File Transfers, Listing, and Verification

Last updated on 2025-02-10 | Edit this page

Estimated time: 25 minutes

Overview

Questions

How are files moved or copied?
What does the rclone sync do?
How do you see what is already in the destination?

Objectives

Understand the difference between copy and sync
Be able to list what is already in the destination
Command line using Linux vs Windows WSL2 subsystem linux

Moving files around

Rclone is most frequently used to move files, individually or as a group from one place to another.

The syntax for the places, to or from is:

BASH

source:folder  destination:folder

Moving, syncing and knowing what is already there

Lists contents of a remote:

BASH

> rclone ls remote:path

Copy local files to remote:

BASH

> rclone copy /local/path remote:path # copies /local/path to the remote

Sync local files to remote:

BASH

> rclone sync --interactive /local/path remote:path # syncs /local/path to the remote

Filtering

Rclone commands are often similar to bash commands, such as ls command. However, Rclone files using the –include flag.

Some Examples:

My home backup of local to an external drive (windows using linux subsystem)

BASH

> rclone copy /mnt/d/work-related /mnt/f/work-related-backup

Copying files from google drive and filtering for ’*.txt”

BASH

> rclone copy rclone-intro-google:rclone-intro-google rclone-intro-box:rclone-intro --include "*.txt"

Checking a result before running by using the -n flag

BASH

> rclone sync rclone-intro-google:rclone-intro-google rclone-intro-box:rclone-intro -n

OUTPUT

2025/02/09 14:52:11 NOTICE: Beans, Snap and Italian – Pieces, Green and Wax - National Center for Home Food Preservation.pdf: Skipped copy as --dry-run is set (size 91.581Ki)
2025/02/09 14:52:11 NOTICE: For Safety's Sake - National Center for Home Food Preservation.pdf: Skipped copy as --dry-run is set (size 69.982Ki)
2025/02/09 14:52:11 NOTICE: Preserving_Food__Using_Pressure_Canners.pdf: Skipped copy as --dry-run is set (size 3.839Mi)
2025/02/09 14:52:11 NOTICE: Selecting the Correct Processing Time - National Center for Home Food Preservation.pdf: Skipped copy as --dry-run is set (size 123.316Ki)
2025/02/09 14:52:11 NOTICE: test01.txt.docx: Skipped copy as --dry-run is set
2025/02/09 14:52:11 NOTICE: USDA-Complete-Guide-to-Home-Canning-2015-revision.pdf: Skipped copy as --dry-run is set (size 16.518Mi)
2025/02/09 14:52:11 NOTICE: Potatoes, Sweet – Pieces or Whole - National Center for Home Food Preservation.pdf: Skipped copy as --dry-run is set (size 87.602Ki)
2025/02/09 14:52:11 NOTICE:
Transferred:       21.079 MiB / 21.079 MiB, 100%, 0 B/s, ETA -
Checks:                 3 / 3, 100%
Transferred:            8 / 8, 100%
Elapsed time:         2.0s

[add 2 more examples]

Different operating systems have slightly different syntax

Windows syntax:

BASH

rclone ls C:\\Users\\jjamison\\rclone

Linux and macOS:

BASH

rclone copy rclone-intro-box:rclone-intro rclone-intro-google:rclone-intro-google    
rclone copy rclone-intro-box:rclone-intro rclone-intro-google:rclone-intro-google -n

Windows WSL2 Linux subsystem* Linux syntax: