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Rsync

What is rsync?

  • Incremental transfers: Only transfers the differences between source and destination files, saving time and bandwidth.
  • Supports local and remote synchronization: Can copy files within the same system or over SSH/remote connections.
  • Preserves file attributes: Can keep permissions, timestamps, symbolic links, and ownership intact.
  • Efficient: Uses compression (-z) and delta-transfer algorithm to reduce data sent over the network.
  • Versatile: Can be used for backups, migrations, or mirroring websites and directories.

How to Use rsync

1. Basic Local Copy

rsync -av /source/directory/ /destination/directory/
  • -a = archive mode (preserves permissions, timestamps, symbolic links, etc.)
  • -v = verbose (shows what’s being transferred)
  • Trailing slashes matter: /source/ means “contents of the source directory.”

2. Remote Copy (via SSH)

rsync -av /local/dir/ user@remote_host:/remote/dir/
  • Copies local directory to a remote server via SSH.

3. Remote Copy from Server to Local

rsync -av user@remote_host:/remote/dir/ /local/dir/

4. Compress Data During Transfer

rsync -avz /local/dir/ user@remote_host:/remote/dir/
  • -z enables compression for faster network transfers.

5. Show Progress

rsync -av --progress /local/dir/ /destination/dir/
  • Displays transfer progress and speed.

6. Delete Extra Files in Destination

rsync -av --delete /local/dir/ /destination/dir/
  • Deletes files in the destination that no longer exist in the source.

7. Exclude Certain Files

rsync -av --exclude '*.tmp' /source/ /destination/
  • Skips all .tmp files during transfer.

Installation (Linux Examples)

=== "Ubuntu / Debian"

```bash
sudo apt update
sudo apt install rsync

sudo pacman -S rsync

sudo dnf install rsync

sudo zypper install rsync

```