# Using Rsync to Transfer Files in Linux Rsync is a file transfer tool for transferring and synchronizing files across systems. It's commonly used for backups, file mirroring, and updating files between local directories or remote servers. Rsync reduces data transfer by copying only the differences between the source and destination files, and its speed, flexibility, and extensive options make it a popular choice for system administrators and developers. This guide installs Rsync and walks through using it to perform local and remote file transfers from your workstation. By the end, you'll have transferred and excluded files locally, and synchronized a directory to a remote machine over SSH, following Linux file transfer practices documented in [**Vultr Docs**](https://docs.vultr.com/how-to-use-rsync-to-transfer-files-in-linux). --- ## Install Rsync Rsync is available in the official repositories on most Linux distributions and is often pre-installed. **1\. Install Rsync on Ubuntu and Debian using the APT package manager:** ```console sudo apt install rsync ``` **2\. Install Rsync on FreeBSD using the PKG package manager:** ```console sudo pkg install rsync ``` **3\. Install Rsync on Arch Linux using the Pacman package manager:** ```console sudo pacman -S rsync ``` **4\. Install Rsync on Fedora, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, and VzLinux using the DNF package manager:** ```console sudo dnf install rsync ``` **5\. Install Rsync on CentOS using the YUM package manager:** ```console sudo yum install rsync ``` ## Rsync Command Syntax Rsync uses the following command syntax. ```plaintext rsync [OPTION] SRC DEST ``` Within the command: - `[OPTION]`: Represents the options or flags passed to the Rsync command. - `SRC`: The source files and directories you want to synchronize. - Use `USER@HOST:SRC` when transferring files remotely over SSH. - `DEST`: The destination where the files or directories will be synchronized. - Use `USER@HOST:DEST` when transferring files remotely over SSH. ### Rsync Command Options The following are the most common Rsync command options: | Option | Long Form | Short Form | Description | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Help | `--help` | `-h` | Show Rsync command help | | Verbosity | `--verbose` | `-v` | Increase verbosity | | | `--quiet` | `-q` | Suppress non-error messages | | File Selection | `--archive` | `-a` | Archive mode | | | `--recursive` | `-r` | Recurse into directories | | | `--relative` | `-R` | Use relative path names | | Updates | `--update` | `-u` | Skip files that are newer on the receiver | | | `--inplace` | | Update destination files in-place | | Backups | `--backup` | `-b` | Make backups (see `--suffix` & `--backup-dir`) | | | `--backup-dir=DIR` | | Make backups into hierarchy based in DIR | | Symlinks | `--links` | `-l` | Copy symlinks as symlinks | | | `--copy-links` | `-L` | Transform symlink into referent file/dir | | Permissions | `--perms` | `-p` | Preserve permissions | | Timestamps | `--times` | `-t` | Preserve modification times | | Deletion | `--delete` | | Delete extraneous files from dest dirs | | | `--delete-excluded` | | Also delete excluded files from dest dirs | | Simulation | `--dry-run` | `-n` | Perform a trial run with no changes made | | Remote Shell | `--rsh=COMMAND` | `-e` | Specify the remote shell to use | | Size Control | `--max-size=SIZE` | | Don't transfer any file larger than `SIZE` | | | `--min-size=SIZE` | | Don't transfer any file smaller than `SIZE` | | Partial Transfer | `--partial` | | Keep incomplete transferred files | | File Filtering | `--exclude=PATTERN` | | Exclude files matching PATTERN | | | `--include=PATTERN` | | Don't exclude files matching PATTERN | | Output Format | `--progress` | | Show progress during transfer | | | `-P` | | Same as `--partial --progress` | | | `--human-readable` | `-h` | Output numbers in a human-readable format | | Compression | `--compress` | `-z` | Compress file data during the transfer | | IP Version | `--ipv4` | `-4` | Prefer IPv4 | | | `--ipv6` | `-6` | Prefer IPv6 | ## Transfer Files and Directories Using Rsync Set up a test environment before running the Rsync commands below. **1\. Create a directory named** `rsync-test` **to work with:** ```console mkdir rsync-test ``` **2\. Navigate into the newly created directory:** ```console cd rsync-test ``` **3\. Create three sample files:** ```console touch file1 file2 file3 ``` ### Transfer Local Files **1\. Copy** `file1`**,** `file2`**, and** `file3` **to a new directory named** `dest`**. In Rsync, the last argument always represents the destination. Ensure the destination path is correctly specified to prevent accidental overwrites:** ```console rsync file1 file2 file3 dest ``` - `file1 file2 file3`: Source files to copy. - `dest`: Destination directory where the files will be copied. **2\. Verify that the files were copied successfully:** ```console ls dest/ ``` Your output should be similar to the one below. ```plaintext ./dest/file1 ./dest/file2 ./dest/file3 ``` ### Transfer Local Directories Rsync does not copy files inside a directory by default. Use the `-a` flag to enable recursive copying, which enables archive mode, preserving timestamps, permissions, group, owner, and symbolic links. **1\. Copy the** `dest` **directory you created earlier:** ```console rsync -a dest/ dest-copy ``` - `-a`: Enables archive mode to preserve file attributes while copying recursively. - `dest/`: The source directory to copy (trailing `/` means copy contents, not the directory itself. If you omit the trailing `/`, Rsync copies the entire directory instead of just its contents). - `dest-copy`: The destination directory. **2\. Verify the copy operation:** ```console ls dest-copy/ ``` Your output should be similar to the one below. A `dest-copy` directory is created with the same content as the `dest` directory. ```plaintext ./dest-copy/file1 ./dest-copy/file2 ./dest-copy/file3 ``` ### Exclude Files or Directories Using Rsync To exclude specific files or directories from being copied, use the Rsync `--exclude` flag. **1\. Copy the contents of the current directory, excluding** `file2` **and all directories that start with** `dest`**:** ```console rsync -a --exclude 'file2' --exclude 'dest*' . output ``` - `-a`: Enable archive mode. - `--exclude 'file2'`: Exclude files and directories named `file2`. - `--exclude 'dest*'`: Exclude files and directories that start with `dest`. - `.`: Specify the current directory as the source. - `output`: The destination directory. **2\. Verify the copy operation:** ```console ls output/ ``` Your output should be similar to the one below. Notice that the `output` directory contains only `file1` and `file3`. ```plaintext ./output/file1 ./output/file3 ``` ## Synchronize Data to a Remote Machine Using Rsync **1\. Synchronize files and directories to a remote machine:** ```console rsync -hazvP --delete --stats . user@192.0.2.1:synced_from_local ``` - `-h`: Output numbers in human-readable format. - `-a`: Enables archive mode for preserving metadata. - `-z`: Compresses data during transfer. - `-v`: Enables verbose output. - `-P`: Displays progress and resumes partial transfers. - `--delete`: Removes files from the destination that no longer exist in the source. - `--stats`: Provides a detailed summary of the transfer. - `.`: Specify the current directory as the source. - `user@192.0.2.1:synced_from_local`: Specify the remote machine as the destination. This consists of three parts: - `user`: The username to access the remote machine. - `192.0.2.1`: The IP address of the remote machine. - `synced_from_local`: The destination path. **2\. Log in to the remote machine using SSH:** ```console ssh user@192.0.2.1 ``` **3\. Verify that the files have been synced:** ```console ls synced_from_local/ ``` Output: ```plaintext synced_from_local/dest-copy/file1 synced_from_local/dest-copy/file2 synced_from_local/dest-copy/file3 synced_from_local/dest/file1 synced_from_local/dest/file2 synced_from_local/dest/file3 synced_from_local/file1 synced_from_local/file2 synced_from_local/file3 synced_from_local/output/file1 synced_from_local/output/file3 ``` ### Warning on Using the `--delete` Rsync Option Be cautious when using `--delete`, as it permanently removes files from the destination if they don't exist in the source. Always perform a dry run first: ```console rsync -a --delete --dry-run SRC DEST ``` ## Next Steps - Schedule recurring Rsync jobs with cron to keep a backup directory continuously in sync. - Combine `--exclude` with a `.rsync-filter` file to manage more complex exclusion rules. - Use `--dry-run` as a standard habit before any sync that includes `--delete`. - Run `man rsync` for the full list of options and remote-shell configurations. For the full guide with additional tips, visit the original article on [**Vultr Docs**](https://docs.vultr.com/how-to-use-rsync-to-transfer-files-in-linux).