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Network File Copy using SSH
Updated April 27, 2001
Created April 23, 2001

PUSH:

ssh target_address cat <localfile ">" remotefile

ssh target_address cat <localfile - ">" remotefile

cat localfile | ssh target_address cat ">" remotefile

cat localfile | ssh target_address cat - ">" remotefile

dd if=localfile | ssh target_address dd of=remotefile

ssh target_address cat <localfile "|" dd of=remotefile

ssh target_address cat - <localfile "|" dd of=remotefile

( cd SOURCEDIR && tar cf - . ) | ssh target_address "(cd DESTDIR && tar xvpf - )"

( cd SOURCEDIR && tar cvf - . ) | ssh target_address "(cd DESTDIR && cat - > remotefile.tar )"

( cd SOURCEDIR && tar czvf - . ) | ssh target_address "(cd DESTDIR && cat - > remotefile.tgz )"

( cd SOURCEDIR && tar cvf - . | gzip -1 -) | ssh target_address "(cd DESTDIR && cat - > remotefile.tgz )"

ssh target_address "( nc -l -p 9210 > remotefile & )" && cat source-file | gzip -1 - | nc target_address 9210

cat localfile | gzip -1 - | ssh target_address cat ">" remotefile.gz

PULL:

ssh target_address cat remotefile > localfile

ssh target_address dd if=remotefile | dd of=localfile

ssh target_address cat "<" remotefile >localfile

ssh target_address cat "<" remotefile.gz | gunzip >localfile

COMPARE:

###This one uses CPU cycles on the remote server to compare the files:

ssh target_address cat remotefile | diff - localfile

cat localfile | ssh target_address diff - remotefile

###This one uses CPU cycles on the local server to compare the files:

ssh target_address cat <localfile "|" diff - remotefile

Push: Push local file to remote server.
Pull: Pull remote file from remote server to local machine.

Of course there is always ftp, scp2, nfs, smb and other methods as well.

The above methods make a great Ghost replacement.
One can boot a system using standalone linux on a floppy, such as tomsrtbt and can then proceed to:

backup the local hard drive to a remote server or
download an image from the remote server and place it on the local hard drive.

RSH works just the same as SSH I'm sure, it's jut that ssh or ssh should give you better security.

Note: Compressing and then transferring data is faster than transferring uncompressed data. Use compression before sending data over the wire to achieve faster data transfer speeds.

localfile and remotefile can be files, directories, images, hard drive partitions, or hard drives.

Moving files around on local filesystem:

( cd SOURCEDIR && tar cf - . ) | (cd DESTDIR && tar xvpf - )

FTP VIEW:

ftp> get file.gif "| xv -"

ftp> get README "| more"

FTP PUSH:

ftp> put "| tar cvf - ." myfile.tar

ftp> put "| tar cvf - . | gzip " myfile.tar.gz

FTP PULL:

ftp> get myfile.tar "| tar xvf -"

Pipes and Redirects:

zcat Fig.ps.Z | gv -

gunzip -c Fig.ps.gz | gv -

tar xvf mydir.tar

tar xvf - < mydir.tar

cat mydir.tar | tar xvf -

tar cvf mydir.tar .

tar cvf - . > mydir.tar

tar cf - . | (cd ~/newdir; tar xf -)

gunzip -c foo.gz > bar

cat foo.gz | gunzip > bar

zcat foo.gz > bar

gzip -c foo > bar.gz

cat foo | gzip > bar.gz