scp command

zchoyt · 09-07-2004, 02:15 PM

I am trying to use the scp command to copy a file from a cluster at my university to my local machine (using cygwin). I am typing:

Code:

scp  user@cluster.domain.edu: ~user/dir/dir/file.c

I keep getting the error:
scp: .: not a regular file

I thought it may be a permissions error, so I logged into my account on the cluster with ssh and checked the permissions. They were all readable.

I also tried putting a dot at the end of the command:

Code:

scp  user@cluster.domain.edu: ~user/dir/dir/file.c .

It generated the same error.

Does anyone know what this error means and it's origin?

Thanks

serz · 09-07-2004, 02:25 PM

Hmm.. try this way:

scp file_to_copy user@host:destination (destinationcould be /home/user/ for example)

I think that's the way I do it.

Tinkster · 09-07-2004, 02:27 PM

That's because you have a space where there
shouldn't be one ...

Try

Code:

scp  user@cluster.domain.edu:dir/dir/file.c .

The ~user construct is unnecessay, too, because
the user will be hooked up to his home by ssh in
the first place.

What you actually attempted (not intended) was to
copy the entire home of user to ~user/dir/dir/file.c

Cheers,
Tink

zchoyt · 09-07-2004, 02:34 PM

Thanks Tinkster. Worked like a champ. Just a syntax problem.

smell ya later

Tinkster · 09-07-2004, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by zchoyt
Thanks Tinkster. Worked like a champ. Just a syntax problem.

No problem, my pleasure :)

Quote:

smell ya later

Damn, I knew I shouldn't have skipped those
last 60 showers ... :}

Cheers,
Tink

Matey · 03-05-2009, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tinkster

No problem, my pleasure

Damn, I knew I shouldn't have skipped those
last 60 showers ... :}

Cheers,
Tink

LOLL

heh heh that was funny !

7 years later...

Same here, solved my problem too, so Thanks!

toc777 · 07-21-2010, 06:41 AM

8 years later...

Thanks Tinkster fixed my problem also.

dka07 · 03-23-2011, 11:48 PM

more years later...

Thanks Tinkster fixed my problem also.

purza · 03-30-2014, 09:33 AM

Thanks again Tinker in 2014. Anyone know why there is a " . " at the end of the line?

maluhia · 04-01-2014, 05:46 PM

The . at the end of the line refers to the current directory. In other words, you're asking scp to copy the file to the current directory, without changing the name of the file. If you wanted to copy it to a different directory, say, ~/directory, you could do:

scp user@cluster.domain.edu:dir/dir/file.c ~/directory/

Or, if you wanted to name the file differently in your current directory, you could do:

scp user@cluster.domain.edu:dir/dir/file.c new_name.c

or, equivalently:

scp user@cluster.domain.edu:dir/dir/file.c ./new_name.c

purza · 04-02-2014, 07:47 AM

Thansk Maluhia!