[SOLVED] rsync updates permissions when they haven't changed

edsmith123 · 01-18-2015, 05:13 PM

Hi,

Quick question regarding rsync behaviour. I run a daily rsync command to backup a bunch of my files to an external drive. When I run the command rysnc will update a bunch of files that have not changed. The "--itemize-changes" option indicates that rsync is only updating the permissions of these files yet they have not changed.

For example the output:
".f...p..... bin/mlbhls/mlb.c"

Is this behaviour normal?

Thanks.

TenTenths · 01-19-2015, 04:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edsmith123

Is this behaviour normal?

Nobody knows.... because you aren't telling us what options you're using with rsync. If you're using -p then that should preserve permissions.

edsmith123 · 01-19-2015, 08:47 AM

Sorry about that. I am using the -a options which would also preserve permissions.

I want them to be preserved but I don't understand why rsync 'updates' them on these files every time I run the command when the permissions of the source files have not changed.

pan64 · 01-19-2015, 09:26 AM

I would say try the official rsync forum: rsync@lists.samba.org, that works well and all the rsync related issues can be discussed there.

haertig · 01-19-2015, 11:52 AM

What filesystem is your external drive? If it's the typical NTFS that comes from the manufacturer, that does not have the same permission structure as a native Linux filesystem. So you may be running into that mismatch as the trigger for the unexpected "updating permissions" messages from rsync. I don't really know ... I'm just guessing.

edsmith123 · 01-19-2015, 11:56 AM

Yeah, it's NTFS. I guess I could format the drive to Linux file system but I would prefer to leave it as NTFS because I sometime plug it into a windows machine.

edsmith123 · 01-19-2015, 01:16 PM

Did some more research and it looks like this is definitely the issue.