This is looking good and very helpful to an rsync novice. I will try the modification
rsync --dry-run -avi --delete --filter 'protect /*’ --filter ‘protect /.*’ SOURCE/ TARGET/ and see what it produces. I do have a number of directories and files beginning with a dot in TARGET and these need to be protected. Unfortunately, the output from —dry-run is still likely to be sufficiently extensive that looking over it won’t be a completely certain test. I therefore ask "Does the above modification seem right to the experts?” Two supplementary points, if I may. Do you advise -ai or -avi? And why do you prefer one over the other? I don’t understand the line of rsync output that reads .d..t...... ./ David > On 23 Feb 2017, at 17:02, <francis.montag...@inria.fr> > <francis.montag...@inria.fr> wrote: > > > Hi. > > On Thu, 23 Feb 2017 11:07:16 -0500 Kevin Korb wrote: > >> I hate to say it because it goes against my normal advice but this is >> one instance where using a * in the source parameter would help... > > I totally agree. > > I thing that using a protect filter achieves this goal (without using > a * thus). > > Example: > > mkdir SOURCE/{a,b,c} > mkdir TARGET/d > > ## FAIL: delete d > rsync --dry-run -ai --delete SOURCE/ TARGET/ > *deleting d/ > .d..t...... ./ > cd+++++++++ a/ > cd+++++++++ b/ > cd+++++++++ c/ > > ## OK: for this trivial test > rsync --dry-run -ai --delete --filter 'protect /*' SOURCE/ TARGET/ > .d..t...... ./ > cd+++++++++ a/ > cd+++++++++ b/ > cd+++++++++ c/ > > You may need to read carefully the FILTER RULES section of the rsync > manual. I didn't count the number of time I read it :-) > > --- > Francis -- Please use reply-all for most replies to avoid omitting the mailing list. To unsubscribe or change options: https://lists.samba.org/mailman/listinfo/rsync Before posting, read: http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html