Linux rsync Guide

Linux rsync Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to rsync on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including file synchronization, backup strategies, and efficient file transfer.

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Table of Contents

1. rsync Installation
2. rsync Basics
3. Synchronization
4. Remote Sync
5. Troubleshooting

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rsync Installation

Install rsync

Arch/CachyOS:

# Install rsync
sudo pacman -S rsync

Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt install rsync

Fedora:

sudo dnf install rsync

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rsync Basics

Copy Files

Basic usage:

# Copy files
rsync source/ destination/

# Copies files from source to destination

Dry Run

Test without copying:

# Dry run (test)
rsync -avn source/ destination/

# -a = archive mode
# -v = verbose
# -n = dry run (no actual copy)

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Synchronization

Archive Mode

Preserve everything:

# Archive mode
rsync -av source/ destination/

# -a = archive (preserves permissions, timestamps, etc.)
# -v = verbose (shows progress)

Delete Extra Files

Mirror source:

# Delete files not in source
rsync -av --delete source/ destination/

# --delete = removes files not in source

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Remote Sync

Over SSH

Remote synchronization:

# Sync to remote server
rsync -av source/ user@server:/path/destination/

# Uses SSH for transfer

From Remote

Download from server:

# Sync from remote server
rsync -av user@server:/path/source/ destination/

# Downloads from remote

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Troubleshooting

rsync Not Found

Check installation:

# Check rsync
which rsync

# Install if missing
sudo pacman -S rsync

Permission Denied

Check permissions:

# Ensure read access to source
ls -la source/

# Ensure write access to destination

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Summary

This guide covered rsync usage, file synchronization, and backup strategies for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions.

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Next Steps

• Backup and Restore - Backup strategies
• scp Guide - Simple file copying
• SSH Configuration - SSH setup
• rsync Documentation: man rsync

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This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. For distribution-specific details, refer to your distribution's documentation.