Rcp (Unix)

rcp stands for the Unix 'remote copy' command. It is a command on the Unix operating systems that is used to remotely copy -- to copy one or more files from one computer system to another. It typically uses the TCP/IP protocol and the .rhosts file for authentication, but has been implemented to alternatively support Kerberos.

As described in the rlogin article, rcp is not secure for network use, because it sends unencrypted information over the network, among other things. It has largely been replaced by the ssh-based utility scp.

Etymology

rcp is a member of the BSD unix family of 'r' (remote) commands, and the name is a contraction of 'r' remote and 'cp' copy.

See also