When using rsync to transfer files between directories, you might encounter an unexpected behavior where rsync creates a nested directory structure. This typically happens when you specify both source and destination with directory names.
The command you're using:
rsync -avzp --del -e "ssh -p myport" user@hostname:/var/www/tests /var/www/tests
Results in files being copied to:
/var/www/tests/tests/
Rsync interprets this as "copy the contents of /var/www/tests on the remote server into a directory named 'tests' within /var/www/tests on the local machine." This is the default behavior when both source and destination explicitly include the directory name.
The most reliable way to prevent this is by using a trailing slash on the source path:
rsync -avzp --del -e "ssh -p myport" user@hostname:/var/www/tests/ /var/www/tests
Key differences:
/var/www/tests/(with trailing slash) means "copy the contents of this directory"/var/www/tests(without trailing slash) means "copy this directory itself"
If you prefer not to use trailing slashes, you can also try:
Method 1: Using the --no-implied-dirs flag
rsync -avzp --no-implied-dirs --del -e "ssh -p myport" user@hostname:/var/www/tests /var/www/
Method 2: Explicitly specifying the parent directory
rsync -avzp --del -e "ssh -p myport" user@hostname:/var/www/tests /var/www/
Here are some practical examples showing different scenarios:
Example 1: Sync remote directory contents to local directory
rsync -avz user@remote:/path/to/source/ /local/target/
Example 2: Sync specific files without directory recreation
rsync -avz user@remote:/path/to/files/*.txt /local/target/
Example 3: Preserving permissions without nested directories
rsync -avzp --chmod=Du=rwx,Dg=rx,Do=rx,Fu=rw,Fg=r,Fo=r user@remote:/source/ /target/
- Mixing directory specifications (with/without trailing slashes) can lead to unexpected results
- Using wildcards (*) without understanding how they interact with directory structures
- Forgetting that rsync treats local and remote paths slightly differently
When dealing with large directories, the trailing slash method is generally more efficient because:
- It avoids unnecessary directory creation checks
- Reduces the number of stat() operations
- Makes the transfer intention clearer to rsync
Many developers encounter this behavior when first using rsync for directory synchronization. The command:
rsync -avzp --del -e "ssh -p myport" user@hostname:/var/www/tests /var/www/tests
Creates an unexpected nested structure:
/var/www/tests/tests/
The root cause lies in how rsync interprets source paths:
- When the source path ends with a slash (/var/www/tests/), rsync copies the directory contents
- Without the trailing slash (/var/www/tests), rsync copies the directory itself
Here are three ways to achieve the desired behavior:
# Solution 1: Add trailing slash to source
rsync -avzp --del -e "ssh -p myport" user@hostname:/var/www/tests/ /var/www/tests
# Solution 2: Use proper destination path
rsync -avzp --del -e "ssh -p myport" user@hostname:/var/www/tests /var/www/
# Solution 3: Explicit content copy
rsync -avzp --del -e "ssh -p myport" user@hostname:/var/www/tests/* /var/www/tests/
When implementing this solution, you might want to exclude certain files:
rsync -avzp --del --exclude='*.log' -e "ssh -p 2222" \
user@example.com:/var/www/tests/ /var/www/tests
Other scenarios where directory nesting might occur:
- Using relative paths without proper context
- Mixing local and remote paths incorrectly
- Forgetting to properly escape spaces in paths
Always test with --dry-run first to verify the expected directory structure:
rsync -avzn --del -e "ssh -p myport" user@hostname:/var/www/tests/ /var/www/tests