macosxlabs.org

About Us Contact Us Home iCal Search Site Map

Divider
Introduction Button What's New Button Why Mac OS X Button Documentation Button Forum Button Participants Button Presentations Button Resources Button Resources Button Webcasts Button
Divider

RsyncX- Introduction

[Introduction] [Requirements] [Configuration]
[Details] [Links] [FAQs]

RsyncX and RsyncXCD

Archived webcast for RsyncX v2.1 is here.

Questions, Comments, Support? RsyncX Forums are here and here.

Email RsyncX comments to rsyncxdev@umich.edu.

RsyncX is an implementation of rsync with HFS+ support and configuration through a command line (Terminal) or graphical user interface. For full details on rsync, open a terminal window and enter 'man rsync'. This will introduce you to the theory behind the software. Once RsyncX is installed, be sure to read its included RsyncX_readme file, and all of the information provided here as well.

The latest version of RsyncX is v2.1. This release will not overwrite the existing version of rsync, and is completely compatible with all versions of rsync within the 2.6.0 protocol accepted range.

RsyncXCD_v2.1 has been released. It is based on the latest release of bootCD. This CD allows you to pull down from your network server a loadset image folder to a machine that has only its hard drive and CDROM as possible boot sources. This CD will let you connect to your server as an Mac OS X client, and cleanly install your image folder onto a volume that later you will boot from. For best results with older machines, burning at 4x or slower speeds is recommended.

The latest version of the RsyncXCD is v2.1.

Comments? Contact the rsyncxdev team.

The source code for RsyncX is here.

The CVS repository is located at opendarwin.org.

Introduction (back to top)

For best results, this version of rsync should be installed on to all machines that will be involved in the rsync process.

Hint : If you wish to preserve everything during a transfer from a terminal window, make sure you use "rsync -ae ssh" followed by the paths/files you wish to rsync.
  • A trailing slash means 'copy the contents of this folder' in the source field.
  • A trailing slash means 'copy contents to this folder' in the destination field.
  • No trailing slash means 'copy this entire file or folder' in the source field.
  • No trailing slash means 'copy entire file or folder to this file or folder name' in the destination field

Download (back to top)

To download the latest build (v2.1) of RsyncX, click on link below:

For Mac OS X 10.2.6 or higher:

 

To download the latest build (v2.1) of the RsyncXCD, click on link below:

 

Older versions:

To download v1.7d of RsyncX, click on the links below:

OS X 10.2+ downloads:

OS X 10.1.5 downloads:


To dowload older builds of RsyncXCD, see site:

Older Downloads:

To download v1.0c of RsyncX, click on link below:

Support (back to top)

If you have any questions, comments or problems, please check the FAQ, and then if you still need help, contact the rsyncxdev team.

Revision History (back to top)

What's new in v2.1:
Installer:
- Insures /usr/local/bin/rsync will run
GUI:
- Simple RsyncX:
- enhanced error reporting
- update sync option
- two-way sync option
- Schedule RsyncX:
- enhanced error reporting
- added refresh button
- Script Generator
- update sync option
- script generation bugfixes
- more internal code cleanup
Assistants:
- RsyncX Rotating Backup Assistant
- creates a series of full backups in the space of differential backups
- RsyncX Server Side Loadset Assistant
- helps you retrieve and store entire volume onto server
- RsyncX Client Side Loadset Assistant
- helps you send and store entire volume onto server
- RsyncXCD Script Generator Assistant
- helps you create script to retrieve bootable volume for machine booted
from an RsyncXCD
Tool:
- Enhanced chflags support

What's new in v2.0c:
GUI:
- Simple RsyncX: Fixed permissions bug
- Cleaned up internal code

What's new in v2.0b:
Installer:
- Fixed bug where install could overwrite original rsync
GUI:
- Fixed bug that could result in RsyncX crash on file selection

What's new in v2.0a:
GUI:
- RsyncX Server Monitor 'stop' button works as expected

What's new in v2.0:
Command line Tool:
- Resource fork sent only when needed
- non-standard tempfiles not created by default
- Metadata sent over wire by default
- Finder locks, chflags support
- removed dependency on 'cp' command
- tool more stable, and faster than pre-2.0 versions
- malloc error inifinite loops eliminated
- upgrade/downgrade with --delete works as expected
- --dry-run works as expected
- --eahfs for hfs+ rsyncs
- --showtogo uses far less bandwidth
- --backup works as expected
- --daemon works as expected
- moved to rsync v2.6.0 codebase
GUI:
- rewritten in Cocoa
- Supports multiple interface views
- Supports drag and drop
- Supports Finder browsing
- Prefs allow any interface on startup
- Simple RsyncX GUI:
- drag, drop, sync between HFS+ volumes
- reports error codes (12 - error in protocol data stream), (20 - process interrupted),(23 - check permissions)
- RsyncX Script Generator GUI:
- use to create sync scripts that can be run with a simple double-click
- scripts can be local, or use ssh or rsyncd as network transport
- use to push file(s) to server
- use with RsyncXCD to pull single files or entire volumes to destination machine
- includes AFS support for Jaguar and Panther
- RsyncX Scheduler GUI:
- Uses cron to schedule rsyncs
- Add, modify, delete or immediately run events from list in cron
- Watch progress of events you choose to run immediately as they are running
- RsyncX Server Assistant GUI:
- Configure rsync to run as a server for more secure file transfers
- Walks through steps needed to set up simple server daemon process
- establish rsync mount point(s)
- assign read/write permissions to mount point(s)
- create rsync user and password lists
- Assistant creates server daemon files based on this config info
- RsyncX Server Monitor GUI:
- Start, Stop, Enable, Disable or configure your rsync server daemon process

What's new in v1.7d:
GUI:
- rsync single file with new name works as expected
- man-in-the-middle script syntax improved
Installer:
- will not change permissions
Tools:
-Added v0.1 of RsyncX Package Tools, located in /Applications/Utilities/RsyncX.app/ :
startrpkg, finishrpkg, editrpkg, creatrpkg, cleanuprpkg, setbyip, setbymac - see web pages for documentation

What's new in v1.7c:
GUI:
- Destination path with spaces bugfix
- Additional error handling for Destination path, Alt src & Alt dst dirs

What's new in v1.7b:
GUI:
- Destination path bugfix for bootable rsyncs
- Eliminated hang during boot volume push

What's new in v1.7:
GUI:
- Complete rewrite
- GUI is recommended for script generation (unless you are comfortable with the Terminal window)
- Paths can be entered as seen on disk, no need for backslashed
spaces
- Scripts can be saved to disk, and then run by double-clicking their icon
- Boot volume ("/") can be pushed to destination by choosing this option. Perfect for backing up, or duplication of boot volume
- Entire volumes can be made bootable into OS X, OS 9, or both, either locally or across the network. Openfirmware can be set to boot from this drive as well.
- Can locally or remotely reboot destination
- Can be run as root
- Can show elapsed time
- Can log on to source and destination with alternate login ids
- Can save tempfile info into alternate paths (useful when booting from CD)
- Can Monitor Transfer Progress by various means, with varying levels of verbosity
- Can update destination rsync tool portion via scp before rsync
- Can either check off additional rsync flags, or enter your own
- Can perform "Man in the Middle" transfers between two machines, where script runs from neither the host nor destination machine

Tool:
- Can be up to 3x faster than 1.0c for large transfers, and faster still for trivial rsyncs
- New Flags:
-- "--nohfs" - for receiving files from non-hfs+ volumes
-- "--nofoldericon" - disable folder metadata support (speeds up use with LogIn/Out Hooks)
-- "--showtogo" - show how many files/folders are left to be rsynced, and what percent of the files have been sent
-- "--ufs2hfs" - send files from non-hfs+ volumes to an hfs+ volume
- bugfixes:
-- On error or break, tempfiles are cleaned up
-- Repeated rsyncs will not leave errant tempfiles
-- "--exclude" works as expected
-- many minor fixes and code cleanup


v1.1 - v1.6:
Internal builds

What's new in v1.0c:
Tool:
- another approach to multithreaded tempfile cleanup support:
Source volume: 3.5Gb (w/ 30000+ folders)
Previous rsync server-side tempfile space req'd: ~500MB(!)
New rsync server-side tempfile space req'd:~80MB
- fixed "--delete" and "--delete-excluded" (bug found by renwick.d@euro.apple.com - thanks!)
- general source code cleanup

