LFCA 55 🐧 Syncing Files — rsync Basics - KandZ

The scp copies the whole file every time, and the sftp transfers interactively but also sends the whole file. The rsync is different. It computes the differences between the source and the destination, transfers only the changed blocks, and leaves everything else alone. That is the delta algorithm, and it is what makes rsync the tool for the repeated’s sync — the backup’s, the mirror’s, the deploy’s. The rsync can work over SSH, over a local path, or over its own daemon protocol, and it has a rich set of options for preserving permissions, timestamps, symlinks, and hard links. This chapter covers the rsync‘s basic syntax, the source and destination’s semantics, the trailing slash’s meaning, the archive’s -a, the verbose’s -v, the compression’s -z, the dry-run’s -n, the delete’s --delete, the exclude’s --exclude, the progress’s -P, the SSH’s -e, the bandwidth’s --bwlimit, and the patterns that make the sync safe.

Key point: The rsync source destination is the basic’s, and the delta’s is the only-changed’s. The -a is the archive’s — the recursive’s, the permissions’s, the timestamps’s, the symlinks’s, the group’s, the owner’s, the devices’s. The -v is the verbose’s, the -z is the compression’s, the -n is the dry-run’s, the -P is the progress’s and the partial’s, the -e ssh is the SSH’s, the --delete is the destination’s extra’s removal’s, the --exclude is the pattern’s, the --bwlimit is the bandwidth’s. The trailing slash’s is the distinction’s: the source/ copies the contents’s, the source copies the directory’s itself’s. The rsync‘s is the delta’s, and the delta’s is the efficient’s.

Why the `rsync` matters

The rsync is the delta’s, and the delta’s is the efficient’s.

The rsync‘s case. The rsync‘s case is the repeated’s, the large’s, the incremental’s. The scp‘s is the one-shot’s, and the rsync‘s is the repeated’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The rsync‘s delta’s algorithm. The rsync‘s delta’s is the block’s, and the block’s is the changed’s. The rsync‘s is the checksum’s, and the checksum’s is the comparison’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the rsync matters for the backup’s. The rsync matters for the backup’s, and the backup’s is the periodic’s. The rsync‘s is the --delete‘s, and the --delete‘s is the mirror’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the rsync matters for the deploy’s. The rsync matters for the deploy’s, and the deploy’s is the incremental’s. The rsync‘s is the only-changed’s, and the only-changed’s is the fast’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the efficiency’s.

Why the rsync matters for the mirror’s. The rsync matters for the mirror’s, and the mirror’s is the exact’s. The rsync‘s is the --delete‘s, and the --delete‘s is the exact’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the rsync matters for the migration’s. The rsync matters for the migration’s, and the migration’s is the large’s. The rsync‘s is the resume’s, and the resume’s is the interrupted’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the rsync matters for the local’s. The rsync matters for the local’s, and the local’s is the cp‘s. The rsync‘s is the local’s, and the local’s is the cp‘s alternative’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the rsync matters for the bandwidth’s. The rsync matters for the bandwidth’s, and the bandwidth’s is the --bwlimit‘s. The rsync‘s is the limit’s, and the limit’s is the shared’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the rsync‘s the delta’s matters. The rsync‘s the delta’s is the efficient’s, and the efficient’s is the large’s. The rsync‘s is the only-changed’s, and the only-changed’s is the fast’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The `rsync`‘s basic usage

The rsync source destination is the basic’s, and the basic’s is the delta’s.

rsync -av source/ destination/

The rsync -av source/ destination/ is the basic’s, and the basic’s is the delta’s. The -a is the archive’s, the -v is the verbose’s, the source/ is the source’s, the destination/ is the destination’s. The four are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the rsync‘s basic matters. The rsync‘s basic is the archive’s, and the archive’s is the common’s. The -av‘s is the two’s, and the two’s is the recursive’s and the verbose’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The source’s the trailing slash’s. The source/ copies the contents’s, and the source copies the directory’s itself’s.

rsync -av source/ destination/   # the contents's → the destination's
rsync -av source destination/    # the source's → the destination/source/

The rsync -av source/ destination/ is the contents’s, and the rsync -av source destination/ is the directory’s. The trailing’s is the distinction’s, and the distinction’s is the design’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the pattern’s.

Why the trailing slash matters. The trailing slash is the contents’s, and the contents’s is the inside’s. The no-trailing’s is the directory’s, and the directory’s is the itself’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The destination’s the trailing slash’s. The destination/ is the directory’s, and the directory’s is the created’s.

rsync -av source/ destination/  # the destination's is the created's

The rsync -av source/ destination/ is the destination’s, and the destination’s is the created’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the destination’s trailing slash matters. The destination’s trailing slash is the created’s, and the created’s is the missing’s. The rsync‘s is the destination’s, and the destination’s is the created’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The local’s. The rsync -av source/ destination/ is the local’s, and the local’s is the cp‘s.

rsync -av source/ /tmp/destination/
# The local's is the copy's.

