NAME

msynk - rsync helper that supports encryption and presets

SYNOPSIS

| Local: | msynk [OPTION...] -r DEST_DIR -s SOURCE_DIR PATHS...

| Using a configuration file: | msynk [OPTION...] -c CONFIG NAME [SELECTIONS...]

DESCRIPTION

msynk uses rsync to synchronise files or directories locally or between devices. In general, you should always add a trailing '/' to directories.

Encryption

Files can also be encrypted or decrypted using mkrypt. If encryption is used, the files are encrypted to a temporary directory and then synced with rsync. If you sync encrypted files to your system, the encrypted files are transferred with rsync to a temporary directory and then decrypted to your filesystem.

Configuration Files

msynk can read from config files usually stored in ~/.config/msynk. The config files are shellscripts run with bash to set certain environent variables. These are:\

paths: array containing all paths (relative to sender) that should be synced\
sender: the parent directory of the paths\
receiver: the path where the files should be synced to\
rsync_flags: array containing all the flags for rsync. If you just want to add a flag, use rsync_flags+=(-yourflag)\
use_encryption: 0 for no, 1 for yes\ A template config file is stored in /usr/share/msynk. You can change the location of the configuration directory by replacing $CONFIG_DIR with your directory in /usr/bin/msynk

Example

To sync the directories "/home/user/foo" "/home/user/bar" and the file "/home/user/file.txt" to a remote server "user@foobar.com:~/backup" which is available with ssh at port 42, you could have a configuration file "my_backup":
sender=/home/user/
receiver=user@foobar.com:~/backup/
paths=(foo/ bar/ file.txt)
rsync_flags+=(--rsh="ssh -p 42")
You can then run this with: "msynk -c my_backup", or if you only want to sync the "foo" directory and ".txt" files: "msynk -c my_backup foo .txt"

OPTIONS

-h, --help: Show a list of arguments.
--settings: Show the current settings.
-c, --config config-name: Retrieve settings from a config file in $CONFIG_DIR, eg ~/.config/msynk/config-name
--show-config config-name: Print variables defined from a config with config-name.
-s, --sender path: Set sender to directory. This can also be a remote, like user@domain.com:/dir. Defaults to to the current working directory.
-r, --receiver path: Set the receiver directory. All files and directories will be placed inside this directory. This can also be a remote, like user@domain.com:/dir. This option always needs to be set. Note that this directory must already exist if it is on a remote.
--reverse: Swaps sender and receiver. Useful when you want to reverse a config file.
--encrypt: Encrypt files with mkrypt before sending them to the receiver.; The files are encrypted to $TMP_DIR and then synced to the receiver. Does not work with --delete.
--decrypt: Decrypt files with mkrypt after receiving them from the sender. Assumes that all files are encrypted and fails if that is not the case.; The files are synced to $TMP_DIR and then decrypted to the receiver directory. Does not work with --delete.
--check-date: Can be used with -c and --encrypt or --decrypt: When running msynk with a config, the current date is stored in the config file.; When running with --check-date, only files that have been modified after the date stored in the config file are processed (by passing--date [date the config was last run] to mkrypt).
--mkrypt-flag arg: Additional argument for mkrypt, for example to set the key for the encryption.; Only pass one argument at a time, so for passing two use '--mkrypt-flag "arg1" --mkrypt-flag "arg2"'
-d, --delete: rsync --delete option. Deletes all files on the receiver that do not exist on the sender. msynk will open less with a list of all files that will be deleted and prompt you wether you want continue (unless --skip-dryrun is set)
--skip-dryrun: Can be used with --delete. This skips listing the files that will be deleted and the prompt.
--rsync-flag arg: Additional argument for rsync, for example to set the port for the connection.; Only pass one argument at a time, so for passing two use '--rsync-flag "arg1" --rsync-flag "arg2"'
-v, --verbose: Increase verbosity: Passes -v to rsync and mkrypt.
--silent: Decrease verbosity: Print only error messages and passes --silent to mkrypt.
--debug: Maximum verbosity: -v but also print out rsync and mkrypt commands.
positional arguments: If you are using a config file: pos. args. are strings that have to be contained in a path in order for it to be synced. If no pos. args. are given, all files are synced.; If you are not using a config file: pos. args. are filepaths relative to the sender directory.

Troubleshooting

Not enough space when using encryption

When using --encrypt, the data is encrypted to a temporary directory $TMP_DIR, when using --decrypt the encrypted date is copied to the $TMP_DIR and then decrypted. The $TMP_DIR defaults to /tmp/mksynk and /tmp is usually limited to half the size of your memory. You change the $TMP_DIR in the script in /usr/bin/msynk or temporarily increase the size of the tmpfs by running "sudo mount -o remount,size=XXG,noatime /tmp" if your $TMP_DIR is on /tmp and you have at least XXGB memory+swap space.

COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2022 Matthias Quintern. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

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