Why rsync Beats scp for Reliable File Transfers (and How to Use It)

What is rsync?

Rsync is a fast, highly flexible file‑copy tool that works locally, over any remote shell, or via a dedicated rsync daemon. It uses an incremental transfer algorithm that sends only differences between source and destination files, reducing network traffic. It is widely used for backup and mirroring.

Supported platforms

Rsync runs on any Unix‑like system such as Linux and macOS; there are also ports for Windows, though the article does not cover them.

Installation

On Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt install rsync On RedHat/CentOS: sudo yum install rsync On macOS (Homebrew): brew install rsync Verify the installation:

rsync --version

Basic usage

Copy a file from the local host to a remote host, similar to scp but with more options:

rsync -partial -z -e 'ssh -p 22' linuxmi.cpp [email protected]:/home/linuxmi

Explanation of the options: -partial: keep partially transferred files so a later run can resume. -z: compress data during transfer. -e 'ssh -p 22': use SSH on port 22 as the transport.

Resuming interrupted transfers

If the command was started with -partial and the transfer stops, re‑run the same command; rsync will continue from the point of interruption.

Conclusion

Rsync offers many additional options such as bandwidth limiting, but the key benefit highlighted is its ability to resume interrupted transfers, making it a more reliable alternative to scp.