RSync, generally known as “remote sync,” is a free tool for copying and synchronizing files both locally and between computers over the network. It supports a myriad of options and use-cases, and as such, there can be quite a few error messages you may come across.
Decrypting or interpreting an RSYNC error message is first about understanding the structure of the error message. An RSYNC error message generally consists of an error code, an error number, and a corresponding error message.
For example, the error message could be ‘rsync error: some files/attrs were not transferred (see previous errors) (code 23)’. The error code in this instance is 23, and the message tells you that certain files or attributes weren’t successfully transferred.
RSync error codes can range from 0 to 30, each of them corresponds to a certain issue. Here, error 23 means “Partial transfer due to error”, it happens when the program fails to copy or sync some files or attributes due to the occurrence of an error.
To decrypt these error messages, you can check their meaning in the Rsync manual page. In a Unix environment, you can execute ’man rsync’ in the command line, which displays the manual of Rsync, and navigate to the ‘ERRORS’ section which contains descriptions for each of the error codes.
Some common examples of RSync error messages include:
1. Error 11: “Error in file I/O.” This happens when the system encounters a lower-level I/O error while reading or writing a file, according to Rsync’s man page.
1. Error 12: “Error in rsync protocol data stream.” This may be due to a network issue or a compatibility problem between the local and remote versions of Rsync.
1. Error 20: “Received SIGUSR1 or SIGINT.” This is associated with receiving a specific signal, SIGUSR1 or SIGINT, indicating user interruption or system issue.
1. Error 23: “Partial transfer due to an error”. This occurs when some files/attrs weren’t transferred due to error.
Further, advanced users may read the source code of Rsync to obtain more detailed insights into the error. The source code of Rsync is available at https://rsync.samba.org/.
To prevent these errors, ensure there is both sufficient disk space and read/write permissions on both the source and target directories.
Sources:
1. RSync manual: https://linux.die.net/man/1/rsync
2. RSync source code: https://rsync.samba.org/
3. Ubuntu forum discussion on Rsync error messages: https://askubuntu.com/questions/30673/backup-files-with-rsync-error-23
4. Explaining error 23: https://bobcares.com/blog/rsync-error-23/
