---
updatedAt: 2025-11-11T01:53:27.000Z
agentTools:
  projectIndex: https://docs.formant.io/llms.txt
---

# File transfer over Secure Copy Protocol (SCP) via fctl

You can use `fctl` to perform file transfer to your device via Secure Copy Protocol (SCP).

# Prerequisites

## Install the Formant agent to your device

Follow the steps in [Install the Formant agent](https://docs.formant.io/docs/getting-started-install-the-formant-agent) to install the agent to your device.

## Install `fctl`

Follow the steps in [fctl overview and installation](https://docs.formant.io/reference/fctl-overview-and-installation) to install the `fctl` command-line tool.

# Step 1: Perform file transfer

## From your robot to your computer

To transfer a file from your robot to your computer, use the `scp` command with the following syntax:

```shell
scp <user>@<formant-device-name>.formant:<path-to-file> <target-directory>
```

...where the parameters are used as follows:

| Parameter               | Usage                                                                                    |
| :---------------------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `<user>`                | The name of the user of this device. Must match an existing username on this device.     |
| `<formant-device-name>` | The name of your device. Must match an existing device in your Formant organization.     |
| `<path-to-file>`        | The path to the file you want to transfer.                                               |
| `<target-directory>`    | The directory to which you want to transfer the file. Use `.` for the current directory. |

### Example

Suppose you have a user called `ubuntu` on a device called `delivery-tractor-1`. `delivery-tractor-1` has a file called `data.txt`, located at `/home`, which you want to copy to your computer in your current directory. You would run the following command:

```shell
scp ubuntu@delivery-tractor-1.formant:/home/data.txt .
```

## From your computer to your robot

To transfer a file from your computer to your robot, use the `scp` command with the following syntax:

```shell
scp <path-to-local-file> <user>@<formant-device-name>:<robot-destination-path>
```

...where the parameters are used as follows:

| Parameter                  | Usage                                                                                              |
| :------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `<path-to-local-file>`     | The path to to the file on your computer which you want to transfer to your robot.                 |
| `<user>`                   | The name of the user of this device. Must match an existing user in your Formant organization.     |
| `<formant-device-name>`    | The name of your device. Must match an existing device in your Formant organization.               |
| `<robot-destination-path>` | The path on your robot to which you want to transfer the file specified in `<path-to-local-file>`. |

### Example

Suppose you have a user called `ubuntu` on a device called `delivery-tractor-1`. On your computer, you have a file called `data.txt` in your current directory, which you want to transfer to `/home/ubuntu/robot-files` on `delivery-tractor-1`. You would run the following command:

```shell
scp data.txt ubuntu@delivery-tractor-1.formant:/home/ubuntu/robot-files/data.txt
```

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