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Transferring Files to AWS EC2

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Transferring Files to AWS EC2

Overview

This section explains how to transfer files from a local machine to an AWS EC2 instance using SSH and SCP.

Prerequisites

EC2 Access

Make sure you have:

  • EC2 public IP address or public DNS
  • SSH key pair file (.pem)
  • Correct username for the AMI:
    • ubuntu (Ubuntu)
    • ec2-user (Amazon Linux)
    • admin (custom AMIs)

SSH Key Permissions

Set proper permissions for the key file:

chmod 400 ~/.ssh/your-key.pem

Local Requirements

  • File(s) to transfer

  • SSH and SCP installed

  • Port 22 allowed in EC2 Security Group

Transfer Files Using SCP

Basic Syntax

scp -i /path/to/key.pem /local/path/to/file username@ec2-ip:/remote/destination/path/

Example

scp -i ~/.ssh/my-key.pem ~/Documents/data.xlsx ubuntu@54.123.45.67:/home/ubuntu/

Notes

  • For filenames with spaces:

    • Use backslashes:

      file\ name.xlsx

    • Or use quotes:

      "file name.xlsx"

  • Ensure the destination directory exists on the EC2 instance

  • Large files may take time depending on network speed

Verify File Transfer

Login and Check

ssh -i ~/.ssh/my-key.pem ubuntu@54.123.45.67 ls -lh /home/ubuntu/

Direct Verification

ssh -i ~/.ssh/my-key.pem ubuntu@54.123.45.67 "ls -lh /home/ubuntu/data.xlsx"

Common Issues

  • Permission denied: Check key permissions and username

  • Connection timeout: Verify Security Group allows SSH (port 22)

  • File not found: Confirm source and destination paths

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