The rsync -av source/ /tmp/destination/ is the local’s, and the local’s is the cp‘s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the local’s matters. The local’s is the cp‘s, and the cp‘s is the alternative’s. The rsync‘s is the delta’s, and the delta’s is the efficient’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The remote’s. The rsync -av source/ user@host:/path is the remote’s, and the remote’s is the SSH’s.

rsync -av source/ user@example.com:/tmp/destination/
# The remote's is the SSH's.

The rsync -av source/ user@example.com:/tmp/destination/ is the remote’s, and the remote’s is the SSH’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the remote’s matters. The remote’s is the SSH’s, and the SSH’s is the transport’s. The rsync‘s is the SSH’s, and the SSH’s is the encrypted’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The -e ssh‘s. The rsync -av -e ssh source/ user@host:/path is the -e‘s, and the -e‘s is the explicit’s.

rsync -av -e ssh source/ user@example.com:/tmp/

The rsync -av -e ssh is the -e‘s, and the -e‘s is the explicit’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the -e ssh matters. The -e ssh is the explicit’s, and the explicit’s is the default’s. The rsync‘s is the SSH’s, and the SSH’s is the default’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The `rsync`‘s the archive’s `-a`

The -a is the archive’s, and the archive’s is the common’s.

rsync -av source/ destination/

The -av is the archive’s and the verbose’s, and the archive’s is the common’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the -a matters. The -a is the archive’s, and the archive’s is the recursive’s and the attributes’s. The -a‘s is the -rlptgoD‘s, and the -rlptgoD‘s is the shorthand’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The -a‘s the components. The -a‘s is the -rlptgoD‘s, and the -rlptgoD‘s is the seven’s.

-a = -rlptgoD
     │ │ │ │ │ │ │
     │ │ │ │ │ │ └── the D = the devices's and the specials's
     │ │ │ │ │ └── the o = the owner's
     │ │ │ │ └── the g = the group's
     │ │ │ └── the t = the timestamps's
     │ │ └── the p = the permissions's
     │ └── the l = the symlinks's
     └── the r = the recursive's

The -rlptgoD is the seven’s, and the seven’s is the archive’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the -a‘s components matter. The -a‘s components are the -r, the -l, the -p, the -t, the -g, the -o, the -D. The seven are the common’s, and the common’s is the archive’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The -r‘s. The -r is the recursive’s, and the recursive’s is the directory’s.

rsync -av source/ destination/  # the -r is the included's

The -r is the recursive’s, and the recursive’s is the directory’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the -r matters. The -r is the recursive’s, and the recursive’s is the directory’s. The -r‘s is the tree’s, and the tree’s is the whole’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The -l‘s. The -l is the symlinks’s, and the symlinks’s is the copies’s.

rsync -av source/ destination/  # the -l is the included's

The -l is the symlinks’s, and the symlinks’s is the copies’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the -l matters. The -l is the symlinks’s, and the symlinks’s is the copies’s. The -l‘s is the link’s, and the link’s is the preserved’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The -p‘s. The -p is the permissions’s, and the permissions’s is the preserved’s.

rsync -av source/ destination/  # the -p is the included's

The -p is the permissions’s, and the permissions’s is the preserved’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the -p matters. The -p is the permissions’s, and the permissions’s is the preserved’s. The -p‘s is the mode’s, and the mode’s is the design’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The -t‘s. The -t is the timestamps’s, and the timestamps’s is the preserved’s.

rsync -av source/ destination/  # the -t is the included's

The -t is the timestamps’s, and the timestamps’s is the preserved’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the -t matters. The -t is the timestamps’s, and the timestamps’s is the mtime’s. The -t‘s is the incremental’s, and the incremental’s is the important’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The -g‘s. The -g is the group’s, and the group’s is the preserved’s.

rsync -av source/ destination/  # the -g is the included's

The -g is the group’s, and the group’s is the preserved’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the -g matters. The -g is the group’s, and the group’s is the preserved’s. The -g‘s is the group’s, and the group’s is the design’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The -o‘s. The -o is the owner’s, and the owner’s is the preserved’s.

rsync -av source/ destination/  # the -o is the included's

The -o is the owner’s, and the owner’s is the preserved’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the -o matters. The -o is the owner’s, and the owner’s is the preserved’s. The -o‘s is the owner’s, and the owner’s is the sudo’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The -D‘s. The -D is the devices’s, and the devices’s is the specials’s.

