Copy files with rsync on Mac

17/03/2025

Use the power of rsync to ensure file creation dates are preserved whilst copying and the ability to restart if interrupted and automatically skip files which have already been copied

MacOS does come with a version of rsync pre-installed. However, this is normally an ancient version and needs the newer version installed to get the latest features, e.g. preserve creation times option or bug fixes. Here’s how you can typically achieve this on MacOS:

    • Install Homebrew (package manager for macOS) :
      • Open Terminal.
      • Paste the following command and press Enter:
        • /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
      • Follow the on-screen instructions.
  • Install rsync:
    • Once Homebrew is installed, open Terminal and run:
      • brew install rsync
  • Verify the version:
    • After installation, check the installed version with:
      • rsync --version
    • And path:
      • brew --prefix rsync
      • Shows path to rsync installed by Brew. This is important, to verify that you are picking up the Homebrew version, and not the older system version.
  • PATH considerations:
    • If rsync --version shows the old version the PATH environment variable has to be changed to ensure that the Homebrew version takes precedence over the system version. Homebrew typically adds its executables to /usr/local/bin (or /opt/homebrew/bin on Apple silicon). Make sure this directory is listed before /usr/bin in your shell’s PATH.
    • If you are using Zsh (the default shell on macOS Ventura), you may need to check your ~/.zprofile or ~/.zshrc files to ensure that the Homebrew path is correctly set.
    • Sometimes after installing, you may need to close and reopen your terminal window, or run the command source ~/.zshrc for the changes to take effect.
  • Check your PATH:
    • Run echo $PATH. This displays the directories your shell searches for executable files.
    • Ensure that /usr/local/bin or /opt/homebrew/bin appears before /usr/bin. The order matters.
  • Modify your PATH (as necessary):
    • If the Homebrew path is missing or in the wrong order, you’ll need to edit your shell’s configuration file.
    • Zsh (default on Ventura):
      • Open ~/.zshrc (or ~/.zprofile) in a text editor (e.g., nano ~/.zshrc).
      • Add or modify the following line, placing it at the beginning of the file:
        • export PATH="/usr/local/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH" (Adjust based on your Mac’s architecture)
      • Save the file and run source ~/.zshrc or close and reopen your terminal.
      • Remove duplicates from path with typeset -U PATH
  • Verify the change:
    • After modifying your PATH, run echo $PATH again to confirm the changes.

Examples

rsync copy command to preserve timestamps

rsync -a --crtimes --info=progress2  <source> <destination>

-a for “archive” provides a recursive copy, preserving symbolic links, timestamps, file permissions, user & group ownership

–crtimes preserves file creation (born) date

–info=progress2 overall progress indicator  – only available in rsync version 3.1.0 onwards

Add caffeinate to stop Mac going to sleep during long copy operations!

caffeinate rsync -a --crtimes --info=progress2 <source> <destination>

Important Notes:

  • macOS System rsync: macOS includes a built-in version of rsync that Apple maintains. This version might differ from the latest upstream rsync release.
  • Potential Issues:
    • There have been reports of issues with rsync and certain filesystems (like MS-DOS/FAT) on macOS Ventura, particularly concerning timestamp handling. If you encounter such problems, be aware that they might be related to macOS’s filesystem implementation rather than the rsync version itself.
  • When dealing with remote rsync operations, be aware that both the sending and receiving systems’ rsync versions play a role.

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