What is happening here - rsync can't copy where cp can, Input/Output errors

[Matt McCutchen]

On Mon, 2007-12-10 at 21:53 +0000, Chris G wrote:
> I am using rsync  version 2.6.9  protocol version 29 on a Fedora 7
> system to backup files to a network drive.
> 
> rsync is getting I/O errors when copying maildir files (I'm not sure
> if the error is happening with other files but these are the only ones
> I have found so far).
> 
> I have done some tests on one particular directory, "cp -R" succeeds
> but "rsync -r" fails:-
> 
>     home# cp -R .in /freecom/backup/home/chris/Mail/
>     home# rsync -r .in /freecom/backup/home/chris/Mail/
>     rsync: rename "/freecom/backup/home/chris/Mail/.in/audacity/cur/.1172007150.76430_0.newred:2,.PC3iF7" -> ".in/audacity/cur/1172007150.76430_0.newred:2,": Input/output error (5)
>     rsync: rename "/freecom/backup/home/chris/Mail/.in/audacity/cur/.1172012773.6188_0.newred:2,.P11kJR" -> ".in/audacity/cur/1172012773.6188_0.newred:2,": Input/output error (5)
>     rsync: rename "/freecom/backup/home/chris/Mail/.in/audacity/cur/.1172032604.34523_0.newred:2,.e0feQB" -> ".in/audacity/cur/1172032604.34523_0.newred:2,": Input/output error (5)
>     rsync: rename "/freecom/backup/home/chris/Mail/.in/audacity/cur/.1172038263.69147_0.newred:2,.W6m5Zl" -> ".in/audacity/cur/1172038263.69147_0.newred:2,": Input/output error (5)
>     rsync: rename "/freecom/backup/home/chris/Mail/.in/freecycle/cur/.1172005922.70482_0.newred:2,S.aIqsGA" -> ".in/freecycle/cur/1172005922.70482_0.newred:2,S": Input/output error (5)
>     rsync error: some files could not be transferred (code 23) at main.c(977) [sender=2.6.9]
> 
> 
> If I clear out the destination directory then rsync succeeds once (when
> it has to copy the files) but then fails as above every time.  If I add
> the --inplace option I get:-
> 
>     home# rsync -r --inplace .in /freecom/backup/home/chris/Mail/
>     rsync: open "/freecom/backup/home/chris/Mail/.in/audacity/cur/1172007150.76430_0.newred:2," failed: Input/output error (5)
>     rsync: open "/freecom/backup/home/chris/Mail/.in/audacity/cur/1172012773.6188_0.newred:2," failed: Input/output error (5)
>     rsync: open "/freecom/backup/home/chris/Mail/.in/audacity/cur/1172032604.34523_0.newred:2," failed: Input/output error (5)
>     rsync: open "/freecom/backup/home/chris/Mail/.in/audacity/cur/1172038263.69147_0.newred:2," failed: Input/output error (5)
>     rsync: open "/freecom/backup/home/chris/Mail/.in/freecycle/cur/1172005922.70482_0.newred:2,S" failed: Input/output error (5)
>     rsync error: some files could not be transferred (code 23) at main.c(977) [sender=2.6.9]

> So why is rsync having problems?

The fact that rsync succeeds on an empty destination suggests that the
network drive has a problem with existing files being overwritten or
opened for writing.  If you run "cp -R" twice starting from an empty
destination, does the second run give input/output errors?

Matt