rsync -av source/ destination/  # the -D is the included's

The -D is the devices’s, and the devices’s is the specials’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the -D matters. The -D is the devices’s, and the devices’s is the specials’s. The -D‘s is the block’s and the character’s, and the character’s is the design’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The `rsync`‘s the verbose’s `-v`

The -v is the verbose’s, and the verbose’s is the detail’s.

rsync -av source/ destination/
# sending incremental file list
# ./
# file1.txt
# file2.txt
# sent 1,234 bytes  received 567 bytes  3,602.00 bytes/sec
# total size is 4,567  speedup is 2.53

The rsync -av source/ destination/ is the verbose’s, and the verbose’s is the detail’s. The sending incremental file list is the start’s, and the start’s is the list’s. The sent 1,234 bytes is the summary’s, and the summary’s is the end’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the -v matters. The -v is the verbose’s, and the verbose’s is the detail’s. The -v‘s is the file’s, and the file’s is the transferred’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The -vv‘s. The -vv is the more’s, and the more’s is the debug’s.

rsync -avv source/ destination/
# The more's is the debug's.

The rsync -avv source/ destination/ is the more’s, and the more’s is the debug’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the -vv matters. The -vv is the more’s, and the more’s is the debug’s. The -vv‘s is the skip’s, and the skip’s is the reason’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The --stats‘s. The --stats is the summary’s, and the summary’s is the detail’s.

rsync -av --stats source/ destination/
# Number of files: 5
# Number of created files: 2
# Number of deleted files: 0
# Total file size: 4,567 bytes
# Total transferred file size: 1,234 bytes
# Literal data: 1,234 bytes
# Matched data: 0 bytes
# File list size: 0
# File list generation time: 0.001 seconds
# File list transfer time: 0.000 seconds
# Total bytes sent: 1,234
# Total bytes received: 567

The rsync -av --stats source/ destination/ is the summary’s, and the summary’s is the detail’s. The Number of files, the Number of created files, the Number of deleted files are the counts’s. The Total file size, the Total transferred file size, the Literal data, the Matched data are the sizes’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the --stats matters. The --stats is the summary’s, and the summary’s is the detail’s. The --stats‘s is the delta’s, and the delta’s is the efficient’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The --human-readable‘s. The --human-readable is the HR’s, and the HR’s is the readable’s.

rsync -av --human-readable source/ destination/
# The sizes's are the readable's.

The rsync -av --human-readable is the HR’s, and the HR’s is the readable’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the --human-readable matters. The --human-readable is the HR’s, and the HR’s is the readable’s. The --human-readable‘s is the K/M/G’s, and the K/M/G’s is the human’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The `rsync`‘s the compression’s `-z`

The -z is the compression’s, and the compression’s is the band’s.

rsync -avz source/ user@example.com:/tmp/
# The -z is the compression's.

The rsync -avz source/ user@example.com:/tmp/ is the compression’s, and the compression’s is the band’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the performance’s.

Why the -z matters. The -z is the compression’s, and the compression’s is the band’s. The -z‘s is the CPU’s, and the CPU’s is the tradeoff’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The -z‘s the text’s. The -z‘s the text’s is the compressible’s, and the compressible’s is the good’s.

rsync -avz source/ user@example.com:/tmp/
# The text's is the compressible's.

The rsync -avz source/ is the text’s, and the text’s is the compressible’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the -z‘s the text’s matters. The -z‘s the text’s is the compressible’s, and the compressible’s is the good’s. The -z‘s is the log’s and the source’s, and the source’s is the good’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The -z‘s the binary’s. The -z‘s the binary’s is the compressed’s, and the compressed’s is the bad’s.

rsync -av source/ user@example.com:/tmp/  # the binary's is the no-z's

The rsync -av source/ is the binary’s, and the binary’s is the no-z’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the -z‘s the binary’s matters. The -z‘s the binary’s is the compressed’s, and the compressed’s is the bad’s. The -z‘s is the JPEG’s and the ZIP’s, and the ZIP’s is the no-gain’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The --compress-level‘s. The --compress-level is the level’s, and the level’s is the 1-9’s.

rsync -avz --compress-level=9 source/ user@example.com:/tmp/
# The level's is the 9's, and the 9's is the max's.

The rsync -avz --compress-level=9 is the level’s, and the level’s is the 1-9’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the --compress-level matters. The --compress-level is the level’s, and the level’s is the 1-9’s. The --compress-level‘s is the 9’s, and the 9’s is the CPU’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The `rsync`‘s the dry-run’s `-n`

The -n is the dry-run’s, and the dry-run’s is the preview’s.

rsync -avn source/ destination/
# The -n is the dry-run's.

The rsync -avn source/ destination/ is the dry-run’s, and the dry-run’s is the preview’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the safety’s.

