scp -r will follow symlinks; do not use.
compressed copy from server to local:
ssh user@192.168.xxx.xxx -p 22 "cd /home/smeller/ && tar czf - Desktop" | tar xzf -compressed copy from local to server:
tar cvjf - dir_a/ | ssh root@ip "(cd /dest/; tar xjf - )"general: rsync source target
copy over ssh:
all contents inside source folder copied to a target folder
rsync -r -z -a -v -e 'ssh -p2220' dir_a/ user@192.168.xxx.xxx:/dir_b/~= `cp -ar dir_a/* dir_b/
a folder copied as a subfolder in target folder
rsync -r -z -a -v -e 'ssh -p2220' dir_a user@192.168.xxx.xxx:/dir_b/~= cp -ar dir_a dir_b/dir_a
If you could revise
the fundmental principles of
computer system design
to improve security...
... what would you change?