Having a secure file transfer is one of the most important things when you are working on your computer. You might want to copy a file within your network and then send it across the globe or vice versa. You will always want to make sure that your data is safe, protected, and encrypted so that no one can access it except you. In this article, we will talk about two different protocols which are used for secure file transfer: rsync vs scp command.
What is Rsync?
Rsync is a fast and efficient way to copy files between two machines. It’s used for synchronizing files and directories between two machines, as well as for incremental backups. Rsync is a command line utility, so you’ll need to know how to use the command line if you want to use it.
Rsync is most commonly used for networked backups or mirror sites (making sure that each server has the same data), but can be used in any situation where you need files copied from one machine to another.
What is Scp?
Scp is a secure file transfer program. It allows you to transfer files between two remote servers, or between two local servers via ssh. The scp command can be used to copy files from a remote location on one host to the same location on another host, or from one remote location to another remote location.
The scp command uses public-key cryptography and server authentication (via .ssh/authorized_keys) for authentication of both hosts, which means that you don’t have to enter your password every time you want to copy some files over SSH.
If you’re looking for an easy way of transferring files securely over the internet with minimal hassle and setup time, then scp is probably going to be your best bet!
How to copy a file using rsync
To copy a file using rsync, you can use the following syntax:
rsync -avz /path/to/source/* user@host:/path/to/destination#^1
How to copy a file using scp command
The syntax of scp command is as follows −
scp [OPTION]… SRC [DEST]
You can copy a file or directory from one computer to another using the following format −
scp -r /home/user1/dir1 user2@server.com:/home/user2/dir2
Rsync vs Scp – Which one is faster?
- Rsync is faster than scp if you are copying a large file.
- Rsync is faster than scp if you are copying a large directory.
- Rsync is faster than scp if you are copying a large directory with a lot of files.
Rsync is a great tool to use to copy and synchronize files, but it can be slow if you have a lot of data. Scp is much faster, but it doesn’t have all of the features that rsync does. The decision about which one you should use depends on what your needs are for copying files over SSH.