finding files on remote rsync servers

[Gavin Chester]

Newbie needs advice, please.  Sorry for the length of posting:

I use rsync because it is such a great tool to reduce my download time
for ISO files of different distros on remote servers that I want to
update on my local disk. I've read the man file, the FAQ and the Wiki,
and all have helped me understand much better my use of rsync for what
I'm trying to do.  However, I'm stuck on understanding how remote rsync
servers function. 

I am on a slow dial-up connection and was wanting to try and speed
things up even more by trying to find suitable mirrors for the different
files I want.  So my problem is this:   

1/ if I can find a file(s) that I want in the FTP archives of a mirror
site - and that site *appears* to be running the rsync server daemon -
then I should be able to use rsync on those files.  Is that so?

2/ After finding the file in their FTP archives I am trying to confirm
that a site is running as a rsync server by getting a directory listing
in response to executing the command [gavin at localhost gavin]$ rsync
domainname.com::  Is that the best way of actually confirming it is an
rsync server? 

3/ After doing that command (above) I drill down through the directories
trying to find the file or directory that I want.  Often this works but
sometimes it fails with a report (for example): 
	
	link_stat /knoppix/. : No such file or
	directory client: nothing to do: perhaps 
	you need to specify some filenames or 
	the --recursive option?  rsync error: 
	partial transfer (code 23) at main.c(594) 

I can't understand the error in this case because I was able to find the
directory *knoppix* at the next higher directory level, as in this
_partial_ output: 

	[gavin at localhost gavin]# rsync mirror.aarnet.edu.au::pub/

	lrwxr-xr-x          13 2001/05/23 19:57:50 kde
	lrwxr-xr-x          17 2003/01/31 16:47:37 knoppix
	lrwxr-xr-x          13 2001/05/28 11:24:14 ldp

So, in my ignorance, am I not using the correct syntax or is that report
telling me that the directory that rsync sees is empty?    

And, if the directory is empty, why is a file available in the FTP
archive but not for rsync?

TIA


-- 
Regards,

	Gavin Chester
	
	mailto: gc at gwchester.com
	962 Williams Rd, Dwellingup, Western Australia 6213
	Tel: (08)95381102  Fax: (08)95381409