Bug#313044: /usr/bin/scp: scp: Atomic transfers?

[Olaf van der Spek <OvdSpek@LIACS.NL>]

Package: openssh-client
Version: 1:4.1p1-3
Severity: wishlist
File: /usr/bin/scp

Hi,

When you transfer a file via scp, it appears the old file is truncated and then written when bytes arrive.
This means the file is unusable while the transfer is in progress and this is undesired for certain types of files.
Also, if the transfer is aborted the file is left in an invalid state.
Would it be possible to make transfers atomic?

Advantages:
File remains valid during transfer.
File remains valid when transfer is aborted.

-- System Information:
Debian Release: testing/unstable
  APT prefers unstable
  APT policy: (500, 'unstable')
Architecture: i386 (i686)
Shell:  /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash
Kernel: Linux 2.6.8-2-686
Locale: LANG=C, LC_CTYPE=C (charmap=ANSI_X3.4-1968)

Versions of packages openssh-client depends on:
ii  adduser               3.63               Add and remove users and groups
ii  debconf [debconf-2.0] 1.4.51             Debian configuration management sy
ii  dpkg                  1.10.28            Package maintenance system for Deb
ii  libc6                 2.3.2.ds1-22       GNU C Library: Shared libraries an
ii  libedit2              2.9.cvs.20050518-2 BSD editline and history libraries
ii  libncurses5           5.4-4              Shared libraries for terminal hand
ii  libssl0.9.7           0.9.7g-1           SSL shared libraries
ii  zlib1g                1:1.2.2-4          compression library - runtime

-- no debconf information