Comparison of ascp and ascp4 options

Many command line options are the same for ascp and ascp4; however, some options are available for only one or the behavior of an option is different. The following table lists the options that are available only for Ascp or Ascp4, and the options that are available with both. If the option behavior is different, the ascp option has ** added to the end and the difference is described following the table.

Ascp Ascp4
-@ range_low:range_high
-6
-A, --version -A, --version
--allow-password-prompt
--apply-local-docroot --apply-local-docroot
-C nodeid:nodecount
-c cipher -c cipher
--check-sshfp=fingerprint --check-sshfp=fingerprint
--chunk-size=bytes
--compare=method
--compression=method
--compression-hint=num
--crypt-threads=NUM
-D | -DD | -DDD -D | -DD | -DDD
-d
--delete-before
--delete-before-transfer** --delete-before-transfer**
--dest64 --dest64
-E pattern -E pattern
-e prepost_filepath
--exclude-newer-than=mtime --exclude-newer-than=mtime
--exclude-older-than=mtime --exclude-older-than=mtime
-f config_file -f config_file
--fail-bad-filepass
--faspmgr-io
--file-checksum=hash
--file-crypt=CRYPT
--file-list=filename** --file-list=filename**
--file-manifest-inprogress-suffix=SUFFIX
--file-manifest-path=DIRECTORY
--file-manifest=OUTPUT
--file-pair-list=filename --file-pair-list=filename
-G write_size
-g read_size
-h, --help -h, --help
--host=HOSTNAME --host=HOSTNAME
-i private_key_file_path** -i private_key_file_path
--ignore-host-key
-K probe_rate
-k {0|1|2|3} -k {0|1|2|3}
--keepalive --keepalive
-l max_rate -l max_rate
-L local_log_dir[:size] -L local_log_dir[:size]
-m min_rate -m min_rate
--memory=MAX_MEMORY
--meta-threads=num
--mode={send|recv} --mode={send|recv}
--move-after-transfer=archivedir --move-after-transfer=archivedir
--multi-session-threshold=threshold
-N pattern -N pattern
--no-open
--no-read
--no-write
-O fasp_port

-O fasp_port
--output-file-progress
--overwrite=method** --overwrite=method**
-P ssh-port -P ssh-port
-p -p
--partial-file-suffix=suffix --partial-file-suffix=suffix
--policy={fixed|high|fair|low} --policy={fixed|high|fair|low}
--precalculate-job-size --precalculate-job-size
--precalculate-disable --precalculate-disable
--preserve-access-time --preserve-access-time
--preserve-acls=mode --preserve-acls=mode
--preserve-creation-time --preserve-creation-time
--preserve-file-owner-gid --preserve-file-owner-gid
--preserve-file-owner-uid --preserve-file-owner-uid
--preserve-modification-time --preserve-modification-time
--preserve-source-access-time --preserve-source-access-time
--preserve-xattrs=mode --preserve-xattrs=mode
--proxy=proxy_url --proxy=proxy_url
-q -q
-R remote_log_dir -R remote_log_dir
--read-threads=num
--remote-memory=bytes
--remote-preserve-acls=mode --remote-preserve-acls=mode
--remote-preserve-xattrs=mode --remote-preserve-xattrs=mode
--remove-after-transfer --remove-after-transfer
--remove-empty-source-directory --remove-empty-source-directory
--remove-skipped --remove-skipped
--resume (similar to -k)
--retry-timeout=secs
-S remote_ascp
--save-before-overwrite
--scan-threads=num
--source-prefix=prefix --source-prefix=prefix
--source-prefix64=prefix
--sparse-file
--src-base=prefix --src-base=prefix
--src-base64=base64-encoded prefix
--symbolic-links=method**

--symbolic-links=method**
-T -T
-u user_string -u user_string
--user=username --user=username
-v
-W token_string | @token_filepath
-w{r|f}
--write-threads=NUM
-X rexmsg_size -X rexmsg_size
-Z dgram_size -Z dgram_size

Differences in option behavior

--delete-before-transfer
With ascp4, --delete-before-transfer can be used with URI storage. URI storage is not supported for this option in ascp.
--file-list
ascp automatically applies -d if the destination folder does not exist. With ascp4, you must specify -d. Otherwise, all the files in the file list are written to a single file.
-i (SSH key authentication)
With ascp, the argument for -i can be just the file name of the private key file and ascp automatically looks in the .ssh directory of the user's home directory. With ascp4, the full or relative path to the private key file must be specified.
--overwrite=method
The default overwrite method is diff for ascp and always for ascp4.
--symbolic-links
Both ascp and ascp4 support follow, copy, and skip, but only ascp supports copy+force.