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Q&A Can rsync handle moves and renames?

Suppose I have a directory structure like ├── src │   ├── folder_a │   │   ├── file_w │   │   └── file_x │   ├── folder_b │   │   ├── file_y │   │   └── file_z and I back it up using rsyn...

1 answer  ·  posted 10mo ago by Karl Knechtel‭  ·  edited 10mo ago by Karl Knechtel‭

Question filesystem rsync
#3: Post edited by user avatar Karl Knechtel‭ · 2024-02-01T12:34:12Z (10 months ago)
Improve fake `tree` output
  • Suppose I have a directory structure like
  • ```
  • ├── src
  • │   ├── folder_a
  • │   │   ├── file_w
  • │   │   ── file_x
  • │   ├── folder_b
  • │   │   ├── file_y
  • │   │   ── file_z
  • ```
  • and I back it up using `rsync`:
  • ```
  • $ rsync -r /path/to/src/ /path/to/dst/
  • ```
  • Later, I reorganize the contents of `src`, for example:
  • ```
  • ├── src
  • │   ├── folder_c
  • │   │   ├── file_w
  • │   │   ── file_y
  • │   ├── folder_d
  • │   │   ├── file_x
  • │   │   ── file_z
  • ```
  • Each file with a given name has not changed; but they don't have the same hierarchical relationship (i.e., files that used to be siblings might not be any more), and the names of their containing folders may have changed.
  • Can `rsync` detect that the `dst` folder contains the same files, and avoid copying files (instead only moving files within `dst` and renaming folders)? What options are useful to make this as smooth as possible?
  • Suppose I have a directory structure like
  • ```
  • ├── src
  • │   ├── folder_a
  • │   │   ├── file_w
  • │   │   ── file_x
  • │   ├── folder_b
  • │   │   ├── file_y
  • │   │   ── file_z
  • ```
  • and I back it up using `rsync`:
  • ```
  • $ rsync -r /path/to/src/ /path/to/dst/
  • ```
  • Later, I reorganize the contents of `src`, for example:
  • ```
  • ├── src
  • │   ├── folder_c
  • │   │   ├── file_w
  • │   │   ── file_y
  • │   ├── folder_d
  • │   │   ├── file_x
  • │   │   ── file_z
  • ```
  • Each file with a given name has not changed; but they don't have the same hierarchical relationship (i.e., files that used to be siblings might not be any more), and the names of their containing folders may have changed.
  • Can `rsync` detect that the `dst` folder contains the same files, and avoid copying files (instead only moving files within `dst` and renaming folders)? What options are useful to make this as smooth as possible?
#2: Post edited by user avatar matthewsnyder‭ · 2024-01-30T08:03:58Z (10 months ago)
  • Can rsync handle file reorganization efficiently?
  • Can rsync handle moves and renames?
Suppose I have a directory structure like

```
├── src
│   ├── folder_a
│   │   ├── file_w
│   │   ├── file_x
│   ├── folder_b
│   │   ├── file_y
│   │   ├── file_z
```
and I back it up using `rsync`:
```
$ rsync -r /path/to/src/ /path/to/dst/
```
Later, I reorganize the contents of `src`, for example:
```
├── src
│   ├── folder_c
│   │   ├── file_w
│   │   ├── file_y
│   ├── folder_d
│   │   ├── file_x
│   │   ├── file_z
```
Each file with a given name has not changed; but they don't have the same hierarchical relationship (i.e., files that used to be siblings might not be any more), and the names of their containing folders may have changed.

Can `rsync` detect that the `dst` folder contains the same files, and avoid copying files (instead only moving files within `dst` and renaming folders)? What options are useful to make this as smooth as possible?
#1: Initial revision by user avatar Karl Knechtel‭ · 2024-01-25T00:58:52Z (10 months ago)
Can rsync handle file reorganization efficiently?
Suppose I have a directory structure like

```
├── src
│   ├── folder_a
│   │   ├── file_w
│   │   ├── file_x
│   ├── folder_b
│   │   ├── file_y
│   │   ├── file_z
```
and I back it up using `rsync`:
```
$ rsync -r /path/to/src/ /path/to/dst/
```
Later, I reorganize the contents of `src`, for example:
```
├── src
│   ├── folder_c
│   │   ├── file_w
│   │   ├── file_y
│   ├── folder_d
│   │   ├── file_x
│   │   ├── file_z
```
Each file with a given name has not changed; but they don't have the same hierarchical relationship (i.e., files that used to be siblings might not be any more), and the names of their containing folders may have changed.

Can `rsync` detect that the `dst` folder contains the same files, and avoid copying files (instead only moving files within `dst` and renaming folders)? What options are useful to make this as smooth as possible?