rsync command deletion error "IO error encountered -- skipping file deletion"

Question

I use rsync command to take backup of files from one of my ubuntu server to another ubuntu machine. Backup server trigger a script that use rysnc command. Here is the command I use

rsync -rltvh --partial --stats --exclude=.beagle/ --exclude=.* --delete-after root@live_server:/home/ /home/live_server_backup/home >> /tmp/logfile.log 2>&1

live_server is ssh-able without password. So it works. Now problem is with

--delete-after option

After all file synced .At the end I can see deletion procedure skipped.logfile error is like

IO error encountered -- skipping file deletion

When i tried to find log there were some error while file sync

rsync: send_files failed to open "/home/xyz/Desktop/PPT_session_1_context.pdf": Permission denied (13)

So my understanding is as rsync could not read all the files from target for safety reason it is skipping the file deletion.

Is there any way to make --delete-after work even if there is some permission error? I do not want to use force deletion as it will be dangerous in some situation.

Answer 1

Additional note about this issue:

vanished file should not trigger the condition IO error encountered -- skipping file deletion, but this often happens when you are creating a backup of a live system.

This is covered by rsync bug #7809 (https://bugzilla.samba.org/show_bug.cgi?id=7809) and should be solved in the upcoming release 3.1.0.

In the meantime use:

--ignore-errors         delete even if there are I/O errors

Answer 2

From the rsync man page:

--ignore-errors         delete even if there are I/O errors

That will address your problem.

Answer 3

You should use an exclusion file to make rsync ignore the files that it can't read. The list can be generated with find . -exec test -r '{}' in the source directory and then massaged into the exclusion file format rsync wants.