When working with remote servers, we frequently need to inspect directory contents before performing file operations. While SCP (Secure Copy Protocol) handles file transfers beautifully, there isn't a direct equivalent for simply listing remote directory contents without transferring files.

The simplest method is to use SSH directly:

ssh username@remote_host "ls -l /path/to/directory"

This executes the ls command remotely and displays the results locally. For more readable output with colors:

ssh username@remote_host "ls --color=auto -lh /path"

For recursive directory listing (similar to ls -R):

ssh username@host "find /target/path -type f -printf '%TY-%Tm-%Td %TT %p\\n'"

This provides a detailed listing with timestamps, excellent for auditing purposes.

SFTP can also be used interactively:

sftp username@host
sftp> ls /remote/path
sftp> quit

Add this to your ~/.bashrc for quick access:

alias rls='function _rls(){ ssh $1 "ls -lah $2"; };_rls'

Usage becomes:

rls username@host "/path/to/list"

While primarily for file transfers, rsync can list files without transferring:

rsync --list-only username@host:/path/

Add -v for more verbose output or -h for human-readable sizes.

All these methods rely on SSH, so they inherit its security model. For sensitive environments:

• Use SSH keys instead of passwords
• Consider restricting commands in authorized_keys
• Use -q flag for quiet mode when logging is sensitive

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The simplest way to achieve remote directory listing is by combining SSH with the ls command:

ssh username@remotehost "ls /path/to/directory"

This executes the ls command on the remote machine and displays the output locally. You can add any standard ls options:

ssh user@server "ls -la /var/www"

For more complex listings, you can pipe the output through other commands:

ssh user@example.com "ls -l /home/user | grep 'May 15'"

Or create a formatted listing:

ssh admin@webserver "find /var/log -type f -printf '%TY-%Tm-%Td %TT %p\n' | sort -r"

While SCP itself doesn't support directory listing, SFTP (which uses the same SSH protocol) does:

sftp user@host
sftp> ls /remote/path

Or in one line:

echo "ls -l" | sftp user@host 2>/dev/null

Consider these specialized tools for remote directory operations:

# Using rsync (lists files without transferring)
rsync --list-only user@remote:/path/

# Using sshfs (mounts remote directory locally)
sshfs user@remote:/remote/path /local/mountpoint
ls /local/mountpoint

Common use cases with corresponding commands:

# Check disk usage remotely
ssh dbadmin@dbserver "du -sh /var/lib/mysql"

# Find recently modified files
ssh deploy@production "find /app -type f -mtime -7"

# List sorted by size (human readable)
ssh backup@nas "ls -lSh /backups"

Remember to configure SSH keys for password-less access when automating these commands.