How to use the SCP (secure copy) command¶
SCP is a useful command that copies files between hosts on a network. For example, if I wanted to store files on my local machine on the remote machine(s) (i.e. the clusters), scp would be the command to use on a Mac/Linux terminal. On Windows, you will have to install WinSCP/Filezilla to do it for you. The scp command will not work in powershell or command prompt.
Windows¶
You will need to use Filezilla or WinSCP to upload your local files to the data transfer node on campus. WinSCP is available in the software center if you are you using a campus computer. If you are using a personal device, the download links are provided below:
WinSCP: https://winscp.net/eng/download.php
Filezilla: https://filezilla-project.org/
Log in¶
When you open up the application, you should be prompted with login credentials. For the host name, please use the pronto data transfer node host name:
prontodtn.las.iastate.edu
Keep the port number the same and login with your NetID and password.
After logging in, the left window pane will be your local files and the right side will be your remote files.
Transfer files from your computer to the cluster¶
To move files, drag and drop your files from the left window pane to the right window pane.
Transfer files from the cluster to your computer¶
To move files, drag and drop your files from the right window pane to the left window pane.
MacOS / Linux¶
You will need to use the terminal to navigate to transfer your file(s). On Mac, you can simply navigate to Finder < Applications < Utilities < Terminal. For Linux, you could simply right click on the desktop and select Open Terminal Here (This may be different depending on your version installed).
Navigate to the file location of where you want your file(s) to be transferred. If you are unfamiliar with how the Linux File System Structure works, please refer to this video (On Mac the overall structure is different, but the commands used still apply). Once you have arrived at the location, you will need to use the following commands:
Get a Kerberos ticket¶
To use scp, you will first need to ssh to prontodtn.las.iastate.edu. You may be prompted for your password twice. You should enter it both times to ensure that you get a Kerberos ticket. If you are not prompted for it a second time, run
kinit
After entering your password, you can disconnect from ssh. scp should then work.
Transfer files from your computer to the cluster¶
If you wish to transfer an entire folder with its contents (including its subfolders), use this command:
scp -r <FolderName> <YourNetID>@prontodtn.las.iastate.edu:/<YourWorkingDirectory>
For a single file only, you can use:
scp <FileName> <YourNetID>@prontodtn.las.iastate.edu:/<YourWorkingDirectory>
If this command doesn't seem to do anything, or just hangs, please see the previous section about getting a Kerberos ticket.
When finished, ssh to pronto/prontodtn and navigate to your working directory to verify that your files have successfully transferred.
Transfer files from the cluster to your computer¶
If you wish to transfer an entire folder with its contents (including its subfolders), use this command:
scp -r <YourNetID>@prontodtn.las.iastate.edu:/<YourWorkingDirectory>/<FolderName> <FolderName>
For a single file only, you can use:
scp <YourNetID>@prontodtn.las.iastate.edu:/<YourWorkingDirectory>/<FileName> <FileName>
When finished, navigate on your computer to