WinSCP is a graphical client for transferring files between Windows and a remote Linux system using protocols such as SFTP or SCP.
From a Linux system it is common to transfer and manage files through the command line. On Windows we can also use the terminal, but if you prefer a graphical interface, WinSCP is a very convenient option.
WinSCP (Windows Secure Copy) is an Open Source graphical client for Windows that allows file transfer and manipulation with a remote server.
It supports the SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol), SCP (Secure Copy Protocol), FTP (File Transfer Protocol), and FTPS (File Transfer Protocol SSL) protocols. On a modern Raspberry Pi, the normal choice will be SFTP over SSH.
It is very easy to use. Its graphical interface features a dual-panel layout, where we can upload files simply by dragging and dropping from the source (left panel) to the right panel.
Additionally, WinSCP has a connection list where we can optionally and securely store the connections we use regularly. This makes connecting to one of our remote machines very easy.
Besides transferring files (downloading and uploading), we have the usual operations on files and directories, such as creating, renaming, modifying properties, creating symbolic links and shortcuts, among others.
On the other hand, one of WinSCP’s strong points is its automation capability through ‘batch’ operations and scripting. It is also possible to open a command-line interface directly from the application itself.
If we need to log in as a sudoer, we can configure it in Edit > Advanced… > Environment > SFTP, with sudo su -c /usr/lib/sftp-server in the “SFTP Server” field.
These are some of the many options available in this interesting software. Despite the large number of options and functionalities available, its use is intuitive and user-friendly.
In summary, a highly recommended application. WinSCP is completely free and available at https://winscp.net/. The code is available at https://github.com/Rupan/winscp.
