1 mailto(rsync-bugs@samba.org)
2 manpage(rsyncd.conf)(5)(12 Feb 1999)()()
3 manpagename(rsyncd.conf)(configuration file for rsync server)
10 The rsyncd.conf file is the runtime configuration file for rsync when
11 run with the --daemon option. When run in this way rsync becomes a
12 rsync server listening on TCP port 873. Connections from rsync clients
13 are accepted for either anonymous or authenticated rsync sessions.
15 The rsyncd.conf file controls authentication, access, logging and
18 manpagesection(FILE FORMAT)
20 The file consists of modules and parameters. A module begins with the
21 name of the module in square brackets and continues until the next
22 module begins. Modules contain parameters of the form 'name = value'.
24 The file is line-based - that is, each newline-terminated line represents
25 either a comment, a module name or a parameter.
27 Only the first equals sign in a parameter is significant. Whitespace before
28 or after the first equals sign is discarded. Leading, trailing and internal
29 whitespace in module and parameter names is irrelevant. Leading and
30 trailing whitespace in a parameter value is discarded. Internal whitespace
31 within a parameter value is retained verbatim.
33 Any line beginning with a hash (#) is ignored, as are lines containing
36 Any line ending in a \ is "continued" on the next line in the
37 customary UNIX fashion.
39 The values following the equals sign in parameters are all either a string
40 (no quotes needed) or a boolean, which may be given as yes/no, 0/1 or
41 true/false. Case is not significant in boolean values, but is preserved
44 manpagesection(LAUNCHING THE RSYNC DAEMON)
46 The rsync daemon is launched by specifying the --daemon option to
47 rsync. The daemon must run with root privileges.
49 You can launch it either via inetd or as a stand-alone daemon. If run
50 as a daemon then just run the command "rsync --daemon" from a suitable
53 When run via inetd you should add a line like this to /etc/services:
57 and a single line something like this to /etc/inetd.conf:
59 quote(rsync stream tcp nowait root /usr/bin/rsync rsyncd --daemon)
61 Replace "/usr/bin/rsync" with the path to where you have rsync installed on
62 your system. You will then need to send inetd a HUP signal to tell it to
63 reread its config file.
65 Note that you should not send the rsync server a HUP signal to force
66 it to reread the tt(/etc/rsyncd.conf). The file is re-read on each client
69 manpagesection(GLOBAL OPTIONS)
71 The first parameters in the file (before a [module] header) are the
74 You may also include any module parameters in the global part of the
75 config file in which case the supplied value will override the
76 default for that parameter.
79 dit(bf(motd file)) The "motd file" option allows you to specify a
80 "message of the day" to display to clients on each connect. This
81 usually contains site information and any legal notices. The default
84 dit(bf(log file)) The "log file" option tells the rsync daemon to log
85 messages to that file rather than using syslog. This is particularly
86 useful on systems (such as AIX) where syslog() doesn't work for
89 dit(bf(pid file)) The "pid file" option tells the rsync daemon to write
90 its process id to that file.
92 dit(bf(syslog facility)) The "syslog facility" option allows you to
93 specify the syslog facility name to use when logging messages from the
94 rsync server. You may use any standard syslog facility name which is
95 defined on your system. Common names are auth, authpriv, cron, daemon,
96 ftp, kern, lpr, mail, news, security, syslog, user, uucp, local0,
97 local1, local2, local3, local4, local5, local6 and local7. The default
100 dit(bf(socket options)) This option can provide endless fun for people
101 who like to tune their systems to the utmost degree. You can set all
102 sorts of socket options which may make transfers faster (or
103 slower!). Read the man page for the setsockopt() system call for
104 details on some of the options you may be able to set. By default no
105 special socket options are set.
110 manpagesection(MODULE OPTIONS)
112 After the global options you should define a number of modules, each
113 module exports a directory tree as a symbolic name. Modules are
114 exported by specifying a module name in square brackets [module]
115 followed by the options for that module.
