Helpdesk

What is SCP? Why should I use it?

scp is a file transfer protocol not unlike FTP - it is a means to transfer files between client machines and Unix-based servers.

The difference is that scp is secure. The ftp protocol uses cleartext passwords than can be sniffed/intercept by malicious individuals. These passwords can then be used to compromise your account. scp, on the other hand, encrypts all data transfers so passwords cannot be intercepted.

Obtaining WinSCP

Using scp is quite easy, but as it is a separate communications protocol from ftp, you will need to obtain a new client program that can speak it. WinSCP is one such program that is as easy to use as most ftp programs and is free. It can be obtained from http://winscp.sourceforge.net/eng/. Look for the download link for the exe version, and save it to your desktop or where you prefer to install programs.

Using WinSCP

When you first run WinSCP, you will be presented with the main login configuration screen. Here, you will need to enter the address of the server you wish to conect to and your username.

If you are using a computer that only you use, then you might want to enter a password as well. If you are using a shared computer, it would probably be best not to enter a password at this time (you will be asked later).

Once you have configured the host name and user fields, click the SSH tab at the left sidebar of the window.

In this tab, make one change to the WinSCP default settings: for Preferred SSH protocol version, select 2

If this is the first time connecting to this server, click the Stored sessions tab next so that you can save your settings.

Here you can save your settings so that you won't go through the above each time. Click the Save button and give the session an appropriate name (usually the default is OK).

When you run WinSCP again, you will be presented with this screen first, so you can simply select the particular settings you want to use for login. If you wish to configure a connection to a new server, select the Basic tab and repeat the steps above.

Once you have all your settings configure, you can click the Login button at the bottom of the window.

The first time you connect to a particular server, you will see a notice about host keys and trust. You can click the Yes button - you will only see this the first time you connect to a server.

If you didn't configure a password above, then you should be presented with a password prompt.

Once you have sucessfully logged in, you will be presented with a two-pane window that should be familiar. On the left is a representation of your local (Windows) computer's file system. On the right is the remote (Unix) file system.

To transfer files first make sure to browse to the proper destination in the appropriate pane. Then browse to the file(s) that you want to transfer in the source pane (you can use control-click to select multiple files). Then press the F5 Copy button at the bottom of the window. Alternatively, you can press the F5 key or drag-and-drop files to initiate transfers.