rsync --include question

[excelsior.ink]

I am trying to use rsync to copy important files from my home folder to an external drive. I am using:

rsync -av --stats --delete --include "com~apple~CloudDocs" --exclude "Library" ${HOME} /Volumes/LaCie/ --dry-run

of course, --dry-run is just for simulation. So, I am trying to backup everything in the home folder except ~/Library but include ~/Library/Mobile\ Documents/com~apple~CloudDocs
However the --include doesn't work, everything under ~/Library is excluded.
Anyone has any idea how to fix this?

 

[HenryAZ]

I am trying to use rsync to copy important files from my home folder to an external drive. I am using:

rsync -av --stats --delete --include "com~apple~CloudDocs" --exclude "Library" ${HOME} /Volumes/LaCie/ --dry-run

of course, --dry-run is just for simulation. So, I am trying to backup everything in the home folder except ~/Library but include ~/Library/Mobile\ Documents/com~apple~CloudDocs
However the --include doesn't work, everything under ~/Library is excluded.
Anyone has any idea how to fix this?

Have you tried using the full path to com~apple~CloudDocs in your command, the same path you mention in your explanation?

 

[excelsior.ink]

That's the problem, I cannot make it work:

rsync -av --stats --delete --include "~/Library/Mobile Documents/com~apple~CloudDocs" --exclude "Library" ${HOME} /Volumes/LaCie/ --dry-run

doesn't work. I tried using also Mobile\ Documents with \ as an escape char for the space.

 

[chown33]

Try reordering your --include and --exclude options just to see what happens.

Also try adding another -v option. This should output what's being skipped. A third -v will further increase verbosity, but it might be too much.

I briefly looked for an option to dump the filter rules, but didn't see one. That might be useful.

Maybe try restating the filters using the full filter rule syntax.

 

[NoBoMac]

Love/hate rsync. So useful, yet so much a pain to get things to work.

Might try to break up the rsync as two separate invokes: one for everything but Library, second call to just do the iCloud Drive folder.

Or use find and pipe that to rsync.

Can try messing with the --filter possibilities. For example, can dynamically generate a filter file excluding everything under Library except iCloud Drive via the find command and pass that file to rsync.