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RemoteFile[URL["uri"]]

is a symbolic representation of a file on a remote machine.

Details and Options
Details and Options Details and Options
Examples  
Basic Examples  
Scope  
Options  
Authentication  
See Also
Related Guides
History
Cite this Page

RemoteFile

RemoteFile[URL["uri"]]

is a symbolic representation of a file on a remote machine.

Details and Options

  • RemoteFile["uri"] can also be used.
  • In RemoteFile[URL["uri"]] or RemoteFile["uri"], "uri" can be any kind of URI, including scp, sftp, etc.
  • RemoteFile supports the following options:
  • Authentication $SSHAuthenticationauthentication parameters to be used
  • In the form Authentication->assoc, the association assoc can contain these keys:
  • "Username"username to use for authentication
    "Password"password to use for authentication
    "SSHKey"SSH identity
    "SSHKeyPassword"passphrase string to used to decrypt "SSHKey"
  • An SSH identity can be given in the form "SSHKey"->File[ident], where ident is a file containing an SSH private key. It can also be given as "SSHKey"->"string", where string is an SSH private key.

Examples

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Basic Examples  (4)

Copy a file from a remote machine using the scp secure protocol:

Wolfram Language code: CopyFile[RemoteFile["scp://host.example.com/tmp/test.m"], "/tmp/test.m"]

Copy to a remote file specified as a URL:

Wolfram Language code: CopyFile["/tmp/test.m", RemoteFile[URL["scp://host.example.com/tmp/test.m"]]]

Copy a file from a remote machine using sftp:

Wolfram Language code: CopyFile[RemoteFile["sftp://host.example.com/tmp/test.m", Authentication -> <|"Username" -> "user", "Password" -> password|>], "/tmp/test.m"]

Copy remote files directly using different authentication for source and destination machines:

Wolfram Language code: CopyFile[RemoteFile["sftp://host1.example.com/tmp/test.m", Authentication -> <|"Username" -> "user1", "Password" -> password1|>], RemoteFile["sftp://host2.example.com/tmp/test.m", Authentication -> <|"Username" -> "user2", "Password" -> password2|>]]

Scope  (4)

Copy to a remote file using username and password authentication:

Wolfram Language code: CopyFile["/tmp/test.m", RemoteFile["scp://host.example.com/tmp/test.m", Authentication -> <|"Username" -> "user", "Password" -> password|>]]

Copy a file from a remote machine using an identity file:

Wolfram Language code: CopyFile[RemoteFile["sftp://host.example.com/tmp/test.m", Authentication -> <|"Username" -> "user", "SSHKey" -> File["/path/.ssh/id_rsa"]|>], "/tmp/test.m"]

Read in the content of an identity file:

Wolfram Language code: identity = ReadString["/path/.ssh/id_rsa"];

Copy a file from a remote machine using identity file data:

Wolfram Language code: CopyFile[RemoteFile["sftp://host.example.com/tmp/test.m", Authentication -> <|"Username" -> "user", "SSHKey" -> identity|>], "/tmp/test.m"]

Without enough information to authenticate, a prompt will appear:

Wolfram Language code: CopyFile[RemoteFile["sftp://host.example.com/tmp/test.m"], "/tmp/test.m"]

Options  (1)

Authentication  (1)

Set a value for $SSHAuthentication:

Wolfram Language code: $SSHAuthentication = <|"Username" -> "user", "SSHKey" -> File["/path/.ssh/id_rsa"]|>

Copy a file using the default authentication contained in $SSHAuthentication:

Wolfram Language code: CopyFile[RemoteFile["sftp://host.example.com/tmp/test.m"], "/tmp/test.m"]
Wolfram Research (2019), RemoteFile, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/RemoteFile.html.

Text

Wolfram Research (2019), RemoteFile, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/RemoteFile.html.

CMS

Wolfram Language. 2019. "RemoteFile." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/RemoteFile.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (2019). RemoteFile. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/RemoteFile.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_remotefile, author="Wolfram Research", title="{RemoteFile}", year="2019", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/RemoteFile.html}", note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_remotefile, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={RemoteFile}, year={2019}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/RemoteFile.html}, note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}