Why is `rsync` recursing?

Jeff9 · 07-13-2013, 01:19 PM

rsync's --help shows there is a flag, "-r" (or maybe "--recursive") which help says "recurse into directories". I did not use tha flagt, but `rsync` is copy a bunch of huge subdirectories (well, I hit Ctrl-C - but it would have!). Why is it copying these subdirectories? How do I make it stop? Here is the (slightly edited) command I used

Code:

>rsync -rv localmachine.university.edu:FPU/code/* .

Also note that there are no aliases:

Code:

>alias rsync
-bash: alias: rsync: not found

PTrenholme · 07-13-2013, 01:25 PM

But you do have the "r" option specified.

Code:

rsync -rv localmachine.university.edu:FPU/code/*

Jeff9 · 07-13-2013, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PTrenholme

But you do have the "r" option specified.

Code:

rsync -rv localmachine.university.edu:FPU/code/*

D'oh! That was supposed to be a "u"! (Next time I'll read what I write before I post it!)

lleb · 07-13-2013, 11:08 PM

a few things.

1. with the * at the end you are telling the system to grab everything after /code/*, this will grab subdirectories as well. be more specific to the source if you dont want subdirectories, dont use the wildcard.

2. try running your command without the destination:

Code:

rsync -rv localmachine.university.edu:FPU/code/*

from the man page for rsync:

Quote:

As a special case, if a single source arg is specified without a destination, the files are
listed in an output format similar to “ls -l”.

This will allow you to see exactly what it is going to move without actually moving any files around before hand so you can play with your pathing to sort things out.