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I have a backup script setup to copy various files from one machine to another over ssh. Both ends are using Ext4, though the receiving end is using it on a USB mass storage device (if that makes a difference). I have the problem that some, seemingly random, files are listed as being recopied every time I run the script even though they haven't been modified. I can look on the destination and the timestamp has been updated to whatever "now" was during the copy, though the file has not changed.

I found this post regarding a similar problem with rsyncing to/from NTFS, but the timestamp issue there shouldn't apply to Ext4. Just in case, I've tried both --modify-window (which didn't work) and -u which mysteriously did work.

The permissions shouldn't be a problem since my user on the sending end is the same as my user on the receiving end and I'm not specifying any sort of preservation. Here's my command line:

rsync -rvz --no-g --links --safe-links --delete-after --delete-excluded [source] [destination]

I've verified that the delete and compress options aren't messing with it by removing them temporarily; I still get the same random files that get recopied.

Here's an example listing of files that get recopied:

source (only pertinent files listed)

/home/lytithwyn/Documents/:
-rw-rw-r-- 1 lytithwyn lytithwyn   11754 2012-08-04 13:44 family birthdays.ods
-rw-rw-r-- 1 lytithwyn lytithwyn   12897 2012-08-17 09:23 youth_fund.ods

rsync output

building file list ... done
Documents/family birthdays.ods
Documents/youth_fund.ods

destination after copy (only pertinent files listed)

/mattbackup/lithboxhome/Documents/:
-rw-rw-r-- 1 lytithwyn lytithwyn   11754 Aug 17 09:49 family birthdays.ods
-rwxr-xr-x 1 lytithwyn lytithwyn   12897 Aug 17 09:49 youth_fund.ods

Like in the other post, -u fixes it but that feels like a kludge. Anyone know whats really going on? Now that I look at it, I'm not sure what's up with the random execute permissions on the destination either.

Community
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Matthew
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1 Answers1

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rsync by default uses the files time stamp to detect changes.

You have two options

  1. Add -t to your rsync command to copy the timestamps along with the files
  2. Add -c to your rsync command force rsync to use the checksums of the files to detect changes rather than the time stamps.
rollercow
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  • I use -a which includes -t and other options that make sense for accurately replicating files and their meta-data. – Skaperen Aug 17 '12 at 14:42
  • Thanks @rollercow. I normally use -a so I don't have to worry about this, but I was getting errors with some of the preserves in -a since my remote user isn't root. I thought I would have the same trouble with -t, but it works without a hitch. – Matthew Aug 18 '12 at 02:27