Backup & Recovery (Rsync/Tar/Dd)

Stop letting rsync wipe your destination directory by accident

🧩 The Challenge

Everyone has accidentally nuked a backup because they didn’t realize that adding a trailing slash to a source path changes exactly how rsync treats the directory contents. It is a massive headache to restore stuff you thought was safe.

💡 The Fix

Use the dry-run flag combined with the itemize-changes output to see exactly what will be deleted before you actually commit to the transfer. You get to see the carnage before it happens.

rsync -avun --delete --itemize-changes /source/dir/ /backup/dir/

⚙️ Why It Works

Adding the n flag forces rsync to simulate the operation without touching any files, while itemize-changes shows you exactly which files are marked for deletion or modification in a clear list.

🚀 Pro-Tip: Always double-check your path slashes, especially when running backups via cron where you aren’t around to catch mistakes.

Linux Tips & Tricks | © ngelinux.com | 10/11/2026