bug on --partial

jw schultz jw at pegasys.ws
Sun Dec 28 20:02:20 EST 2003


On Sun, Dec 28, 2003 at 09:50:37AM +0100, Manuel Mollar wrote:
> Hi,
> Sorry if this is well known.
> Suposse I am transferring a large (by now) file, say 1Gbyte with --partial:
>  rsync -e ssh -a --partial 1gbfile server:
> If process is interrumpted, temporary file is renamed to good filename 
> with size samall than original, say 400Mbyte, ok.
> If from client I do again the same command, then, in server the 400Mbyte 
> file is COPIED to another temporary file, but this take some time.
> I from client I press crtl-C when in server temporary file is not 
> already copied, say is 200 Mbyte, temporary file overwrites the 400Mbyte 
> file, losing a lot of data.
> Why do no symple rename partial file to temporry file, instead of COPYING?
> (Copying generates obvious additional problems where disk space is short).

Rsync has absolutely, positively no way to know it is
that the destination file is an exact copy of the beginning
of the source nor is it able to update-in-place.

This has much less to do with --partial than with the rsync
algorithm.  You may want to read my "how rsync works" document.

-- 
________________________________________________________________
	J.W. Schultz            Pegasystems Technologies
	email address:		jw at pegasys.ws

		Remember Cernan and Schmitt



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