FAQ
Transfers, sync and scripting questions
Short answers about large files, line endings, synchronization and linscp-cli scripts.
Transfers
Section titled “Transfers”Can I transfer files larger than 4 GB?
Section titled “Can I transfer files larger than 4 GB?”Yes, as long as the server and both file systems support files that big. Old FTP servers and FAT32 drives are the usual limit. See uploading and downloading.
Why are line breaks wrong in a transferred text file?
Section titled “Why are line breaks wrong in a transferred text file?”The file went in binary mode, which keeps Windows CRLF endings as they are.
Use text mode for such files. See text and binary modes.
Can I copy files directly between two servers?
Section titled “Can I copy files directly between two servers?”No. Download to your computer and upload to the other server, or run a command on one server that copies to the other.
Can I get back a file I deleted on the server?
Section titled “Can I get back a file I deleted on the server?”Not through linscp, unless the site moves deleted files to a recycle folder (Advanced… › Environment › Recycle bin). Otherwise ask the server’s administrator about backups.
Why do I get an error about permissions or timestamp after an upload?
Section titled “Why do I get an error about permissions or timestamp after an upload?”The file arrived, but you may not change its mode or time, often because another user owns it. Turn off those options or check Ignore permission errors. See error messages.
Why is my upload not visible on my website?
Section titled “Why is my upload not visible on my website?”Most often the browser or the server is caching the old version. See publishing a website.
Why are file times off by an hour?
Section titled “Why are file times off by an hour?”A time zone or daylight saving difference. See timestamps and time zones.
Synchronization
Section titled “Synchronization”What do the directions Local, Remote and Both mean?
Section titled “What do the directions Local, Remote and Both mean?”Remote changes the server to match your computer, Local changes your computer to match the server, and Both copies newer files each way. See synchronizing directories.
How do I transfer only new and changed files?
Section titled “How do I transfer only new and changed files?”Use synchronization, or in a script synchronize, or put and get with
-neweronly. See synchronizing directories.
Scripting
Section titled “Scripting”Can I script linscp?
Section titled “Can I script linscp?”Yes, with linscp-cli, which runs WinSCP-style scripts. See
scripting with linscp-cli.
Why does my script fail when the GUI works?
Section titled “Why does my script fail when the GUI works?”Scripts use their own settings and must confirm the host key with
-hostkey. Take the open command from Generate Session URL/Code… in
the Site Manager. See sessions and credentials.
How do I know whether a script succeeded?
Section titled “How do I know whether a script succeeded?”Check linscp-cli’s exit code: 0 means success. Use option batch abort
so a failure stops the script. See
exit codes and error handling.
Why does my script work by hand but fail from cron?
Section titled “Why does my script work by hand but fail from cron?”cron runs with another environment: no agent, a different home or PATH.
Use absolute paths and pass keys explicitly. See
scheduling.
How do I set an option that has no script command?
Section titled “How do I set an option that has no script command?”Use -rawsettings with open, or /rawconfig on the command line. See
raw configuration.
How do I transfer a folder without its subfolders?
Section titled “How do I transfer a folder without its subfolders?”Exclude subfolders with the file mask |*/. See
file and operation masks.
Can I use the WinSCP .NET assembly with linscp?
Section titled “Can I use the WinSCP .NET assembly with linscp?”On Windows, yes: linscp’s Windows packages can carry it in a dotnet
folder, with linscp-cli standing in for WinSCP’s console program. See
WinSCP .NET assembly and PowerShell.