gistfile1.rb

# Deployment uses SFTP by default when you use deploy_via :copy, and there
# doesn't seem to be any way to configure it.  Unfortunately, we don't run
# SFTP on our servers, so it fails.  This forces it to use SCP instead.
# http://www.capify.org/index.php/OverridingTaskCommands
#
module UseScpForDeployment
  def self.included(base)
    base.send(:alias_method, :old_upload, :upload)
    base.send(:alias_method, :upload,     :new_upload)
  end
  
  def new_upload(from, to, options={}, &block)
    options[:via] = :scp
    old_upload(from, to, options, &block)
  end
end

Capistrano::Configuration.send(:include, UseScpForDeployment)