[SOLVED] rsync - exclude a directory but include specific file(s) within that directory

JavaMeister · 09-21-2020, 07:01 PM

I want to exclude a directory but/and include a specific file within that directory. Said another way, I want to exclude all the files in a specific directory but/and include (a) specific file(s) in that same directory. I would prefer to do this using exclude-from=exclude.txt and include-from=include.txt. Is this possible? What is the format of the command?

rknichols · 09-21-2020, 08:11 PM

Yes. You can use the "--filter merge /path/to/your_filter_file" option and put your list of exclude and include patterns in that file. Each line in the pattern file must begin with a prefix that indicates its function. See the section for "--filter=" and the "FILTER RULES" section in the rsync manpage.

Here's a trivial example:

Code:

rsync -av --filter=$HOME/filter_rules Pictures/ /media/backup/Pictures

where there is a subdirectory "Pictures/private_pics", and the filter_rules file contains

Code:

include private_pics/Janes-face.jpg
exclude private_pics/*

Note that "-" is a synonym for "exclude" and "+" is a synonym for "include" in that filter file.

As with "--exclude" and "--include" options, the rules are processed in order, and an earlier rule overrides a later one. That is useful, for example, for including specific files that would also match a later exclude pattern.

JavaMeister · 09-23-2020, 11:31 AM

Thank you RKNichols. That looks like exactly what I want. I have studied the referenced man pages thoroughly.

It is not working for me, though. I have no idea what I am missing. Here is the story.

My filter rules file, filter.txt:

Code:

include src/below/inBelow.txt
exclude src/below/

My rsync command shell, do:

Code:

rsync -avxu --filter=filter.txt src bkup

The directory structure(I added the colors):

Code:

ron@ron-OptiPlex-990:~/Tools/play$ ll -R
.:
total 16
drwxr-xr-x 2 ron ron 4096 Sep 23 10:49 bkup/
-rwxr-xr-x 1 ron ron   41 Sep 23 10:25 do*
-rw-r--r-- 1 ron ron   49 Sep 23 10:26 filter.txt
drwxr-xr-x 3 ron ron 4096 Sep 23 09:23 src/

./bkup:
total 0

./src:
total 8
drwxr-xr-x 2 ron ron 4096 Sep 23 09:23 below/
-rw-r--r-- 1 ron ron   15 Sep 23 09:23 inTools.txt

./src/below:
total 8
-rw-r--r-- 1 ron ron 15 Sep 23 09:22 inBelow.txt
-rw-r--r-- 1 ron ron 19 Sep 23 09:23 notThis.txt

ron@ron-OptiPlex-990:~/Tools/play$

Here are the results I get for my trouble:

Code:

ron@ron-OptiPlex-990:~/Tools/play$ ./do
Unknown filter rule: `filter.txt'
rsync error: syntax or usage error (code 1) at exclude.c(902) [client=3.1.2]
ron@ron-OptiPlex-990:~/Tools/play$

The goal is to backup src/inTools.txt, and src/below/inBelow.txt, but exclude everything else in ./src/below, specifically src/below/notThis.txt.
I am at a complete loss. Please tell me I have made some simple error.

SoftSprocket · 09-23-2020, 11:36 AM

Have you tried providing the path to filter.txt? i.e. ./filter.txt or ~/Tools/play/filter.txt

JavaMeister · 09-23-2020, 11:49 AM

Hot damn! Got it!
Two errors:
change

Code:

--filter=filter.txt

to

Code:

--filter 'merge filter.txt'

and add an * to

Code:

exclude src/below/*

All works! I'm excited.

JavaMeister · 09-23-2020, 01:30 PM

Good suggestion, SoftSprocket. Yes, I did try it, with no success. But you will see from the post below yours, that was not the problem. Thanks.

rknichols · 09-23-2020, 01:49 PM

Glad to hear that you got there! The complexity of rsync can be quite a challenge if you need something beyond the basics.