rsync doesn't delete deleted files

[David Prieto]

Binary package hint: rsync

I'm trying to use rsync in Hardy to backup my /home, and I get this error:

rsync -av --delete /home/david/ /media/disk/Backup

building file list ... rsync: readlink "/home/david/.gvfs" failed: Transport endpoint is not connected (107)
done
IO error encountered -- skipping file deletion

Seemingly as a result, new files get copied to the destination but deleted files do NOT get erased from the destination.

I also tried rsync -av --delete --exclude="/home/david/.gvfs" /home/david/ /media/disk/Backup (with the same results).

[alienheartbeat (reckless-symmetry)]

It is a problem.

The workaround is to have an exclude file with the line:
- .gvfs

Funnily,
- .gvfs/
did not work. Maybe it is not really a dir?

The solution above would also work with amended grammar. I think the format for an exclude should be:
--exclude="- .gvfs"
or for just one home dir:
--exclude="- /home/david/.gvfs"
though I did not test it.

An exclude file is usually better so you don't send across the Trash as well.

[alienheartbeat (reckless-symmetry)]

I should add, it is not a problem with rsync.
The problem is that .gvfs is (apparently) not behaving like a normal dir.
It does not say it is a link, but rsync seems to treat it like a lnk.
Assuming it stands for gnome virtual file system,
this is to be expected.

[Michael Chang (thenewme91)]

Have you tried

rsync -av --delete --exclude=".gvfs/" /home/david/ /media/disk/Backup

(notice the modified --exclude parameter, particularly the trailing slash)

[Michael Chang (thenewme91)]

Make that...

rsync -av --delete --delete-excluded --exclude=".gvfs/" /home/david/ /media/disk/Backup

[nexus (bugie)]

I also had this problem. Adding --exclude=".gvfs/" solves the problem.