Format of rsync logfile

Question

I am running a backup with rsync during which a logfile is created. However, I do not know what the abbreviations mean. Here is a sample of the logfile:

2016/11/15 15:17:53 [4906] building file list
2016/11/15 15:17:53 [4906] .d..t...... ./
2016/11/15 15:17:53 [4906] >fcst...... .hiddenfile
2016/11/15 15:17:53 [4906] >fcst...... file1

What, e.g., does >fcst...... stand for? More importantly, where is it documented? I did not find it in the manpage. If it actually is in the manpage then please point out the according section.

Answer 1

Manual page for rsync explains it pretty well:

The update types that replace the Y are as follows:

• A < means that a file is being transferred to the remote host (sent).

• A > means that a file is being transferred to the local host (received).

• A c means that a local change/creation is occurring for the item (such as the creation of a directory or the changing of a symlink, etc.).

• A h means that the item is a hard link to another item (requires --hard-links).

• A . means that the item is not being updated (though it might have attributes that are being modified).

• A * means that the rest of the itemized-output area contains a message (e.g. "deleting").

  The file-types that replace the X are: f for a file, a d for a directory, an L for a symlink, a D for a device, and a S for a special file (e.g. named sockets and fifos).

  The other letters in the string above are the actual letters that will be output if the associated attribute for the item is being updated or a "." for no change. Three exceptions to this are: (1) a newly created item replaces each letter with a "+", (2) an identical item replaces the dots with spaces, and (3) an unknown attribute replaces each letter with a "?" (this can hap‐ pen when talking to an older rsync).

  The attribute that is associated with each letter is as follows:

• A c means either that a regular file has a different checksum (requires --checksum) or that a symlink, device, or special file has a changed value. Note that if you are sending files to an rsync prior to 3.0.1, this change flag will be present only for checksum-differing regular files.

• A s means the size of a regular file is different and will be updated by the file transfer.

• A t means the modification time is different and is being updated to the sender’s value (requires --times). An alternate value of T means that the modification time will be set to the transfer time, which happens when a file/symlink/device is updated without --times and when a symlink is changed and the receiver can’t set its time. (Note: when using an rsync 3.0.0 client, you might see the s flag combined with t instead of the proper T flag for this time-setting failure.)

• A p means the permissions are different and are being updated to the sender’s value (requires --perms).

• An o means the owner is different and is being updated to the sender’s value (requires --owner and super-user privileges).

• A g means the group is different and is being updated to the sender’s value (requires --group and the authority to set the group).

• The u slot is reserved for future use.

• The a means that the ACL information changed.

• The x means that the extended attribute information changed.