ssh_init: host does not exist.. trying to copy tomcat7 folder to my ubuntu EC2 instance usign PSCP

Question

My Ubuntu

   ubuntu@ip-172-31-81-180:~$ sudo su
    root@ip-172-31-81-180:/home/ubuntu#

CMD prompt:

C:\Users\gsrte\Downloads>pscp C:\Users\gsrte\Downloads\tomcat7.zip ubuntu@ip-172-31-81-180:/home/ubuntu/tomcat7

Error:

ssh_init: Host does not exist

Can anyone please explain the error ssh_init. I have started the ec2 on public instance, then using putty I have connected to the ubuntu server using username ubuntu and also sudo su root user. Any idea for the root cause of the ssh_init: host does not exist error? Greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

That's because that's actually your servers hostname, not it's IP address.

Most hostnames are pretty simple, for example, stackoverflow.com, consisting of a name, and a Top Level Domain or TLD, in this case the name is stackoverflow and the TLD is .com

With your example, ip-172-31-81-180, you have what could be a valid domain name but no TLD, but you need to keep in mind, on linux servers, your hostname can be anything you want, I could make my server's hostname say, for example, whitehouse.gov, but that doesn't mean it is :)

That being said, i'd assume that your server's hostname is, in fact, derived from the real IP, and thus your IP address for that server is probably 172.31.81.180