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Table of Contents
How to copy files \ directories \ filesystems via network.
The article describes ways of copying content over network.
When upgrading a home server, I copy all the data from the old server to a new system. In the examples below, I work from the new server and both servers are on the same subnet:
- New server (IP: 192.168.0.14)
- Old server (IP: 192.168.0.1)
Both the ssh
and scp
commands communicate over a secure connection (TCP port 22). Please note that you need to enable the sshd
daemon on the remote host.
Files \ single folder copying
If you need a copy of standalone files or folders, you can use an scp util:
scp -r -v -p root@192.168.0.1:/etc /From_Old_Server
There:
- -r key do recursive , copy all data in “/etc” folder and all its subfolders.
- -p key preserve file attributes, like a creation, modification times.
- -v gives us verbose output.
In there example we copy “/etc” folder from 192.168.0.1 computer ( actually, “Old” server), to folder “/From_Old_Server” in local computer ( “new” server).
Sadly, but that command ( scp ) cannot copy whole system disk, contains “/proc”, “/dev” and even “/lost+found” catalog, who is it in every mounted extX filesystem partition - at that places “scp” stuck and stops.
Thanks to Patrick, “Volkerdi” gives us workaround for that situation:
Copy whole filesystem
command
ssh root@192.168.0.1 "(cd / ; tar cf - . )" | (mkdir -p /From_Old_Server ; cd /From_Old_Server ; umask 000 ; tar xvf -)
help us transfer full filesystems without stuck and pain from “old” to “new” computer.