---
name: "netkit-rcp"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "rsh-client"
version: "0.17-24"
release: "Debian 12 (Bookworm)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/netkit-rcp"
---

# netkit-rcp(1)

remote file copy

## NAME

**rcp** – remote file copy

## SYNOPSIS

**rcp** \[**-px**\] \[**-k** *realm*\] *file1* *file2*

**rcp** \[**-px**\] \[**-r**\] \[**-k** *realm*\] *file* *...* *directory*

## DESCRIPTION

**Rcp** copies files between machines.  Each *file* or *directory* argument is either a remote file name of the form \`\`rname@rhost:path'', or a local file name (containing no \`:' characters, or a \`/' before any \`:'s).

- **-r**

  If any of the source files are directories, **rcp** copies each subtree rooted at that name; in this case the destination must be a directory.

- **-p**

  The **-p** option causes **rcp** to attempt to preserve (duplicate) in its copies the modification times and modes of the source files, ignoring the *umask*. By default, the mode and owner of *file2* are preserved if it already existed; otherwise the mode of the source file modified by the [umask(2)](/umask/2.md) on the destination host is used.

- **-k**

  The **-k** option requests **rcp** to obtain tickets for the remote host in realm *realm* instead of the remote host's realm as determined by [krb\_realmofhost(3)](/krb_realmofhost/3.md).

- **-x**

  The **-x** option turns on DES encryption for all data passed by **rcp**. This may impact response time and CPU utilization, but provides increased security.

If *path* is not a full path name, it is interpreted relative to the login directory of the specified user *ruser* on *rhost*, or your current user name if no other remote user name is specified. A *path* on a remote host may be quoted (using \\, ", or ´) so that the metacharacters are interpreted remotely.

**Rcp** does not prompt for passwords; it performs remote execution via [rsh(1)](/rsh/1.md), and requires the same authorization.

**Rcp** handles third party copies, where neither source nor target files are on the current machine.

## SEE ALSO

[cp(1)](/cp/1.md), [ftp(1)](/ftp/1.md), [rsh(1)](/rsh/1.md), [rlogin(1)](/rlogin/1.md)

## HISTORY

The **rcp** command appeared in 4.2BSD. The version of **rcp** described here has been reimplemented with Kerberos in 4.3BSD-Reno.

## BUGS

Doesn't detect all cases where the target of a copy might be a file in cases where only a directory should be legal.

Is confused by any output generated by commands in a *.login*, *.profile*, or *.cshrc* file on the remote host.

The destination user and hostname may have to be specified as \`\`rhost.rname'' when the destination machine is running the 4.2BSD version of **rcp**.