Hensler

Remote copy (RCP) is the UNIX utility designed to copy files and directories between machines. This utility allows copying between your account on the local machine (machine logged into) and a remote machine (other machine) after appropriate permissions are set up.

ADVANTAGE of using RCP is you can use it anytime. It is quick and easy.
DISADVANTAGE of using RCP is that when set up between individuals, personal files can not be kept private; therefore, this arrangement should be temporary and only done when an account owner is willing to permit another person complete access to all his files.

The examples below have been set up with EI being the local machine and GA being the remote machine; thus, we are copying files and directories from the remote machine, GA, or sending files to GA. In these examples someone else is the owner of the remote account. In reality you might have accounts on multiple machines and you could use RCP between your various accounts. The only difference is that the portion of the command reading his_login@ would be omitted.

CREATE a permission file on the remote machine. The owner of the account on the remote machine creates a .rhosts file in his HOME directory. The account owner then places the full machine address of your machine (in our example EI) followed by your login (your_login) in the remote .rhosts file. By this action, the account owner is giving you permission to copy and/or send files and directories directly between your account and the remote account.
```
                    ei.ecn.purdue.edu   your_login
```
COPY a file from the remote machine. The format is first the name of the command (RCP) followed by login of the remote account owner (his_login@) and remote machine name (ga:) then the name of the file on the remote machine (remote_file) and then the name you want the file to have when it appears in your current directory (my_file).
```
                $rcp his_login@ga:remote_file my_file
```
COPY a directory from the remote machine. Same as above, except the -r flag (to copy everything within the directory) follows the RCP command and the directory's name is specified.
```
                $rcp -r his_login@ga:remote_dir my_dir
```
SEND a file to the remote machine. The format is first the name of the command (RCP) then the name of the file on your machine (my_file) followed by login of the remote account owner (his_login@) and remote machine name (ga:) then the name you want the file to have when it appears on the remote machine (remote_file).
```
                $rcp my_file his_login@ga:remote_file
```
SEND a directory to the remote machine. Same as above, except the -r flag and directory name are included.
```
                $rcp -r my_dir his_login@ga:remote_dir
```
NOTE: When copying or sending directories, the name of the directory may be anything you desire, but all files within the directory will have names duplicating what was on the originating machine.

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Last modified: Friday, 31-Oct-97 11:51:21 EST
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