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Secure Copy a File from a live Docker container to your local machine

Let's say we want the package-lock.json file from a website.

Copy file from site docker container to system​

  • SSH onto the Lightsail instance and run docker ps to get your sites container ID
  • Run docker cp YOUR_CONTAINER_ID:/var/www/html/package-lock.json ./package-lock.json

SSH onto the Bastion from your machine​

  • On AWS Lightsail check the username and IP of the Bastion Lightsail
  • In a terminal window type ssh -A BASTION_USERNAME@BASTION_IP_ADDRESS
  • You may have to add the Bastions key to your machine for this to work: ssh-add PATH_TO_BASTION_KEY.PEM

Secure copy file from site system to Bastion​

  • On AWS Lightsail check the username and IP of your website Lightsail
  • In the terminal window type scp WEBSITE_USERNAME@WEBSITE_IP_ADDRESS:~/package-lock.json ./package-lock.json
  • If you get permission denied you may have to add the ssh-add the ssh key of the website (should be site-key.pem) I've included a copy in ~/.ssh folder on the Bastion

Copy file from Bastion to your local machine​

  • Type exit to log out of the Bastion and return to your local machine
  • Type scp BASTION_USERNAME@BASTION_IP_ADDRESS:~/package-lock.json ~/Desktop to copy the file to your desktop