scp and rsync copy files over SSH. Use them for configs, scripts, backups, worlds, and server folders when SFTP is not convenient.
scp is best for quick one-off copies. rsync is better for repeated syncs because it can copy only changed files, preserve permissions, exclude folders, preview changes, and mirror deletions when you ask it to.
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Copy one file with scp
scp ./server.cfg username@VPS_IP_ADDRESS:/home/username/server.cfg
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Copy a folder with scp
scp -r ./world username@VPS_IP_ADDRESS:/home/username/world
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Use a custom SSH port with scp
scp uses an uppercase -P for the SSH port:
scp -P 2222 ./server.cfg username@VPS_IP_ADDRESS:/home/username/server.cfg
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Use an SSH key with scp
scp -i ~/.ssh/mykey ./server.cfg username@VPS_IP_ADDRESS:/home/username/server.cfg
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Sync a folder with rsync
rsync -avz ./world/ username@VPS_IP_ADDRESS:/home/username/world/
The trailing slash matters. ./world/ copies the contents of the folder into the destination folder. Without the trailing slash, rsync copies the folder itself into the destination.
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Preview an rsync before copying
Use --dry-run when you want to check what would change before touching the remote files:
rsync -avz --dry-run ./world/ username@VPS_IP_ADDRESS:/home/username/world/
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Mirror a folder exactly
--delete removes remote files that no longer exist locally. This is useful for exact mirrors, but dangerous if you point it at the wrong folder.
rsync -avz --delete ./world/ username@VPS_IP_ADDRESS:/home/username/world/
Run the same command with --dry-run first if you are using --delete.
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Exclude files or folders
Exclude logs, cache folders, temporary files, or generated files you do not want to copy:
rsync -avz --exclude "logs/" --exclude "*.tmp" ./server/ username@VPS_IP_ADDRESS:/home/username/server/
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Use a custom SSH port with rsync
rsync passes SSH options through -e:
rsync -avz -e "ssh -p 2222" ./server/ username@VPS_IP_ADDRESS:/home/username/server/
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Use an SSH key with rsync
rsync -avz -e "ssh -i ~/.ssh/mykey" ./server/ username@VPS_IP_ADDRESS:/home/username/server/
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Copy from the VPS back to your PC
Reverse the source and destination when downloading a folder from the VPS:
rsync -avz username@VPS_IP_ADDRESS:/home/username/world/ ./world-backup/
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Useful rsync options
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
-a | Archive mode. Preserves folders, permissions, timestamps, and symlinks. |
-v | Verbose output, so you can see what is being copied. |
-z | Compress data during transfer. Useful on slower connections. |
--progress | Shows copy progress for large files. |
--dry-run | Shows what would happen without changing files. |
--delete | Deletes remote files that are not present in the source. |
--exclude | Skips matching files or folders. |
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When to use each
| Tool | Best for |
|---|---|
scp | Simple one-off file or folder copies. |
rsync | Repeated syncs, larger folders, backups, excludes, dry-runs, and copying only changed files. |
Stop the game server before replacing live world files, database files, or saves. Take a backup first if you are using --delete or copying over an existing world.
