openssh bugs - Mar 2012 - [Bug 1989] New: SCP wihout a source path

https://bugzilla.mindrot.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1989

             Bug #: 1989
           Summary: SCP wihout a source path
    Classification: Unclassified
           Product: Portable OpenSSH
           Version: 4.3p2
          Platform: All
        OS/Version: All
            Status: NEW
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: scp
        AssignedTo: unassigned-bugs at mindrot.org
        ReportedBy: cent9ur at gmail.com


Hi,

I regularly use scp to copy files between hosts like this:

"scp -prv user at remotehost:/path/to/copy ."

However, today, I made a mistake and typed this instead:
"scp -prv user at remotehost: /path/to/copy ."

This started copying user at remotehosts $HOME to . on the local host I
was on.

So I have now tried "scp -prv user at remotehost: ." which also copies
$HOME to . on the local host. I did not know you could do this. I am
under the impression that I must always include a path or at least a
"/" after ":" as this is how I interpret the
"file" in the man pages as
it does not have "[]"

Additionally, if I use "scp -prv user at remotehost: /path/to/copy ."
it
starts writing everything to . instead of /path/to/copy.

Is this a bug?

System Profile:
"Linux myhostname 2.6.18-274.el5 #1 SMP Fri Jul 8 17:36:59 EDT 2011
x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux"
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server release 5.7 (Tikanga)
openssh-clients-4.3p2-72.el5_6.3
http://www.unix.com/unix-advanced-expert-users/178058-scp-wihout-source-path.html#post302603942

-- 
Configure bugmail: https://bugzilla.mindrot.org/userprefs.cgi?tab=email
------- You are receiving this mail because: -------
You are watching the assignee of the bug.

https://bugzilla.mindrot.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1989

cent9ur at gmail.com changed:

           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Keywords|                            |help-wanted

-- 
Configure bugmail: https://bugzilla.mindrot.org/userprefs.cgi?tab=email
------- You are receiving this mail because: -------
You are watching the assignee of the bug.

https://bugzilla.mindrot.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1989

cent9ur at gmail.com changed:

           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 CC|                            |cent9ur at gmail.com

-- 
Configure bugmail: https://bugzilla.mindrot.org/userprefs.cgi?tab=email
------- You are receiving this mail because: -------
You are watching the assignee of the bug.

https://bugzilla.mindrot.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1989

Damien Miller <djm at mindrot.org> changed:

           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 CC|                            |djm at mindrot.org
             Status|NEW                         |RESOLVED
         Resolution|                            |WONTFIX

--- Comment #1 from Damien Miller <djm at mindrot.org> 2012-03-09 10:05:39
EST ---
No, this is not a bug.

The path after : is optional, with the default being the remote user's
home directory. Consider "scp blah.txt user at host:"

For the case of "scp -prv user at remotehost: /path/to/copy .",
it's doing
exactly what you tell it: copying user at remotehost's home directory as
well as /path/to/copy to your local home directory.

-- 
Configure bugmail: https://bugzilla.mindrot.org/userprefs.cgi?tab=email
------- You are receiving this mail because: -------
You are watching the assignee of the bug.
You are watching someone on the CC list of the bug.