119 dit(bf(comment)) The "comment" option specifies a description string
120 that is displayed next to the module name when clients obtain a list
121 of available modules. The default is no comment.
123 dit(bf(path)) The "path" option specifies the directory in the servers
124 filesystem to make available in this module. You must specify this option
125 for each module in tt(/etc/rsyncd.conf).
127 dit(bf(use chroot)) If "use chroot" is true, the rsync server will chroot
128 to the "path" before starting the file transfer with the client. This has
129 the advantage of extra protection against possible implementation security
130 holes, but it has the disadvantages of requiring super-user privileges and
131 of not being able to follow symbolic links outside of the new root path.
132 The default is to use chroot.
134 dit(bf(max connections)) The "max connections" option allows you to
135 specify the maximum number of simultaneous connections you will allow
136 to this module of your rsync server. Any clients connecting when the
137 maximum has been reached will receive a message telling them to try
138 later. The default is 0 which means no limit.
140 dit(bf(lock file)) The "lock file" option specifies the file to use to
141 support the "max connections" option. The rsync server uses record
142 locking on this file to ensure that the max connections limit is not
143 exceeded. The default is tt(/var/run/rsyncd.lock).
145 dit(bf(read only)) The "read only" option determines whether clients
146 will be able to upload files or not. If "read only" is true then any
147 attempted uploads will fail. If "read only" is false then uploads will
148 be possible if file permissions on the server allow them. The default
149 is for all modules to be read only.
151 dit(bf(list)) The "list" option determines if this module should be
152 listed when the client asks for a listing of available modules. By
153 setting this to false you can create hidden modules. The default is
154 for modules to be listable.
156 dit(bf(uid)) The "uid" option specifies the user name or user id that
157 file transfers to and from that module should take place as when the daemon
158 was run as root. In combination with the "gid" option this determines what
159 file permissions are available. The default is the user "nobody".
161 dit(bf(gid)) The "gid" option specifies the group name or group id that
162 file transfers to and from that module should take place as when the daemon
163 was run as root. This complements the "uid" option. The default is the
166 dit(bf(exclude)) The "exclude" option allows you to specify a space
167 separated list of patterns to add to the exclude list. This is
168 equivalent to the client specifying these patterns with the --exclude
169 option except that the exclude list is not passed to the client and
170 thus only apply on the server. Only one "exclude" option may be
171 specified, but you can use "-" and "+" before patterns to specify
174 Note that this option is not designed with strong security in
175 mind, it is quite possible that a client may find a way to bypass this
176 exclude list. If you want to absolutely ensure that certain files
177 cannot be accessed then use the uid/gid options in combination with
180 dit(bf(exclude from)) The "exclude from" option specifies a filename
181 on the server that contains exclude patterns, one per line. This is
182 equivalent to the client specifying the --exclude-from option with a
183 equivalent file except that the resulting exclude patterns are not
184 passed to the client and thus only apply on the server. See also the
185 note about security for the exclude option above.
187 dit(bf(include)) The "include" option allows you to specify a space
188 separated list of patterns which rsync should not exclude. This is
189 equivalent to the client specifying these patterns with the --include
190 option. This is useful as it allows you to build up quite complex
191 exclude/include rules. Only one "include" option may be specified, but you
192 can use "+" and "-" before patterns to switch include/exclude.
194 See the section of exclude patterns in the rsync man page for information
195 on the syntax of this option.
197 dit(bf(include from)) The "include from" option specifies a filename
198 on the server that contains include patterns, one per line. This is
199 equivalent to the client specifying the --include-from option with a
202 dit(bf(auth users)) The "auth users" option specifies a comma
203 and space separated list of usernames that will be allowed to connect
204 to this module. The usernames do not need to exist on the local
205 system. If "auth users" is set then the client will be challenged to
206 supply a username and password to connect to the module. A challenge
207 response authentication protocol is used for this exchange. The plain
208 text usernames are passwords are stored in the file specified by the
209 "secrets file" option. The default is for all users to be able to
210 connect without a password (this is called "anonymous rsync").
