Windows
Linux
File Management
File System
Windows robocopy equivalent in Linux
Copies and synchronizes directories efficiently, transferring only changed content when possible.
Windows
→
robocopy
Linux equivalents
rsync -avh source/ destination/
rsync -avh source/ destination/
rsync -avh source/ destination/
Overview
What this command does
Copies and synchronizes directories efficiently, transferring only changed content when possible.
Migration tip:
rsync is the closest Linux equivalent to Robocopy. A trailing slash on the source changes whether the directory itself or only its contents are copied.Practical tasks
Common use cases
Synchronize directory trees
Copies and synchronizes directories efficiently, transferring only changed content when possible.
rsync -avh source/ destination/
Synchronize folder contents
rsync -avh --progress source/ destination/
Show transfer progress
rsync -avh --delete source/ destination/
Make destination mirror the source
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
rsync -avh source/ destination/
rsync -avh --progress source/ destination/
rsync -avh --delete source/ destination/
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
rsync -avh source/ destination/ # copy changed files and preserve metadata
rsync -avh --progress source/ destination/ # show progress during the copy
rsync -avh --delete source/ destination/ # remove destination files missing from sourceReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
rsync -avh source/ destination/ | Synchronize folder contents |
rsync -avh --progress source/ destination/ | Show transfer progress |
rsync -avh --delete source/ destination/ | Make destination mirror the source |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
This command is the same on Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch Linux when the relevant tool is installed.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | rsync -avh source/ destination/ |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | rsync -avh source/ destination/ |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | rsync -avh source/ destination/ |
Same command on this distribution. |
Important
What to watch out for
--delete permanently removes extra files from the destination. Run once with --dry-run before using it.
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