Problem

I tried to copy a file from one Linux server dbappweb to another Linux server dbappweb1 but got the error ‘Permission denied’. I tried to copy the file using the SCP command over ssh.

[root@dbappweb public]# scp -p PKIServer.zip user1@dbappweb1:/home/user1/
user1@dbappweb1's password:
scp: /home/user1/PKIServer.zip: Permission denied

Reason

I got the “Permission denied’ error because that file was already at the destination location with read-only permission for the group and others. Due to the read-only permission files existing at the destination location not becoming replaced by the new file when I tried to copy the file through SCP.

[root@dbappweb1 user1]# ll PKIServer.zip
-rw-r--r-- 1 user1 user1 4855173 Feb 28 12:27 PKIServer.zip

Solution 1

• First, delete the file existing at the destination location.

  [root@dbappweb1 user1]# rm PKIServer.zip
  rm: remove regular file `PKIServer.zip'? y
  [root@dbappweb1 user1]#

• Now copy the file using scp command and it will be copied to the destination.

  [root@dbappweb public]# scp -p PKIServer.zip user1@dbappweb1:/home/user1/
  user1@dbappweb1's password:
  PKIServer.zip                                                                                   100% 4741KB   4.6MB/s   00:00
  [root@dbappweb public]#

Solution 2

• Change the permission of the file from read-only to read-write for groups.

  [root@dbappweb1 user1]# chmod 664 PKIServer.zip
  [root@dbappweb1 user1]# ll PKIServer.zip
  -rw-rw-r-- 1 user1 user1 4855173 Feb 28 12:27 PKIServer.zip
  

• Now copy the file using scp command and it will be copied to the destination.

  [root@dbappweb public]# scp -p PKIServer.zip user1@dbappweb1:/home/user1/
  user1@dbappweb1's password:
  PKIServer.zip                                                                                   100% 4741KB   4.6MB/s   00:00
  [root@dbappweb public]#

Note: In the above case both servers were RHEL 5.8.