Why the -n matters. The -n is the dry-run’s, and the dry-run’s is the preview’s. The -n‘s is the no-change’s, and the no-change’s is the safe’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The -n‘s the --delete‘s. The -n‘s the --delete‘s is the preview’s, and the preview’s is the list’s.

rsync -avn --delete source/ destination/
# The deletions's are the previewed's.

The rsync -avn --delete source/ destination/ is the preview’s, and the preview’s is the list’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the safety’s.

Why the -n‘s the --delete‘s matters. The -n‘s the --delete‘s is the preview’s, and the preview’s is the list’s. The -n‘s is the dangerous’s preview’s, and the preview’s is the safe’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The -n‘s the -i‘s. The -n‘s the -i‘s is the itemize’s, and the itemize’s is the change’s.

rsync -avni source/ destination/
# The itemize's is the change's.

The rsync -avni source/ destination/ is the itemize’s, and the itemize’s is the change’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the -n‘s the -i‘s matters. The -n‘s the -i‘s is the itemize’s, and the itemize’s is the change’s. The -i‘s is the >f+++++++++‘s, and the >f+++++++++‘s is the new’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The -i‘s the codes’s. The -i‘s the codes’s is the >f, the cd, the *deleting‘s.

rsync -avi source/ destination/
# >f+++++++++ new.txt
# >f.st...... changed.txt
# *deleting   old.txt

The >f+++++++++ is the new’s, the >f.st...... is the changed’s, the *deleting is the deleted’s. The three are the codes’s, and the codes’s is the itemize’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the -i‘s the codes’s matters. The -i‘s the codes’s is the >f, the cd, the *deleting‘s. The >f‘s is the file’s, the cd‘s is the directory’s, the *deleting‘s is the removal’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The `rsync`‘s the delete’s `--delete`

The --delete is the destination’s extra’s removal’s, and the removal’s is the exact’s.

rsync -av --delete source/ destination/
# The --delete is the removal's.

The rsync -av --delete source/ destination/ is the delete’s, and the delete’s is the extra’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the --delete matters. The --delete is the extra’s removal’s, and the removal’s is the exact’s. The --delete‘s is the mirror’s, and the mirror’s is the exact’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The --delete‘s the danger’s. The --delete‘s the danger’s is the source’s, and the source’s is the truth’s.

rsync -av --delete source/ destination/
# The source's is the truth's.

The rsync -av --delete source/ destination/ is the danger’s, and the danger’s is the source’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the safety’s.

Why the --delete‘s the danger’s matters. The --delete‘s the danger’s is the source’s, and the source’s is the truth’s. The --delete‘s is the empty’s source’s, and the source’s is the deletion’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The --delete‘s the -n‘s. The --delete‘s the -n‘s is the preview’s, and the preview’s is the safety’s.

rsync -avn --delete source/ destination/
# The preview's is the safety's.

The rsync -avn --delete source/ destination/ is the preview’s, and the preview’s is the safety’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the --delete‘s the -n‘s matters. The --delete‘s the -n‘s is the preview’s, and the preview’s is the safety’s. The --delete‘s is the dangerous’s, and the dangerous’s is the preview’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The --delete-before‘s, the --delete-during‘s, the --delete-after‘s, the --delete-excluded‘s. The four are the timing’s.

rsync -av --delete-before source/ destination/   # the before's
rsync -av --delete-during source/ destination/   # the during's (the default's)
rsync -av --delete-after source/ destination/    # the after's
rsync -av --delete-excluded source/ destination/ # the excluded's

The --delete-before, the --delete-during, the --delete-after, the --delete-excluded are the four, and the four are the timing’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the four’s matters. The four’s is the timing’s, and the timing’s is the design’s. The --delete-before‘s is the space’s, the --delete-during‘s is the fast’s, the --delete-after‘s is the late’s, the --delete-excluded‘s is the excluded’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The `rsync`‘s the exclude’s `--exclude`

The --exclude is the pattern’s, and the pattern’s is the skip’s.

rsync -av --exclude='*.log' source/ destination/
# The *.log's is the skipped's.

The rsync -av --exclude='*.log' source/ destination/ is the pattern’s, and the pattern’s is the skip’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the --exclude matters. The --exclude is the pattern’s, and the pattern’s is the skip’s. The --exclude‘s is the log’s, the cache’s, the node_modules’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The --exclude-from‘s. The --exclude-from is the file’s, and the file’s is the patterns’s.

rsync -av --exclude-from='.rsyncignore' source/ destination/
# The .rsyncignore's is the patterns's.

