Using rsync with exclude/include

Question

I'm running 2 ubuntu 9.10 servers. I have to synchronize the changes between these two machines. The following are the directories I've to synchronize:

/usr, /etc, /var, /bin, /sbin, /lib

I'm using rsync like the below for replication:

rsync -avP 192.168.2.100:/usr/ /usr

rsync -avP 192.168.2.100:/etc/ /etc ------here I'll have to exclude many files like /etc/udev/*, /etc/hosts, /etc/hostname,...

I tried using rsync -avP --exclude '/etc/fstab' 192.168.2.100:/etc/ /etc but it overwritten entire /etc directory

Can any one edit and give me rsync to one line command which synchronizes specified directories and not which are excluded?. Need help!

Answer 1

The exclude pattern is relative to the source files, not the destination files. You're actually excluding 192.168.2.100:/etc/etc/fstab, which does not exist.

You should use:

rsync -avP --exclude '/fstab' 192.168.2.100:/etc/ /etc

Answer 2

You should use something like this:

$ sudo rsync "$backup_options" --log-file="$backup_log_file" --include-from="$backup_incl_from_file" --exclude-from="$backup_excl_from_file" "$backup_src_folder" "$backup_dest_folder"

where the text file $backup_incl_from_file should include:

usr/***
etc/***
var/***
bin/***
sbin/***
lib/***
...

and the text file $backup_excl_from_file should include:

etc/udev/
etc/hosts
etc/hostname
...

In this example

backup_src_folder="192.168.2.100:/"
backup_dest_folder="192.168.2.101:/"

It's important you read the rsync man page before you use this example to meet your needs, paying special attention to the INCLUDE/EXCLUDE PATTERN RULES section.

Answer 3

The following is the rsync command to sync multiple directories in one-line and is worked for me. Please let me know if it is the right way to use.

This should be run on SOURCE system:

rsync -avP --exclude 'udev' --exclude 'hosts' --exclude 'hostname' --exclude 'any-account-under-home' /etc /home /usr /var /lib /bin /sbin 192.168.2.100:/

We can exclude many files/directories from specified directories.

If we have a file with the same name let say 'test' under /etc/ and /home and you want to exclude this file only from /etc, then placing a exclude entry excluding 'test' from all .