212 dit(bf(secrets file)) The "secrets file" option specifies the name of
213 a file that contains the username:password pairs used for
214 authenticating this module. This file is only consulted if the "auth
215 users" option is specified. The file is line based and contains
216 username:password pairs separated by a single colon. Any line starting
217 with a hash (#) is considered a comment and is skipped. The passwords
218 can contain any characters but be warned that many operating systems
219 limit the length of passwords that can be typed at the client end, so
220 you may find that passwords longer than 8 characters don't work.
222 There is no default for the "secrets file" option, you must choose a name
223 (such as tt(/etc/rsyncd.secrets)).
225 dit(bf(strict modes)) The "strict modes" option determines whether or not
226 the permissions on the secrets file will be checked. If "strict modes" is
227 true, then the secrets file must not be readable by any user id other
228 than the one that the rsync daemon is running under. If "strict modes" is
229 false, the check is not performed. The default is true. This option
230 was added to accommodate rsync running on the Windows operating system.
232 dit(bf(hosts allow)) The "hosts allow" option allows you to specify a
233 list of patterns that are matched against a connecting clients
234 hostname and IP address. If none of the patterns match then the
235 connection is rejected.
237 Each pattern can be in one of five forms:
240 it() a dotted decimal IP address. In this case the incoming machines
241 IP address must match exactly.
243 it() a address/mask in the form a.b.c.d/n were n is the number of
244 one bits in in the netmask. All IP addresses which match the masked
245 IP address will be allowed in.
247 it() a address/mask in the form a.b.c.d/e.f.g.h where e.f.g.h is a
248 netmask in dotted decimal notation. All IP addresses which match the masked
249 IP address will be allowed in.
251 it() a hostname. The hostname as determined by a reverse lookup will
252 be matched (case insensitive) against the pattern. Only an exact
255 it() a hostname pattern using wildcards. These are matched using the
256 same rules as normal unix filename matching. If the pattern matches
257 then the client is allowed in.
260 You can also combine "hosts allow" with a separate "hosts deny"
261 option. If both options are specified then the "hosts allow" option s
262 checked first and a match results in the client being able to
263 connect. The "hosts deny" option is then checked and a match means
264 that the host is rejected. If the host does not match either the
265 "hosts allow" or the "hosts deny" patterns then it is allowed to
268 The default is no "hosts allow" option, which means all hosts can connect.
270 dit(bf(hosts deny)) The "hosts deny" option allows you to specify a
271 list of patterns that are matched against a connecting clients
272 hostname and IP address. If the pattern matches then the connection is
273 rejected. See the "hosts allow" option for more information.
275 The default is no "hosts deny" option, which means all hosts can connect.
277 dit(bf(transfer logging)) The "transfer logging" option enables per-file
278 logging of downloads and uploads in a format somewhat similar to that
279 used by ftp daemons. If you want to customize the log formats look at
280 the log format option.
282 dit(bf(log format)) The "log format" option allows you to specify the
283 format used for logging file transfers when transfer logging is
284 enabled. The format is a text string containing embedded single
285 character escape sequences prefixed with a percent (%) character.
287 The prefixes that are understood are:
290 it() %h for the remote host name
291 it() %a for the remote IP address
292 it() %l for the length of the file in bytes
293 it() %p for the process id of this rsync session
294 it() %o for the operation, which is either "send" or "recv"
295 it() %f for the filename
296 it() %P for the module path
297 it() %m for the module name
298 it() %t for the current date time
299 it() %u for the authenticated username (or the null string)
300 it() %b for the number of bytes actually transferred
301 it() %c when sending files this gives the number of checksum bytes
302 received for this file
305 The default log format is "%o %h [%a] %m (%u) %f %l", and a "%t [%p] "
306 is always added to the beginning when using the "log file" option.
308 A perl script called rsyncstats to summarize this format is included
309 in the rsync source code distribution.