The rsync -av --exclude-from='.rsyncignore' is the file’s, and the file’s is the patterns’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the --exclude-from matters. The --exclude-from is the file’s, and the file’s is the patterns’s. The --exclude-from‘s is the .rsyncignore‘s, and the .rsyncignore‘s is the maintainable’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The --include‘s. The --include is the opposite’s, and the opposite’s is the include’s.

rsync -av --include='*.txt' --exclude='*' source/ destination/
# The *.txt's is the included's, and the *'s is the excluded's.

The rsync -av --include='*.txt' --exclude='*' is the opposite’s, and the opposite’s is the include’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the --include matters. The --include is the opposite’s, and the opposite’s is the include’s. The --include‘s is the order’s, and the order’s is the important’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the --include‘s the order’s matters. The --include‘s the order’s is the important’s, and the important’s is the specific’s. The --include‘s before the --exclude‘s, and the --exclude‘s is the catch-all’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The `rsync`‘s the progress’s `-P`

The -P is the progress’s and the partial’s, and the partial’s is the resume’s.

rsync -avP source/ user@example.com:/tmp/
# file1.txt   1.23M  50%   1.2MB/s   00:01

The rsync -avP source/ user@example.com:/tmp/ is the progress’s, and the progress’s is the partial’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the -P matters. The -P is the progress’s and the partial’s, and the partial’s is the resume’s. The -P‘s is the --progress‘s and the --partial‘s, and the --partial‘s is the resume’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The --progress‘s. The --progress is the progress’s, and the progress’s is the bar’s.

rsync -av --progress source/ user@example.com:/tmp/
# file1.txt
#       1.23M  50%   1.2MB/s   00:01

The rsync -av --progress is the progress’s, and the progress’s is the bar’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the --progress matters. The --progress is the progress’s, and the progress’s is the bar’s. The --progress‘s is the visible’s, and the visible’s is the large’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The --partial‘s. The --partial is the partial’s, and the partial’s is the resume’s.

rsync -av --partial source/ user@example.com:/tmp/
# The partial's is the kept's.

The rsync -av --partial is the partial’s, and the partial’s is the resume’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the --partial matters. The --partial is the partial’s, and the partial’s is the resume’s. The --partial‘s is the interrupted’s, and the interrupted’s is the resumed’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The --partial-dir‘s. The --partial-dir is the directory’s, and the directory’s is the partial’s.

rsync -av --partial-dir=.rsync-partial source/ user@example.com:/tmp/
# The .rsync-partial's is the partial's directory's.

The rsync -av --partial-dir=.rsync-partial is the directory’s, and the directory’s is the partial’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the --partial-dir matters. The --partial-dir is the directory’s, and the directory’s is the partial’s. The --partial-dir‘s is the separate’s, and the separate’s is the clean’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The `rsync`‘s the SSH’s `-e`

The -e is the SSH’s, and the SSH’s is the remote’s.

rsync -av -e ssh source/ user@example.com:/tmp/
# The -e ssh is the SSH's.

The rsync -av -e ssh source/ user@example.com:/tmp/ is the SSH’s, and the SSH’s is the remote’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the -e matters. The -e is the SSH’s, and the SSH’s is the explicit’s. The -e ssh‘s is the default’s, and the default’s is the same’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The -e‘s the port’s. The -e 'ssh -p 2222' is the port’s, and the port’s is the non-default’s.

rsync -av -e 'ssh -p 2222' source/ user@example.com:/tmp/
# The -p 2222's is the port's.

The rsync -av -e 'ssh -p 2222' is the port’s, and the port’s is the non-default’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the -e‘s the port’s matters. The -e‘s the port’s is the non-default’s, and the non-default’s is the 2222’s. The -e 'ssh -p 2222'‘s is the specific’s, and the specific’s is the design’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The -e‘s the key’s. The -e 'ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519' is the key’s, and the key’s is the specific’s.

rsync -av -e 'ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519' source/ user@example.com:/tmp/
# The -i's is the key's.

The rsync -av -e 'ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519' is the key’s, and the key’s is the specific’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the -e‘s the key’s matters. The -e‘s the key’s is the specific’s, and the specific’s is the multi-key’s. The -e 'ssh -i ...'‘s is the specific’s, and the specific’s is the design’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The -e‘s the config’s. The -e ssh‘s the config’s is the ~/.ssh/config‘s, and the config’s is the applied’s.

# ~/.ssh/config
# Host example
#     HostName example.com
#     User alice
#     Port 2222
#     IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

rsync -av source/ example:/tmp/
# The config's is the applied's.

The rsync -av source/ example:/tmp/ is the config’s, and the config’s is the applied’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the -e‘s the config’s matters. The -e‘s the config’s is the ~/.ssh/config‘s, and the config’s is the applied’s. The -e ssh‘s is the same’s, and the same’s is the design’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The `rsync`‘s the bandwidth’s `--bwlimit`

The --bwlimit is the bandwidth’s, and the bandwidth’s is the limit’s.

rsync -av --bwlimit=1000 source/ user@example.com:/tmp/
# The 1000 KB/s's is the limit's.

