Why does scp fail when trying to transfer a file larger than 4 GB?

Linux Troubleshooting
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Hello everyone on this forum,

Copying files with scp between two physical servers can work most of the time, but sometimes it fail intermittently once the file size exceeds 4 GB. In some cases, scp simply does not transfer files larger than 4 GB at all. What is the issue and how to resolve it.

Thank you. :folded_hands:

2

Hi,

Use a standard 64‑bit operating system where applications are built as 64‑bit by default.
Unlike 32‑bit builds, 64‑bit scp does not impose a default file‑size limit.

  • On the 64‑bit system, the scp binary is actually a 32‑bit executable.
  • A 32‑bit program that is not compiled with “large‑file support” uses file pointers limited to around 232232 bytes, which is roughly 4 GB; this is why scp could only transfer up to about 4 GB.
  • A 32‑bit application can still handle large files, but it must be built from source with large‑file support enabled.

Verify that scp is a 32‑bit binary by running the file command on it.

# file `which scp`

Let me know if you still have any questions.

Richard.