rsync with laptop at different locations

Hi all,

I try to use rsync to copy files en mass from a single remote location
to a single laptop but at two different locations and seem to get a
problem. rsync simply starts the whole copying process all over again
(rather than incrementally) when I have run it at one location
previously and now run it at the other, without apprently referring to
the previous data, with no time saving, making it rather pointless to
use rsync altogether.

More specifically these locations where I use my laptop are at home,
where I use a static IP and at work, where DHCP is used. I try to copy
stuff from a server at work, to which I have access without password
(RSA authentication).

I wonder if this is an expected behaviour of rsync. At any rate, I'd
very much appreciate if anybody could advise how to get round this
problem, namely to get rsync to do incremental copy even if switching
locations.

Regards,
Yo

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I try to use rsync to copy files en mass from a single remote location
> to a single laptop but at two different locations and seem to get a
> problem. rsync simply starts the whole copying process all over again
> (rather than incrementally) when I have run it at one location
> previously and now run it at the other, without apprently referring to
> the previous data, with no time saving, making it rather pointless to
> use rsync altogether.
>
> More specifically these locations where I use my laptop are at home,
> where I use a static IP and at work, where DHCP is used. I try to copy
> stuff from a server at work, to which I have access without password
> (RSA authentication).
>
> I wonder if this is an expected behaviour of rsync. At any rate, I'd
> very much appreciate if anybody could advise how to get round this
> problem, namely to get rsync to do incremental copy even if switching
> locations.
>
> Regards,
> Yo

Could you try giving rsync the "-c" (always checksum) option and see if that
fixes it? But it will slow things down on both ends somewhat. Although, I
would run it like this 1 time out of N anyway, for peace of mind...

I suspect it will, and that you are using a FAT filesystem on your laptop.

If I'm right, then a more useful solution is explained here:

http://samba.anu.edu.au/ftp/rsync/rsync.html

(search down for FAT and --modify-window).

Wild guess...

Cheers

Tim