rsync - Nov 2001 - rsyncing devices

Hi All,

I'm running rsync version 2.4.6 protocol version 24 on several Solaris 2.8
computers, and seversl RedHat Linux 7.2 computers.  I have several
character devices that I am rsyncing from my Solaris computer.  Rsync
works from one solaris to another solaris computer.  But rsyncing these
devices does not work from a solaris computer to the Linux computer.
The devices are being copied over for archival reasons, and really aren't
going to be used in any "device" manner, but it would be nice if they
were correct.

Here's an example of what the device looks like on the solaris computer:
crw-------   1 root     sys       15,  0 Aug 31  2000 wc@0:wscons
crw-------   1 root     sys       11,104 Aug 31  2000 clone@0:qe

And this is the incorrect rsynced version on the Linux computer:
crw-------    1 root     sys        0,   0 Aug 31  2000 wc@0:wscons
crw-------    1 root     sys        0, 104 Aug 31  2000 clone@0:qe


Rsync gets most everything correct except the device's MAJOR number.
But since it runs daily in a cronjob, rsync notices that the device
isn't correct the next day and proceeds to re-copy this device over again.

Here's my rsync command:
rsync -avx --delete --exclude=lost+found --exclude=TT_DB \
	user@solarisserver::solaris-usr-local/ /solaris/

I've also tried adding the -D flag (which is included in the -a flag).

Anyone with any suggestions?

Thanks,

Cheryl
-- 
Cheryl Southard
cld@astro.caltech.edu

I can reproduce it, and I think you've stumbled on a significant bug.  The
problem is that rsync always assumes stat variable "st_rdev", which
contains both the major and minor number, is always 4 bytes and is always
the same format on both sides.  On the rsync I tried on Linux, it is 8
bytes, whereas it was 4 bytes on Solaris.  I assume it depends on whether
or not 64 bit mode gets enabled on the operating system version you're on.
Furthermore, a simple test on Linux of
    mknod test c 11 104
    rsync -a test test2
resulted in an even worse result of both major and minor number being set
to zero.

This will take a protocol change to fix.  I think probably rsync should
split out the major and minor numbers as two separate 4 byte quantities.  I
wonder if there are other 64 bit stat values that are being misinterpreted.

- Dave Dykstra


On Tue, Nov 27, 2001 at 09:35:40AM -0800, Cheryl L. Southard
wrote:
> Hi All,
> 
> I'm running rsync version 2.4.6 protocol version 24 on several Solaris
2.8
> computers, and seversl RedHat Linux 7.2 computers.  I have several
> character devices that I am rsyncing from my Solaris computer.  Rsync
> works from one solaris to another solaris computer.  But rsyncing these
> devices does not work from a solaris computer to the Linux computer.
> The devices are being copied over for archival reasons, and really
aren't
> going to be used in any "device" manner, but it would be nice if
they
> were correct.
> 
> Here's an example of what the device looks like on the solaris
computer:
> crw-------   1 root     sys       15,  0 Aug 31  2000 wc@0:wscons
> crw-------   1 root     sys       11,104 Aug 31  2000 clone@0:qe
> 
> And this is the incorrect rsynced version on the Linux computer:
> crw-------    1 root     sys        0,   0 Aug 31  2000 wc@0:wscons
> crw-------    1 root     sys        0, 104 Aug 31  2000 clone@0:qe
> 
> 
> Rsync gets most everything correct except the device's MAJOR number.
> But since it runs daily in a cronjob, rsync notices that the device
> isn't correct the next day and proceeds to re-copy this device over
again.
> 
> Here's my rsync command:
> rsync -avx --delete --exclude=lost+found --exclude=TT_DB \
> 	user@solarisserver::solaris-usr-local/ /solaris/
> 
> I've also tried adding the -D flag (which is included in the -a flag).
> 
> Anyone with any suggestions?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Cheryl
> -- 
> Cheryl Southard
> cld@astro.caltech.edu