practice task

Preview What rsync --delete Would Remove

You need to mirror a release directory to a backup target, but stale files on the target should be removed. Before running the real sync, you must preview deletions.

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Try first

rsync -ani --delete /srv/app/releases/current/ /backup/app/current/

Goal

Run a dry run that itemizes changes and clearly shows delete candidates.

Expected output

An itemized dry-run list. Lines beginning with *deleting identify files that would be removed from the target during the real run.

Teaches

Dry runs make destructive sync behavior reviewable before it touches files.

Common mistake

Forgetting the trailing slash distinction on rsync paths or running --delete without reviewing a dry run.

command set

Commands to know

rsync -av --dry-run --delete source/ target/
rsync -ani --delete source/ target/
grep '^*deleting'

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Example output from a temporary Linux lab

command replay example output

Preview rsync Before It Changes Files

Review the related command card and compare your expected output with the command replay.

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