Re: [gentoo-user] rsync to a USB stick

[Alan McKinnon <alan.mckinnon@gmail.com>]

On Saturday 29 May 2010 11:01:39 Mick wrote:
> Hi All,
> 
> I run:
> 
>  rsync -a -l --delete -v /mnt/Business_dir /media/sdf1
> 
> to back up a directory from a PC to a USB stick.  However, from a cursory
> look this *seems* to copy the complete directory (every time I run it) and
> overwrites the USB stick.  Carrying on like this it will life-expire the
> USB stick in no time, plus it takes ages to complete as it copies over
> every single file again and again.
> 
> Is there a cleverer option I can add to rsync so that it only copies new
> files, overwrites older versions of the same and only deletes any files or
> directories that have been deleted from the source directory?

What filesystem is on the disk?

If it's FAT, rsync will not benefit as FAT does not have any notion of the 
metadata that is on the PCs disk


-- 
alan dot mckinnon at gmail dot com