The rsync -av --bwlimit=1000 is the bandwidth’s, and the bandwidth’s is the limit’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the --bwlimit matters. The --bwlimit is the bandwidth’s, and the bandwidth’s is the limit’s. The --bwlimit‘s is the shared’s, and the shared’s is the courtesy’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The --bwlimit‘s the unit’s. The --bwlimit‘s the unit’s is the KB/s’s, and the KB/s’s is the default’s.

rsync -av --bwlimit=1.5m source/ user@example.com:/tmp/
# The 1.5 MB/s's is the limit's.

The rsync -av --bwlimit=1.5m is the 1.5 MB/s’s, and the 1.5 MB/s’s is the limit’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the --bwlimit‘s the unit’s matters. The --bwlimit‘s the unit’s is the KB/s’s and the MB/s’s. The 1.5m‘s is the MB/s’s, and the MB/s’s is the specific’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

The --bwlimit‘s the production’s. The --bwlimit‘s the production’s is the off-hours’s, and the off-hours’s is the courtesy’s.

rsync -av --bwlimit=1000 source/ user@example.com:/tmp/
# The off-hours's is the courtesy's.

The rsync -av --bwlimit=1000 is the production’s, and the production’s is the off-hours’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Why the --bwlimit‘s the production’s matters. The --bwlimit‘s the production’s is the off-hours’s, and the off-hours’s is the courtesy’s. The --bwlimit‘s is the shared’s, and the shared’s is the design’s. The two are the pair, and the pair is the design’s.

Complete Example Session

# ============================================
# PART 1: THE BASIC RSYNC
# ============================================

rsync -av source/ destination/
# The archive's and the verbose's.

# ============================================
# PART 2: THE TRAILING SLASH
# ============================================

rsync -av source/ destination/   # the contents's
rsync -av source destination/    # the directory's itself's

# ============================================
# PART 3: THE REMOTE'S
# ============================================

rsync -av source/ user@example.com:/tmp/destination/
rsync -av user@example.com:/tmp/source/ destination/

# ============================================
# PART 4: THE SSH'S
# ============================================

rsync -av -e ssh source/ user@example.com:/tmp/
rsync -av -e 'ssh -p 2222' source/ user@example.com:/tmp/

# ============================================
# PART 5: THE DRY-RUN
# ============================================

rsync -avn source/ destination/
# The preview's is the safe's.

# ============================================
# PART 6: THE DELETE
# ============================================

rsync -av --delete source/ destination/
# The extra's is the removed's.

rsync -avn --delete source/ destination/
# The preview's is the safe's.

# ============================================
# PART 7: THE EXCLUDE
# ============================================

rsync -av --exclude='*.log' source/ destination/
rsync -av --exclude-from='.rsyncignore' source/ destination/

# ============================================
# PART 8: THE PROGRESS
# ============================================

rsync -avP source/ user@example.com:/tmp/
# The progress's and the partial's.

# ============================================
# PART 9: THE BANDWIDTH
# ============================================

rsync -av --bwlimit=1000 source/ user@example.com:/tmp/
# The 1000 KB/s's is the limit's.

# ============================================
# PART 10: WHAT NOT TO DO
# ============================================

# Don't forget the trailing slash's
rsync -av source destination/  # ❌ the directory's itself's // ⚠️

# Don't use the --delete without the -n
rsync -av --delete source/ destination/  # ❌ the preview's // ⚠️

# Don't forget the -e for the non-default's SSH
rsync -av source/ user@example.com:/tmp/  # the default's     // ⚠️

# Don't use the -z for the binary's
rsync -avz source/ user@example.com:/tmp/  # ❌ the no-gain's  // ⚠️

# Don't forget the --exclude for the node_modules's
rsync -av source/ destination/  # ❌ the huge's               // ⚠️

# Don't forget the -P for the large's
rsync -av source/ user@example.com:/tmp/  # ❌ the no-resume's // ⚠️

The ten parts cover the basic rsync, the trailing slash, the remote’s, the SSH’s, the dry-run, the delete, the exclude, the progress, the bandwidth, and the anti-patterns.