311 dit(bf(timeout)) The "timeout" option allows you to override the
312 clients choice for IO timeout for this module. Using this option you
313 can ensure that rsync won't wait on a dead client forever. The timeout
314 is specified in seconds. A value of zero means no timeout and is the
315 default. A good choice for anonymous rsync servers may be 600 (giving
316 a 10 minute timeout).
318 dit(bf(refuse options)) The "refuse options" option allows you to
319 specify a space separated list of rsync command line options that will
320 be refused by your rsync server. The full names of the options must be
321 used (i.e., you must use "checksum" not "c" to disable checksumming).
322 When an option is refused, the server prints an error message and exits.
323 To prevent all compression, you can use "dont compress = *" (see below)
324 instead of "refuse options = compress" to avoid returning an error to a
325 client that requests compression.
327 dit(bf(dont compress)) The "dont compress" option allows you to select
328 filenames based on wildcard patterns that should not be compressed
329 during transfer. Compression is expensive in terms of CPU usage so it
330 is usually good to not try to compress files that won't compress well,
331 such as already compressed files.
333 The "dont compress" option takes a space separated list of
334 case-insensitive wildcard patterns. Any source filename matching one
335 of the patterns will not be compressed during transfer.
337 The default setting is verb(*.gz *.tgz *.zip *.z *.rpm *.deb)
341 manpagesection(AUTHENTICATION STRENGTH)
343 The authentication protocol used in rsync is a 128 bit MD4 based
344 challenge response system. Although I believe that no one has ever
345 demonstrated a brute-force break of this sort of system you should
346 realize that this is not a "military strength" authentication system.
347 It should be good enough for most purposes but if you want really top
348 quality security then I recommend that you run rsync over ssh.
350 Also note that the rsync server protocol does not currently provide any
351 encryption of the data that is transferred over the link. Only
352 authentication is provided. Use ssh as the transport if you want
355 Future versions of rsync may support SSL for better authentication and
356 encryption, but that is still being investigated.
358 manpagesection(EXAMPLES)
360 A simple rsyncd.conf file that allow anonymous rsync to a ftp area at
361 tt(/home/ftp) would be:
366 comment = ftp export area
370 A more sophisticated example would be:
375 max connections = 4 nl()
376 syslog facility = local5 nl()
377 pid file = /etc/rsyncd.pid
381 comment = whole ftp area (approx 6.1 GB)
384 path = /var/ftp/pub/samba
385 comment = Samba ftp area (approx 300 MB)
388 path = /var/ftp/pub/rsync
389 comment = rsync ftp area (approx 6 MB)
392 path = /public_html/samba
393 comment = Samba WWW pages (approx 240 MB)
397 comment = CVS repository (requires authentication)
398 auth users = tridge, susan
399 secrets file = /etc/rsyncd.secrets
402 The /etc/rsyncd.secrets file would look something like this:
419 The rsync server does not send all types of error messages to the
420 client. this means a client may be mystified as to why a transfer
421 failed. The error will have been logged by syslog on the server.
423 Please report bugs! The rsync bug tracking system is online at
424 url(http://rsync.samba.org/)(http://rsync.samba.org/)
426 manpagesection(VERSION)
427 This man page is current for version 2.0 of rsync
429 manpagesection(CREDITS)
431 rsync is distributed under the GNU public license. See the file
434 The primary ftp site for rsync is
435 url(ftp://rsync.samba.org/pub/rsync)(ftp://rsync.samba.org/pub/rsync).
437 A WEB site is available at
438 url(http://rsync.samba.org/)(http://rsync.samba.org/)
440 We would be delighted to hear from you if you like this program.
442 This program uses the zlib compression library written by Jean-loup
443 Gailly and Mark Adler.
445 manpagesection(THANKS)
447 Thanks to Warren Stanley for his original idea and patch for the rsync
448 server. Thanks to Karsten Thygesen for his many suggestions and
453 rsync was written by Andrew Tridgell and Paul Mackerras. They may be
454 contacted via email at tridge@samba.org and
455 Paul.Mackerras@cs.anu.edu.au