Command to compare drives and copy missing files
 

Hi! I migrated my OS and home directory (on separate partitions) to a new laptop with a new HD. Copying my home folder was MOSTLY successful. After discovering some missing directories I had to hook up my old drive via a USB adapter and manually compare my original /home folder with my new one to find any obvious missing files, but I just can't go through all the subdirectories with a fine-tooth comb to look for more, since it's over 100GB and has years of files.

So -- I need a command to compare my old drive (my old /home folder) with my new one, and automatically copy any missing files into the correct subdirectories in my new drive. Using drag-and-copy through the usual file managers just doesn't seem to cut it, as I can't seem to tell it to "skip" overwriting existing files and then remember the answer -- it keeps asking me EVERY time for EACH file -- !!!!

Thanks for your help!

(Lubuntu 12.04 on a Lenovo S205)

rsync is what you want. (apt-get install rsync)

The trailing slashes will compare the contents of each of those directories to each other and copy only missing files from src to dst (source and destination).

Thank you! http://mysterdee.com/smilies/snoozer_likelinux_man.gif