Quick Reference

The `rsync`‘s Basic’s

Command	Purpose
`rsync source destination`	The copy’s
`rsync source/ destination/`	The contents’s
`rsync source destination/`	The directory’s itself’s
`rsync source/ user@host:/path`	The remote’s

The `rsync`‘s the Common’s Options

Option	Purpose
`-a`	The archive’s (`-rlptgoD`)
`-v`	The verbose’s
`-z`	The compression’s
`-n`	The dry-run’s
`-P`	The progress’s and the partial’s
`-e ssh`	The SSH’s
`--delete`	The destination’s extra’s removal’s
`--exclude`	The pattern’s
`--bwlimit`	The bandwidth’s
`--stats`	The summary’s

The `-a`‘s the Components

Flag	Purpose
`-r`	The recursive’s
`-l`	The symlinks’s
`-p`	The permissions’s
`-t`	The timestamps’s
`-g`	The group’s
`-o`	The owner’s
`-D`	The devices’s

The `--delete`‘s the Timing’s

Flag	Purpose
`--delete-before`	The before’s
`--delete-during`	The during’s (the default’s)
`--delete-after`	The after’s
`--delete-excluded`	The excluded’s

The `-i`‘s the Codes’s

Code	Meaning
`>f+++++++++`	The new’s file’s
`>f.st......`	The changed’s file’s
`cd+++++++++`	The new’s directory’s
`*deleting`	The removal’s

The `rsync`‘s vs the `scp`‘s vs the `sftp`‘s

Tool	Use
`rsync`	The delta’s, the repeated’s
`scp`	The one-shot’s
`sftp`	The interactive’s

Best Practices

✅ Do This:

# Use the -av for the common's
rsync -av source/ destination/                                 # ✅

# Use the -n --delete for the preview's
rsync -avn --delete source/ destination/                       # ✅

# Use the trailing slash for the contents's
rsync -av source/ destination/                                 # ✅

# Use the --exclude for the node_modules's
rsync -av --exclude='node_modules' source/ destination/        # ✅

# Use the -P for the large's
rsync -avP source/ user@example.com:/tmp/                      # ✅

# Use the --bwlimit for the shared's
rsync -av --bwlimit=1000 source/ user@example.com:/tmp/        # ✅

# Use the ~/.ssh/config for the alias
rsync -av source/ example:/tmp/                                # ✅

# Use the -e for the non-default's SSH's
rsync -av -e 'ssh -p 2222' source/ user@example.com:/tmp/      # ✅

❌ Don’t Do This:

# Don't forget the trailing slash's
rsync -av source destination/  # ❌ the directory's itself's    // ⚠️

# Don't use the --delete without the -n
rsync -av --delete source/ destination/  # ❌ the preview's    // ⚠️

# Don't use the -z for the binary's
rsync -avz source/ user@example.com:/tmp/  # ❌ the no-gain's   // ⚠️

# Don't forget the --exclude for the node_modules's
rsync -av source/ destination/  # ❌ the huge's                // ⚠️

# Don't forget the -P for the large's
rsync -av source/ user@example.com:/tmp/  # ❌ the no-resume's  // ⚠️

# Don't forget the -e for the non-default's
rsync -av source/ user@example.com:/tmp/  # ❌ the port's      // ⚠️

Common Pitfalls

Pitfall	Problem	Solution
The trailing slash’s	The wrong’s structure’s	The `source/`
The `--delete`‘s no-`-n`	The accidental’s	The `-n` first
The `-z` for the binary’s	The no-gain’s	The no-`-z`
The missing `--exclude`	The huge’s	The `--exclude`
The missing `-P`	The no-resume’s	The `-P`
The non-default’s port’s	The connection’s	The `-e 'ssh -p ...'`
The `--delete`‘s the empty’s	The deletion’s	The check’s
The `-a`‘s the no-`-r`	The no-recursion’s	The `-r` included’s

Real-World Examples

1. The basic sync

rsync -av source/ destination/

2. The remote’s sync

rsync -av source/ user@example.com:/tmp/destination/

3. The dry-run

rsync -avn --delete source/ destination/

4. The exclude

rsync -av --exclude='*.log' source/ destination/

5. The exclude-from

rsync -av --exclude-from='.rsyncignore' source/ destination/

6. The progress

rsync -avP source/ user@example.com:/tmp/

7. The bandwidth

rsync -av --bwlimit=1000 source/ user@example.com:/tmp/

8. The SSH’s port

rsync -av -e 'ssh -p 2222' source/ user@example.com:/tmp/

9. The config’s alias

rsync -av source/ example:/tmp/

10. The stats

rsync -av --stats source/ destination/

Visual: The `rsync`‘s the Delta’s Algorithm

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  THE SOURCE'S                                │
│    file.txt (the 1000 bytes's)               │
│                                              │
│  THE DESTINATION'S                           │
│    file.txt (the 1000 bytes's, the 10        │
│    changed's)                                │
│                                              │
│  THE RSYNC'S:                                │
│    The checksum's is the block's.            │
│    The changed's blocks's are the sent's.    │
│                                              │
│  THE SCORE:                                  │
│    The 990 bytes's are the skipped's.        │
│    The 10 bytes's are the sent's.            │
│                                              │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Visual: The `rsync`‘s the Trailing Slash’s

