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tools:rsync [2025/10/12 06:50] – [Remote & Network Backups] Humphrey Boa-Garttools:rsync [2026/03/31 12:20] (current) – [What About Automatic Backups?] Humphrey Boa-Gart
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 **rsync** //(or **remote sync**)// is a [[tools:bash|command line]] utility for transferring and synchronizing files between any given //"source"// and //"destination"// pair. It is extremely popular for use in backup utilities, at it can synchronize backups between not only local filesystems, but also over the internet via [[tools:ssh|SSH]]. **rsync** //(or **remote sync**)// is a [[tools:bash|command line]] utility for transferring and synchronizing files between any given //"source"// and //"destination"// pair. It is extremely popular for use in backup utilities, at it can synchronize backups between not only local filesystems, but also over the internet via [[tools:ssh|SSH]].
  
-While you can technically use the ''cp -R'' command to make quick and dirty backups, ''rsync'' offers far more flexibility for common real-world scenarios.+While you can technically use the ''cp -R'' command to make quick and dirty backups, ''rsync'' offers far more flexibility for many common real-world scenarios.
  
 If you are already familiar with using [[tools:wget|Wget]] to make mirrors of entire websites, then use of ''rsync'' should come to you pretty naturally - it just operates over local filesystems & SSH instead of HTTP/HTTPS/FTP. If you are already familiar with using [[tools:wget|Wget]] to make mirrors of entire websites, then use of ''rsync'' should come to you pretty naturally - it just operates over local filesystems & SSH instead of HTTP/HTTPS/FTP.
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   The source and destination cannot both be remote.   The source and destination cannot both be remote.
  
-So if you want to sync between two remote machines, you will have to first SSH into one of them and run ''rsync'' from there "locally" and with the other machine as the remote. If your files.+So if you want to sync between two remote machines, you will have to first SSH into one of them and run ''rsync'' from there "locally" with the other machine as the remote.
  
  
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   $ rsync -av --exclude-from 'exclusions.txt' /path/to/source/dir/ /path/to/destination/dir/   $ rsync -av --exclude-from 'exclusions.txt' /path/to/source/dir/ /path/to/destination/dir/
 +
 +You can even exclude things like specific filetypes:
 +
 +  $ rsync -av --exclude='*.ext' /path/to/source/dir/ /path/to/destination/dir/
  
  
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   * Use ''--progress'' to see real-time transfer status.   * Use ''--progress'' to see real-time transfer status.
   * Use ''--log-file=transfer.log'' to generate a log file of the transfer.   * Use ''--log-file=transfer.log'' to generate a log file of the transfer.
 +  * Use ''--remove-source-files'' to delete the source directory once the transfer is complete.
  
  
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 ''rsync'' does not have a built-in scheduling service. The easiest way to set your rsync-powered backups on autopilot, is with the use of [[tools:cron|crontab]]. ''rsync'' does not have a built-in scheduling service. The easiest way to set your rsync-powered backups on autopilot, is with the use of [[tools:cron|crontab]].
 +
 +
 +===== Further Reading =====
 +
 +  * [[rfc>5781|RFC 5781]] - Official specification for the ''rsync:'' URI scheme used by rsync.
 +
  
    
 {{tag>Tools}} {{tag>Tools}}
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