rsync - Jun 2022 - Merging three slightly different directories

It would help if you gave us an example of what you'd *want* to have
happen in different situations, but what about the -b option?  This
will do nothing with identical files but keep both versions of
non-identical ones.

On Wed, Jun 08, 2022 at 12:24:16AM +0000, hput via rsync
wrote:
> I want to merge 3 slightly different directories of mostly images.
> 
> Not just mostly but the vast majority are images files.
> 
> Each directory has about 285 GB of files.
> 
> At first I thought I would just run a straightish rsync from each directory
> inturn starting with the biggest which is not much bigger ... maybe
> a few MB.
> 
> Like:
> 
> rsync -vvrptgoD --stats /biggest/ /emptydir/
> 
> rsync -vvrptgoD --stats /next-biggest/ /same-dir/
> 
> rsync -vvrptgoD --stats /smallest/     /same-dir
> 
> But after some thought I'm guessing that might be wrong headed way to
go.
> 
> All three dir have mostly the same stuff in them and in the same
> places but a close inspection, given the 285 GB would be pretty much a
> non-starter.
> 
> There will be thousands that have matching names maybe newer or older
> bigger etc.  And maybe some of the same stuff but in slightly  different
places.
> 
> How can I make rsync do the work for me?  So I don't end up loosing
files.
> 
> 
> 
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---- On Thu, 09 Jun 2022 02:20:02 -0400 Robin Lee Powell
<mailto:robinleepowell at gmail.com> wrote ----


> It would help if you gave us an example of what you'd *want* to have 
> happen in different situations, but what about the -b option?  This 
> will do nothing with identical files but keep both versions of 
> non-identical ones. 



Sorry It seemed obvious to me.? Myopia is a sometime hazard for me.





I hoped by merging the slightly different directories that have grown up
partially independent but largely the same.



I wanted to pick up what ever changes has occurred in the three different
directories over time, into one directory that has everything.






I have actually done what I was proposing and in the end the size of the Merged
Images directory has doubled.



My original scheme:

Seemed to work as expected between two Linux HOSTS:? There was a size increase
of about 2-300MB



But something screwy happens when rsyncing from windows to linux or unix.? I
doubled the size and I'm certain any actual changes would have been fairly
small. However, I suppose if I had decided to move a major internal directory
inside Images or rename one or something... that might cause a serious problem
for rsync to surmount.



On Wed, Jun 08, 2022 at 12:24:16AM +0000, hput via rsync wrote: 







[...]
> How can I make rsync do the work for me?  So I don't end up loosing
files.
?> 









Robin wrote

?> but what about the -b option?  This 
> will do nothing with identical files but keep both versions of 
> non-identical ones.


After pulling out the man pages and looking at that,? It might be just the
thing.

I still have all original unmolested directories so I can try that and see where
it goes.



But what about the thing with windows...causing a doubling of the size of
Images?

It made me remember having rynced stuff from windows before, long ago, and
seeing some kind of nasty behavior

I might have to hand merge that directory... and egad at 285G that sounds a bit
daunting.



Thank you Robin for your thoughtful and helpful reply
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