What's new in v1.0b:
Tool:
- multithreaded tempfile management support

What's new in v1.0a:
Tool:
- full FolderIcon/BundleBit support (including renamed source on dest. & partials)
- improved tempfile hash for better multiple rsync thread support

What's new in v1.0:
Tool:
- moved to 2.5.5 codebase released on 4/2/2002
- added folder icon info support
- fixed date created bug

What's new in v0.971:
GUI:
- Changed package read permissions

What's new in v0.97:
Tool:
- Fixed overwrite bug (pointed out by James R. from the macosxlabs forums - Thanks!)

What's new in v0.96:
Tool:
- Medium sized (10-50 MB) rsyncs much faster
- rsync trivial works as expected (no change 4GB rsync'ed in 9 seconds). This is necessary for checking a volume at login/logout. Previously, rsync trivial verify (where no changes are needed) time was measured in minutes. Whole volume can be verified in under a minute.
- rsync resume/partial sync fixed (includes tmp files put into "/tmp", not in "/" bug)
- 'malloc' problem (permission denied) fixed
GUI:
- No changes
Installer:
- No changes

What's new in v0.95a:
Tool:
- Moved to rsync v2.5.2 codebase (released 1/26/02 - www.rsync.org for more info)
- See 2.5.2 codebase man pages on web for all new functionality (SSL and more)
GUI:
- No changes
Installer:
- No changes

What's new in v0.95:
Tool:
- Very stable (could not get test rsync to crash (finally))
- Yet more speed (tested local full rsync of 3.5GB in 40 minutes)
- Multithreading close to final (no malloc errors, thanks Tom G., try w/ "-avuze")
- Multiple machines can simultaneously rsync same source directory
- Multiple rsyncs can occur from/to other machines from single machine
- Actually rsyncs the way rsync should - not just to empty dirs, or copy files
- Even more OS friendly (feel free to run in background with "&")
- Will not crash even under heavy processor load
- Nicer to all network traffic
GUI:
- No changes
Installer:
- Added /usr/bin/rsync.old in case user wants original rsync

What's new in v0.8:
Tool:
- Vastly improved multithreading logic
- Faster
- Locally mounted rsync almost as fast as ideal cp command
- ssh rsync transfer now almost as fast as local mount (network limited)Tested, works beyond 500MB transfers (was dying at ~180MB)
GUI:
- Cleaned up some logic
- By default chooses to preserve timestamps of source files
- Cleaned up some panels
- Reports itself as v0.8

What's new in v0.7:
Tool:
- Allows rsync to resume on resume from suspend
- Now works beyond 100MB file transfers (any combination), max not found
- Minor speed improvements
- Progress, other switches tested, working
GUI:
- No changes

What's new in v0.6:
- Full "strange file name" support
- No dependency on Dev Tools CD (Thanks again for SetFile.c, Joe Bishop!)
- Icons retain positions on own (via OS)
- ssh from GUI improved (faster, more reliable)
- Installer requires admin authorization now (fixed)

What's new in v0.5:
- First GUI interface release
- Can rsync locally mounted or remote (via IP) locations from within GUI, ssh authentication launches terminal window

What's new in v0.4 - v0.2:
- Internal Builds
- Can rsync locally mounted or remote (via IP) locations from within GUI, ssh authentication launches terminal window

What's new in v0.1:
- Initial alpha release
- Requires DevTools CD to be installed
- Partial "strange file name" support
- No installer
- No GUI

 

[Introduction] [Requirements] [Configuration]
[Details] [Links] [FAQs]