How to Use rsync Command in Linux: Basic Syntax and Examples

The rsync command in Linux copies and synchronizes files and directories efficiently between locations. Use rsync [options] source destination to transfer files locally or remotely with options like -a for archive mode and -v for verbose output.

Syntax

The basic syntax of rsync is:

• rsync [options] source destination

source is the file or directory you want to copy.

destination is where you want to copy the files to.

options modify how the copying works, like preserving file permissions or showing progress.

bash

rsync [options] source destination

Example

This example copies the directory myfolder to /backup/ preserving all file attributes and showing progress:

bash

rsync -av --progress myfolder/ /backup/myfolder/

Output

sending incremental file list
file1.txt
file2.txt

sent 1.23M bytes  received 45 bytes  123.45K bytes/sec
total size is 1.20M  speedup is 1.00

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes include:

• Forgetting the trailing slash on source directory which changes behavior.
• Not using -a option to preserve file permissions and timestamps.
• Using rsync without -v or --progress can hide what is happening.

Example of difference:

bash

rsync -av myfolder /backup/
rsync -av myfolder/ /backup/

Quick Reference

Option	Description
-a	Archive mode; preserves permissions, timestamps, symbolic links, and more
-v	Verbose output; shows details of the transfer
--progress	Shows progress during transfer
-z	Compress file data during transfer
-r	Recursively copy directories
--delete	Delete files in destination not present in source

Key Takeaways

Use rsync -av source destination to copy files with permissions and timestamps preserved.

A trailing slash on the source directory changes whether the directory itself or its contents are copied.

Add --progress to see transfer progress in real time.

Use --delete carefully to keep destination in sync by removing extra files.

Rsync works locally and over network by specifying remote paths like user@host:/path.