When you attempt to copy files from a Windows host to a remote Ubuntu server using PSCP (PuTTY Secure Copy Protocol), you may encounter the error message: "Remote to remote not supported." This error typically arises when the PSCP command is incorrectly constructed, leading to confusion about the source and destination of the file transfer.
Understanding the Problem
To understand the error, let’s first take a look at the original command that might lead to this issue:
pscp user@windows-host:/path/to/local/file user@remote-ubuntu-server:/path/to/destination/
In this command, the intent is to copy a file located on a Windows machine to a remote Ubuntu server, but it seems to suggest transferring from one remote server to another. PSCP does not support remote-to-remote file transfers directly; it can only facilitate transfers from a local system to a remote server.
Solution to the Problem
To resolve the "Remote to remote not supported" error, you need to break the operation into two distinct steps: first transferring the file from the Windows host to your local machine, and then transferring it from your local machine to the remote Ubuntu server.
Correct Steps:
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Transfer the File to Your Local Machine: To copy the file from the Windows host to your local machine, use the following command:
pscp user@windows-host:/path/to/local/file C:\path\to\local\destination\ -
Transfer the File to the Remote Ubuntu Server: After successfully copying the file to your local system, you can then transfer it to the remote server using:
pscp C:\path\to\local\destination\file user@remote-ubuntu-server:/path/to/destination/
Practical Example
For instance, if you're trying to copy a file named example.txt from your Windows machine located at C:\Users\YourUsername\Documents\ to the home directory of your Ubuntu server, you would do the following:
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Copy from Windows to Local Directory:
pscp user@windows-host:/C/Users/YourUsername/Documents/example.txt C:\Temp\ -
Copy from Local Directory to Remote Ubuntu Server:
pscp C:\Temp\example.txt user@remote-ubuntu-server:/home/username/
Additional Tips
- Ensure Correct Authentication: Make sure that you have the correct username and password or the appropriate SSH key setup for accessing both the Windows host and the remote Ubuntu server.
- Firewall Settings: Verify that the firewall on both systems allows PSCP connections.
- Using PSCP GUI: If the command line is not your preferred interface, consider using tools like WinSCP, which provides a graphical interface for file transfers and simplifies these operations.
Conclusion
The "Remote to remote not supported" error encountered when using PSCP is a straightforward issue that can be resolved by correctly structuring your file transfer commands. By breaking down the operation into two steps, transferring files from the Windows host to a local machine and then to the remote Ubuntu server, you can avoid this problem entirely.
For further reading and resources, consider the following:
By understanding and applying these steps, you can seamlessly transfer files between your Windows host and remote Ubuntu server without facing errors.
