Topic: SCP upload action has stopped working - output is a Ruby error message

I have an SCP upload action to a server on my local network, which has worked just fine for several years.

Suddenly (presumably after a Dropzone update...?) it has stopped working. Nothing else has changed, either with the machine that's running Dropzone or the server the SCP action tarets.

Version is Dropzone 4.2.7 installed via Setapp.

Here's the error output when I try to run the action:

/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.6/usr/lib/ruby/2.6.0/rubygems/core_ext/kernel_require.rb:54:in `require': cannot load such file -- net/scp (LoadError)
    from /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.6/usr/lib/ruby/2.6.0/rubygems/core_ext/kernel_require.rb:54:in `require'
    from /Users/matt/Library/Application Support/Dropzone/Actions/SCP Upload.dzbundle/scp_uploader.rb:1:in `<top (required)>'
    from /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.6/usr/lib/ruby/2.6.0/rubygems/core_ext/kernel_require.rb:54:in `require'
    from /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.6/usr/lib/ruby/2.6.0/rubygems/core_ext/kernel_require.rb:54:in `require'
    from /Users/matt/Library/Application Support/Dropzone/Actions/SCP Upload.dzbundle/action.rb:16:in `<top (required)>'
    from /Applications/Setapp/Dropzone.app/Contents/Actions/lib/runner.rb:75:in `load'
    from /Applications/Setapp/Dropzone.app/Contents/Actions/lib/runner.rb:75:in `<main>'

Re: SCP upload action has stopped working - output is a Ruby error message

Hi there,

Please instead setup an SFTP action (this will work same as SCP) with the same credentials you were using on your SCP one. That should work again as expected.

John

Re: SCP upload action has stopped working - output is a Ruby error message

I tried that - unfortunately SFTP doesn't allow transferring a whole folder in place (only file by file).

I had a really nice workflow with the SCP action for adding new subfolders to existing folders on the destination server, just by dragging the folder on the source onto Dropzone. It meant I didn't need to take any further action on the destination for the files to be in the right place.

I know you can hold down Option to create a zip file with the SFTP action, but that just drops the zip file at the destination, which is not the same end result. I'd need to log into the destination server and unzip it each time.

Your immediate suggestion that I should use SFTP makes it sounds like the SCP action is not going to be fixed - is that correct?

Re: SCP upload action has stopped working - output is a Ruby error message

Folder upload is definitely planned for the SFTP action as well although this may be a little while away. It doesn't really make sense to maintain both SCP and SFTP actions separately as most SCP servers will also support SFTP so all further development is going to be done on the SFTP action in future.

In the meantime if you open a terminal and do:

gem install net-scp

Then that should make the SCP Upload action work again. There may be one or two other gems you need to install as well as these are no longer included with Dropzone, but see how you go trying the original action after installing the net-scp gem to begin with.

Re: SCP upload action has stopped working - output is a Ruby error message

Thanks very much - that's fixed the problem.

Your rationale about SFTP vs SCP definitely makes sense - looking forward to the SFTP action being updated!

Re: SCP upload action has stopped working - output is a Ruby error message

Awesome, great to hear!

Re: SCP upload action has stopped working - output is a Ruby error message

Just an update to let you know that as of the latest update (v4.3.1) the built in SFTP Upload action now supports transferring folders (including ones with multiple subfolders) so there's no longer any need to use the old SCP Upload action.