Mastering rsync: Practical Linux Examples for Fast, Reliable File Sync

rsync is a powerful utility for synchronizing files and directories between local and remote systems. It can operate on both local and remote servers, making it ideal for backups and deployments.

Installation

On CentOS, install rsync with:

[root@localhost ~]# yum -y install rsync

Example 1: Sync two local directories

Use rsync -zvr /var/log/ /root/temp/ to copy files from /var/log/ to /root/temp/ with compression, verbose output, and recursion.

[root@localhost ~]# rsync -zvr /var/log/ /root/temp/
sending incremental file list
btmp
... (output truncated)
sent 516,136 bytes, received 605 bytes, 1,033,482.00 bytes/sec
total size is 5,451,242  speedup is 10.55

-z enables compression.

-v prints detailed information.

-r enables recursive copy.

Example 2: Preserve timestamps with -a

The -a (archive) option combines recursion, symbolic‑link preservation, permission retention, timestamp preservation, and owner/group preservation.

[root@localhost ~]# rsync -azv /var/log/ /root/temp/
... (output shows timestamps retained)

Example 3: Sync from local to remote

Both machines must have rsync installed. Use:

[root@localhost ~]# rsync -avz /root/temp/ [email protected]:/root/temp
[email protected]'s password: 
... (files transferred)

Example 4: Sync from remote to local

Reverse the source and destination:

[root@localhost ~]# rsync -avz [email protected]:/root/temp /root/temp
[email protected]'s password: 
... (files received)

Example 5: Avoid overwriting newer files with -u

The -u (update) flag skips files that are newer on the destination.

# rsync -avzu [email protected]:/root/temp /root/
... (only older files are copied)

Example 6: Show progress with --progress

Add --progress to display a live transfer progress bar.

[root@localhost ~]# rsync -avz --progress /root/temp/ [email protected]:/root/temp

Example 7: Delete extraneous files with --delete

Use --delete to remove files in the destination that no longer exist in the source.

# rsync -avz --delete /root/temp [email protected]:/root
... (files not present in source are deleted)

Example 8: Include and exclude patterns

Specify patterns to include or exclude particular files or directories.

[root@localhost ~]# rsync -avz --include 'P*' --exclude '*' [email protected]:/var/lib/rpm/ /root/temp/

Example 9: Limit transferred file size

Use --max-size (or --min-size) to restrict files by size.

[root@localhost ~]# rsync -avz --max-size='1M' [email protected]:/var/lib/rpm/ /root/temp/

These examples cover common rsync options—compression, verbosity, recursion, archive mode, update, progress, deletion, pattern matching, and size limits—providing a practical reference for reliable file synchronization and backup on Linux systems.