rsync is a long-standing file synchronization tool used for backups, mirroring, and data transfer. It minimizes transferred data by sending only differences.
- File-level backup and replication jobs.
- Network transfer over SSH between Linux systems.
- Building custom incremental backup scripts.
- Delta-transfer algorithm for efficient syncing.
- Works locally or over SSH.
- Preserve metadata with archive mode.
- Filter/include/exclude controls and dry-run support.
- The rsync project site currently lists
3.4.1 (released January 15, 2025).
3.4.0 and later include important security-related fixes.
¶ History and References