I didn't know that thanks. I was using Unison for years but there's a recent conflict with the latest version of OpenSSH built in Windows and although there's a workaround as I use Windows Subsytem for Linux I decided to just switch to rsync instead.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Email: edwinbradf...@gmail.com Tel.: +44 (0)7981 873 771 + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + On Tue, 29 Dec 2020 at 17:52, Kevin Korb <k...@sanitarium.net> wrote: > > Unison doesn't use rsync it only uses librsync (rsync's file diffing > algorithm). Also, unison has a native Windows version so no *nix > translation is needed. > > On 12/29/20 12:48 PM, Edwin Bradford wrote: > > Sorry, I should have realized, that makes complete sense in hindsight. > > I deleted the original source volume symlink and restored from the > > external volume symlink and the same problem exists... Windows doesn't > > recognise it as a symlink or appear to know what kind of file it is. > > > > Previously I was using Unison File Sync which itself uses rsync and > > doesn't support preserving symlinks between Windows and Unix so I'm > > wondering if it's just not possible in which case maybe I'll just have > > to live with following symlinks --copy-links. > > > > > > > > + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + > > > > Email: edwinbradf...@gmail.com > > > > Tel.: +44 (0)7981 873 771 > > > > + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + > > > > > > On Tue, 29 Dec 2020 at 16:39, Kevin Korb <k...@sanitarium.net> wrote: > >> > >> Not quite. I meant rsync a symlink then delete the source symlink and > >> use rsync to restore it from what rsync made. If the target of the > >> symlink doesn't exist on the other system (in the same place) then the > >> symlink shouldn't work on the remote but rsync can still backup it up > >> and restore it. At least that is how it works in *nix. > >> > >> On 12/29/20 11:34 AM, Edwin Bradford wrote: > >>> Yes I found --checksum is much slower so following your feedback I'll do > >>> some more reading to see if I really need it thanks. Assuming I > >>> understand correctly I did the following test and also replaced absolute > >>> symlink paths with relative symlink paths which worked this time: > >>> > >>> 1. I deleted and recreated the Windows symlinks on the source volume > >>> using relative paths. > >>> 2. I deleted and recreated the same symlinks directly on the destination > >>> volume. > >>> 3. I ran the same rsync command with the --archive flag (preserve > >>> symlinks). > >>> > >>> The result was the symlinks on the destination volume were preserved or > >>> at least not destroyed by the subsequent sync. If this test is what you > >>> intended then it shows rsync can preserve the symlink between NTFS > >>> volumes but I would have to manually recreate the symlinks on the > >>> destination NTFS volume once. > >>> > >>> Have I understood correctly? > >>> > >>> > >>> On Tue, 29 Dec 2020 at 13:53, Kevin Korb via rsync > >>> <rsync@lists.samba.org <mailto:rsync@lists.samba.org>> wrote: > >>> > >>> If you delete the link then restore it does it start working again > >>> when > >>> in the correct place? > >>> > >>> Also, don't use --checksum unless you are really certain you > >>> understand > >>> how terribly slow it is and how it doesn't actually accomplish much of > >>> anything (certainly not any kind of data verification). > >>> > >>> On 12/29/20 7:29 AM, Edwin Bradford via rsync wrote: > >>> > Is it possible to preserve Windows symlinks when backing up from > >>> NTFS to > >>> > NTFS volumes or any other for that matter? > >>> > > >>> > I am running rsync in Ubuntu in Windows Subsytem for Linux on > >>> Windows 10 > >>> > backing up a local NTFS volume to an external NTFS volume (and > >>> also to a > >>> > remote Unix server). > >>> > > >>> > The source NTFS volume has symlinks created in Windows using: > >>> > > >>> > mklink the\link the\file > >>> > mklink /d the\link the\directory > >>> > > >>> > I am running rsync within a long shell script with the command: > >>> > > >>> > rsync > >>> > --verbose --archive --checksum --itemize-changes > >>> --human-readable > >>> > --delete --delete-excluded --partial --progress --stats > >>> > --exclude-from='ignore.txt' > >>> > source/ destination > >>> > > >>> > The symlinks are copied to the external NTFS partition and have > >>> the same > >>> > name but no functionality. Windows doesn't recognise them as > >>> symlinks, > >>> > doesn't know what to do with them and there is no apparent > >>> difference > >>> > between symlinked directories and files. > >>> > > >>> > I tried creating the symlinks with relative paths on the source > >>> volume > >>> > but rsync generated an error and refused to complete. Using > >>> --copy-links > >>> > instead of --links (implicit in --archive) gives the expected > >>> behaviour > >>> > but I would prefer to preserve symlinks rather than replace them > >>> with > >>> > their linked contents. > >>> > > >>> > At this point I'm not sure if it's a limitation of rsync and NTFS > >>> > compatibility or whether I'm missing something. > >>> > > >>> > + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + > >>> > > >>> > Email: edwinbradf...@gmail.com <mailto:edwinbradf...@gmail.com> > >>> <mailto:edwinbradf...@gmail.com <mailto:edwinbradf...@gmail.com>> > >>> > > >>> > Tel.: +44 (0)7981 873 771 > >>> > > >>> > + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + > >>> > > >>> > >>> -- > >>> > >>> ~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._., > >>> Kevin Korb Phone: (407) 252-6853 > >>> Systems Administrator Internet: > >>> FutureQuest, Inc. ke...@futurequest.net (work) > >>> Orlando, Florida k...@sanitarium.net > >>> <mailto:k...@sanitarium.net> (personal) > >>> Web page: https://sanitarium.net/ > >>> <https://sanitarium.net/> > >>> PGP public key available on web site. > >>> > >>> ~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._., > >>> > >>> -- > >>> 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 > >>> <https://lists.samba.org/mailman/listinfo/rsync> > >>> Before posting, read: > >>> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html > >>> <http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html> > >>> > >> > >> -- > >> ~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._., > >> Kevin Korb Phone: (407) 252-6853 > >> Systems Administrator Internet: > >> FutureQuest, Inc. ke...@futurequest.net (work) > >> Orlando, Florida k...@sanitarium.net (personal) > >> Web page: https://sanitarium.net/ > >> PGP public key available on web site. > >> ~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._., > > -- > ~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._., > Kevin Korb Phone: (407) 252-6853 > Systems Administrator Internet: > FutureQuest, Inc. ke...@futurequest.net (work) > Orlando, Florida k...@sanitarium.net (personal) > Web page: https://sanitarium.net/ > PGP public key available on web site. > ~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._., -- 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