rcp Command in Linux with examples

When working in a Linux environment, there often comes a time when you need to transfer files from one computer to another. While more secure options like scp or rsync exist, the rcp (Remote Copy Protocol) command offers a simple and efficient way to copy files between systems, especially for beginners.

Here we will look into the rcp command, its syntax, options, and examples of how you can use it to transfer files between hosts.

Syntax

rcp [-p] [-r] file name ... directory

Where,

• -p preserves the modification times, access times, modes, and ACLs (if applicable) of the original file.
• -r allows the recursive copying of directories.
• source_file is the file or directory you want to copy.
• destination_directory is the target location where the files will be copied.

Using rcp command

To simply use the rcp command, just provide the source and destination to rcp command with a colon used to separate the host and the data. 

/* using rcp command
to send a file from local
host to remote host */

rcp /mydirectory/kt.txt kartik:one/kt.txt

/* the example
above is to send a file
not to receive a file
from remote host */

What actually happening in the above example is the file named kt.txt whose path is given as /mydirectory/kt.txt is getting transferred from this local path (/mydirectory) that is you can say from a local host to the remote system named kartik and the file on that system will be placed in the directory one(as path one/kt.txt is given). 

Common Options for the rcp Command

Examples of using rcp command

Example 1: Using rcp to receive a file from remote host to local host

In the above example we learnt how to use rcp command to send a file from local host to a remote host. We can use the same rcp command to receive a file from a remote host to a local host like shown below: 

/*using rcp command
to receive a file from
a remote host */

rcp kartik:one/kt.txt .

/*the difference in the 
syntax of receiving 
is just of not using
the source path before
'kartik' i.e the name of
remote system */

The above will transfer a file named kt.txt in one directory from a remote host named kartik to the local host. The . (dot) used at the end is for placing the file kt.txt in the current directory of the local host, obviously you can provide a path of your own choice instead of a dot that is here representing the current directory.

Example 2: Using rcp with -p option

The rcp command like cp changes the modification time of the destination file to the late time. So, in order to retain the same modification time -p option is used. 

//using rcp with -p option

rcp -p kartik:one/kt.txt

Example 3: Using rcp to copy directories

The rcp allows you to copy directories also when used with -r option. 

/*using -r option
with rcp */

rcp -r localdir kartik: 

The above will copy the entire directory localdir along with it sub directories to the HOME directory of remote host named kartik.

Example 4: Using rcp to copy two files together

This can be done simply just giving the names of two files together. For the sake of simplicity, we are using rcp for transferring the files from a local host to a remote host. 

/*using rcp to copy 
two files from local
host to remote host */

rcp kt.txt pt.txt kartik:/var/docs

The above will copy the files kt.txt and pt.txt from a local host (no path is specified cause in this case it is assumed that these files are placed in the current directory) to a remote host named kartik in “/var/docs”.

Conclusion

The rcp command is a simple and easy-to-use tool for copying files and directories between local and remote systems. While it lacks the security features of modern alternatives like scp and rsync, it remains a helpful utility for Linux beginners working in a trusted network environment. With options like -p to preserve file attributes and -r to copy directories recursively, rcp provides a straightforward solution for file transfers.