OPENRSYNC(1) | General Commands Manual | OPENRSYNC(1)

# NAME

`openrsync` — synchronise local and remote files

# SYNOPSIS

`openrsync` | [`-aDgIJlnOoprtVvx`] [`-e` program] [`--address`=sourceaddr] [`--compare-dest`=directory] [`--contimeout`=seconds] [`--del`] [`--exclude` pattern] [`--exclude-from`=file] [`--include` pattern] [`--include-from`=file] [`--max-size`=size] [`--min-size`=size] [`--no-motd`] [`--numeric-ids`] [`--port`=service] [`--rsync-path`=program] [`--size-only`] [`--timeout`=seconds] source ... directory

# DESCRIPTION

The `openrsync` utility synchronises files in the destination directory with one or more source files. Either the source or the destination directory may be remote, but not both. The arguments are as follows:

`-a`, `--archive`
  Shorthand for `-Dgloprt`.
`--address`=sourceaddr
  When connecting to an rsync daemon, use sourceaddr as the source address for connections, which is useful on machines with multiple interfaces.
`--compare-dest`=directory
  Use directory as an alternate base directory to compare files against on the destination machine. If file in directory is found and identical to the sender's file, the file will not be transferred. Multiple `--compare-dest` directories may be provided. If directory is a relative path, it is relative to the destination directory.
`--contimeout`=seconds
  Set the connection timeout in seconds. Exit if no connection established within the specified time. The default is 0, which means no timeout.
`-D`
  Also transfer device and special files. Shorthand for `--devices` `--specials`.
`--del`, `--delete`
  Delete files in directory not found in source directories. Only applicable with `-r`.
`-e` program, `--rsh`=program
  Specify alternative communication program, defaults to ssh(1).
`--exclude` pattern
  Exclude files matching pattern.
`--exclude-from`=file
  Load patterns and rules from file.
`--devices`
  Also transfer device files.
`-g`, `--group`
  Set the group name to match the source. For example, group "kristaps" with ID 1000 on a remote server is matched to group "kristaps" on the local machine with ID 2000. If `--numeric-ids` is also given or if the remote group name is unknown on the local machine, set the numeric group ID to match the source instead.
`-I`, `--ignore-times`
  Do not skip based on file size and modification time.
`--include` pattern
  Include files matching pattern.
`--include-from`=file
  Load patterns and rules from file.
`-J`, `--omit-link-times`
  Don't set symlink modification times to match the source.
`-l`, `--links`
  Also transfer symbolic links. The link is transferred as a standalone file: if the destination does not exist, it will be broken.
`--max-size` size
  Don't transfer any file that is larger than size bytes. Alternatively size may instead use a multiplier, as documented in scan_scaled(3), to specify the size.
`--min-size` size
  Don't transfer any file that is smaller than size bytes. See `--max-size` on the definition of size.
`-n`, `--dry-run`
  Do not actually modify the destination. Mainly useful in combination with `-v`.
`--no-motd`
  Do not display the Message of the Day.
`--numeric-ids`
  Ignore user and group names, use numeric user and group IDs only. Has no effect unless `-g` or `-o` is also given.
`-O`, `--omit-dir-times`
  Don't set directory modification times to match the source.
`-o`, `--owner`
  Set the user name to match the source, with similar matching logic as for `-g`. If `--numeric-ids` is also given or if the remote user name is unknown on the local machine, set the numeric user ID to match the source instead. Only works if run as root.
`-p`, `--perms`
  Set destination file or directory permissions to match the source when it is updated.
`--port`=service
  Specify an alternative TCP port number. The service can be given as a decimal integer or as a name to be looked up in the services(5) database. The default is “rsync”.
`-r`, `--recursive`
  If source designates a directory, synchronise the directory and the entire subtree connected at that point. If source ends with a slash, only the subtree is synchronised, not the source directory itself. If source is a file, this has no effect.
`--rsync-path`=program
  Run program on the remote host instead of the default rsync.
`--size-only`
  Skip files based only on size, don't check timestamp.
`--specials`
  Also transfer fifo and unix domain socket files.
`--timeout`=seconds
  Set the I/O timeout in seconds. Exit if no data was transferred for the specified time. The default is 0, which means no timeout.
`-t`, `--times`
  Set destination file and directory modification time to match the source when it is updated or created.
`-V`, `--version`
  Print version and exit.
`-v`, `--verbose`
  Increase verbosity. Specify once for files being transferred, twice for specific status, thrice for per-file transfer information, and four times for per-file breakdowns.
`-x`
  Do not cross filesystem boundaries. If this option is repeated, all mount point directories from the copy are omitted. Otherwise, it includes an empty directory at each mount point it encounters.

A remote source or directory has the syntax host:path for connecting via ssh(1), or `rsync`://host/path or host::path for connecting to a remote daemon. Subsequent to the first remote source, the host may be dropped to become just :path or ::path.

For connecting to a remote daemon with `rsync`://host or host::path, the first path component is interpreted as a "module": host::module/path. This only applies to the first source invocation; subsequent to that, the module should not be specified.

By default, new destination files and directories are given the current time and the source file permissions. Updated files retain their existing permissions. It is an error if updated files have their file types change (e.g., updating a directory with a file).

At this time, source may only consist of regular files, directories (only with `-r`), or symbolic links (only with `-l`). The destination directory must be a directory and is created if not found.

# EXIT STATUS

The `openrsync` utility exits 0 on success, 1 if an error occurs, or 2 if the remote protocol version is older than the local protocol version.

# EXAMPLES

All examples use `-t` so that destination files inherit the source time. If not changed, subsequent invocations of `openrsync` will then consider the file up to date and not transfer block hashes.

To update the out-of-date remote files host:dest/bar and host:dest/baz with the local ../src/bar and ../src/baz:

`% rsync -t ../src/bar ../src/baz host:dest`

To update the out-of-date local files bar and baz with the remote files host:src/bar and host:src/baz:

`% rsync -t host:src/bar :src/baz .`

To update the out-of-date local files ../dest/bar and ../dest/baz with bar and baz:

`% rsync -t bar baz ../dest`

# SEE ALSO

ssh(1)

# STANDARDS

`openrsync` is compatible with rsync protocol version 27 as supported by the samba.org implementation of rsync.

# HISTORY

The `openrsync` utility has been available since OpenBSD 6.5.

# AUTHORS

The `openrsync` utility was written by Kristaps Dzonsons <kristaps@bsd.lv>.

November 27, 2023 | Debian