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  source/ → destination/                      │
│    The contents's is the copied's.           │
│    The destination's is the source's         │
│    contents's.                               │
│                                              │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  source → destination/                       │
│    The directory's is the copied's.          │
│    The destination's is the                   │
│    destination/source/'s.                    │
│                                              │
│  The trailing slash's is the distinction's.  │
│                                              │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Visual: The `rsync`‘s the `-a`‘s the Components

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  -a = -rlptgoD                               │
│                                              │
│  -r  the recursive's                         │
│  -l  the symlinks's                          │
│  -p  the permissions's                       │
│  -t  the timestamps's                        │
│  -g  the group's                             │
│  -o  the owner's                             │
│  -D  the devices's and the specials's        │
│                                              │
│  The -a's is the archive's.                  │
│                                              │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Visual: The `rsync`‘s vs the `scp`‘s vs the `sftp`‘s

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  THE RSYNC'S                                 │
│    The delta's, the repeated's               │
│    The efficient's, the large's              │
│    The --delete's, the --exclude's           │
│                                              │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  THE SCP'S                                   │
│    The one-shot's, the known's               │
│    The simple's, the fast's                  │
│                                              │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  THE SFTP'S                                  │
│    The interactive's, the browse's           │
│                                              │
│  The three are the choice's.                 │
│                                              │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Visual: The `rsync`‘s the `--delete`‘s

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  THE SOURCE'S                                │
│    a.txt, b.txt, c.txt                       │
│                                              │
│  THE DESTINATION'S                           │
│    a.txt, b.txt, d.txt                       │
│                                              │
│  THE RSYNC --delete:                         │
│    The c.txt's is the copied's.              │
│    The d.txt's is the DELETED's.             │
│                                              │
│  THE MIRROR'S IS THE EXACT'S.                │
│                                              │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Summary

Item	Value
The basic	`rsync source destination`
The archive’s	`-a` (the `-rlptgoD`‘s)
The verbose’s	`-v`
The compression’s	`-z`
The dry-run’s	`-n`
The progress’s	`-P`
The SSH’s	`-e ssh`
The delete’s	`--delete`
The exclude’s	`--exclude`
The bandwidth’s	`--bwlimit`
The trailing slash’s	The contents’s vs the directory’s
The vs the scp’s	The delta’s vs the whole’s

Key takeaways:

The rsync‘s is the delta’s, and the delta’s is the only-changed’s — the checksum’s is the comparison’s, and the changed’s blocks’s are the sent’s
The -a is the archive’s, and the archive’s is the -rlptgoD‘s — the recursive’s, the symlinks’s, the permissions’s, the timestamps’s, the group’s, the owner’s, the devices’s
The trailing slash’s is the distinction’s — the source/ copies the contents’s, and the source copies the directory’s itself’s
The -v is the verbose’s, and the -z is the compression’s — the -z is for the text’s, and the no--z is for the binary’s
The -n is the dry-run’s — the preview’s is the safe’s, and the --delete‘s preview’s is the important’s
The --delete is the mirror’s — the destination’s extra’s is the removed’s, and the -n --delete‘s is the preview’s
The --exclude is the pattern’s — the .rsyncignore‘s is the maintainable’s, and the order’s is the important’s
The -P is the progress’s and the partial’s — the partial’s is the resume’s, and the large’s is the use’s
The -e ssh is the SSH’s — the -e 'ssh -p 2222'‘s is the port’s, and the ~/.ssh/config‘s is the applied’s
The --bwlimit is the bandwidth’s — the limit’s is the shared’s, and the off-hours’s is the courtesy’s

Remember: The rsync‘s is the delta’s, and the delta’s is the efficient’s. The -a‘s is the archive’s, and the trailing slash’s is the distinction’s. The -z‘s is the compression’s, and the -n‘s is the dry-run’s. The --delete‘s is the mirror’s, and the --exclude‘s is the pattern’s. The -P‘s is the resume’s, and the --bwlimit‘s is the shared’s. The rsync‘s is the repeated’s, and the repeated’s is the design’s.

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Why the rsync matters

The rsync‘s basic usage

The rsync‘s the archive’s -a

The rsync‘s the verbose’s -v

The rsync‘s the compression’s -z

The rsync‘s the dry-run’s -n

The rsync‘s the delete’s --delete

The rsync‘s the exclude’s --exclude

The rsync‘s the progress’s -P

The rsync‘s the SSH’s -e

The rsync‘s the bandwidth’s --bwlimit