How To SSH into a Remote Server and Edit Files

Secure Shell (SSH) is a cryptographic network protocol that allows secure remote login from one computer to another. It provides strong password authentication and secure encrypted data communications between two computers connecting over an insecure network. In this article, we will guide you through the process of using SSH to connect to a remote server and edit files.

Understanding SSH

SSH is a secure way of accessing remote servers and running commands on them. It is widely used by system administrators for managing systems and applications remotely, allowing them to log into another computer over a network, execute commands and move files from one machine to another.

Connecting to a Remote Server using SSH

To connect to a remote server via SSH, you need to have SSH client software installed on your local machine. Most Linux and macOS systems come with an SSH client pre-installed. For Windows systems, you can use software like PuTTY or Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).

To initiate a connection, open a terminal on your local machine and use the following command:

ssh USER@SITE

Replace USER with your username on the remote server and SITE with the server’s IP address or domain name. Once you hit Enter, you will be prompted to enter your password. After providing the correct password, you will be logged into the remote server.

If your server uses a different port for SSH connections, you can specify it using the -p flag followed by the port number:

ssh USER@SITE -p PORT

Navigating and Editing Files on the Remote Server

Once you’re logged into the remote server, you can navigate through the file system using standard Linux commands. For instance, ls lists all files and directories in the current directory, cd changes the current directory, and pwd prints the current directory.

To edit files, you can use a command-line text editor. The most commonly used editors are vi and nano. For example, to edit a file named example.txt, you would use the command:

nano example.txt

This will open the file in the Nano text editor. After making your changes, press Ctrl+X to exit. You will be asked if you want to save your changes. Press Y to save or N to discard your changes.

Transferring Files to the Remote Server

To copy files from your local machine to the remote server, you can use the scp (secure copy) command. Here’s the basic syntax:

scp SOURCE USER@SITE:DESTINATION

Replace SOURCE with the path to the file on your local machine and DESTINATION with the path where you want to copy the file on the remote server.

For example, to copy a file named bubblegum.txt from your local machine to the /var/www directory on the remote server, you would use:

scp bubblegum.txt USER@SITE:/var/www

Using rsync for Optimized File Transfer

If you need to resume an interrupted file transfer or want to optimize the upload, you can use the rsync command. It is similar to scp but offers additional features like progress display and partial transfers. Here’s how to use it:

rsync --progress --partial SOURCE USER@SITE:DESTINATION

The --progress option shows the progress of the transfer and the --partial option allows rsync to resume interrupted transfers.

Conclusion

SSH is a powerful tool that allows you to securely connect to and interact with remote servers. By understanding how to use SSH and its associated commands, you can efficiently manage and edit files on remote servers. Remember to always use SSH responsibly and only connect to servers that you have permission to access.