mailto(rsync-bugs@samba.org)
-manpage(rsyncd.conf)(5)(12 Feb 1999)()()
+manpage(rsyncd.conf)(5)(1 Jan 2004)()()
manpagename(rsyncd.conf)(configuration file for rsync server)
manpagesynopsis()
manpagedescription()
The rsyncd.conf file is the runtime configuration file for rsync when
-run with the --daemon option. When run in this way rsync becomes a
-rsync server listening on TCP port 873. Connections from rsync clients
-are accepted for either anonymous or authenticated rsync sessions.
+run as an rsync server.
The rsyncd.conf file controls authentication, access, logging and
available modules.
file ownership. Otherwise, it must just have permission to read and
write the appropriate data, log, and lock files.
-You can launch it either via inetd or as a stand-alone daemon. If run
-as a daemon then just run the command "rsync --daemon" from a suitable
-startup script.
+You can launch it either via inetd, as a stand-alone daemon, or from
+an rsync client via a remote shell. If run as a stand-alone daemon then
+just run the command "rsync --daemon" from a suitable startup script.
+If run from an rsync client via a remote shell (by specifying both the
+"-e/--rsh" option and server mode with "::" or "rsync://"), the --daemon
+option is automatically passed to the remote side.
When run via inetd you should add a line like this to /etc/services:
reread its config file.
Note that you should not send the rsync server a HUP signal to force
-it to reread the tt(/etc/rsyncd.conf). The file is re-read on each client
+it to reread the tt(rsyncd.conf) file. The file is re-read on each client
connection.
manpagesection(GLOBAL OPTIONS)
chrooted programs.
dit(bf(pid file)) The "pid file" option tells the rsync daemon to write
-its process id to that file.
+its process ID to that file.
dit(bf(syslog facility)) The "syslog facility" option allows you to
specify the syslog facility name to use when logging messages from the
dit(bf(path)) The "path" option specifies the directory in the servers
filesystem to make available in this module. You must specify this option
-for each module in tt(/etc/rsyncd.conf).
+for each module in tt(rsyncd.conf).
dit(bf(use chroot)) If "use chroot" is true, the rsync server will chroot
to the "path" before starting the file transfer with the client. This has
the advantage of extra protection against possible implementation security
-holes, but it has the disadvantages of requiring super-user privileges and
+holes, but it has the disadvantages of requiring super-user privileges,
of not being able to follow symbolic links outside of the new root path
-when reading. When "use chroot" is false, for security reasons
-symlinks may only be relative paths pointing to other files within the
-root path, and leading slashes are removed from absolute paths. The
-default for "use chroot" is true.
+when reading, and of complicating the preservation of usernames and groups
+(see below). When "use chroot" is false, for security reasons,
+symlinks may only be relative paths pointing to other files within the root
+path, and leading slashes are removed from absolute paths. The default for
+"use chroot" is true.
+
+In order to preserve usernames and groupnames, rsync needs to be able to
+use the standard library functions for looking up names and IDs (i.e.
+getpwuid(), getgrgid(), getpwname(), and getgrnam()). This means a
+process in the chroot namespace will need to have access to the resources
+used by these library functions (traditionally /etc/passwd and
+/etc/group). If these resources are not available, rsync will only be
+able to copy the IDs, just as if the --numeric-ids option had been
+specified.
+
+Note that you are free to setup user/group information in the chroot area
+differently from your normal system. For example, you could abbreviate
+the list of users and groups. Also, you can protect this information
+from being downloaded by adding an exclude rule to the rsync.conf file
+(e.g. "exclude = /etc/"). To protect it from being changed by an upload
+(if the module is not read only), be sure to set the permissions (or
+owner) on the files and/or parent directories so that they cannot be
+written by the daemon.
dit(bf(max connections)) The "max connections" option allows you to
-specify the maximum number of simultaneous connections you will allow
-to this module of your rsync server. Any clients connecting when the
-maximum has been reached will receive a message telling them to try
-later. The default is 0 which means no limit.
+specify the maximum number of simultaneous connections you will allow.
+Any clients connecting when the maximum has been reached will receive a
+message telling them to try later. The default is 0 which means no limit.
+See also the "lock file" option.
dit(bf(lock file)) The "lock file" option specifies the file to use to
support the "max connections" option. The rsync server uses record
locking on this file to ensure that the max connections limit is not
-exceeded. The default is tt(/var/run/rsyncd.lock).
+exceeded for the modules sharing the lock file.
+The default is tt(/var/run/rsyncd.lock).
dit(bf(read only)) The "read only" option determines whether clients
will be able to upload files or not. If "read only" is true then any
setting this to false you can create hidden modules. The default is
for modules to be listable.
-dit(bf(uid)) The "uid" option specifies the user name or user id that
+dit(bf(uid)) The "uid" option specifies the user name or user ID that
file transfers to and from that module should take place as when the daemon
was run as root. In combination with the "gid" option this determines what
file permissions are available. The default is uid -2, which is normally
the user "nobody".
-dit(bf(gid)) The "gid" option specifies the group name or group id that
+dit(bf(gid)) The "gid" option specifies the group name or group ID that
file transfers to and from that module should take place as when the daemon
was run as root. This complements the "uid" option. The default is gid -2,
which is normally the group "nobody".
dit(bf(exclude)) The "exclude" option allows you to specify a space
-separated list of patterns to add to the exclude list. This is equivalent
-to the client specifying these patterns with the --exclude option, except
-that the exclude list is not passed to the client and thus only applies on
-the server and also only applies when receiving files from a server and not
-when sending files to it. Only one "exclude" option may be specified, but
+separated list of patterns to add to the exclude list.
+This is only superficially equivalent
+to the client specifying these patterns with the --exclude option.
+Only one "exclude" option may be specified, but
you can use "-" and "+" before patterns to specify exclude/include.
+Because this exclude list is not passed to the client it only applies on
+the server: that is, it excludes files received by a client when receiving
+from a server and files deleted on a server when sending to a server, but
+it doesn't exclude files sent from a client when sending to a server or
+files deleted on a client when receiving from a server.
+
Note that this option is not designed with strong security in
mind, it is quite possible that a client may find a way to bypass this
exclude list. If you want to absolutely ensure that certain files
file permissions.
dit(bf(exclude from)) The "exclude from" option specifies a filename
-on the server that contains exclude patterns, one per line. This is
-equivalent to the client specifying the --exclude-from option with a
-equivalent file except that the resulting exclude patterns are not
-passed to the client and thus only apply on the server. See also the
-note about security for the exclude option above.
+on the server that contains exclude patterns, one per line.
+This is only superficially equivalent
+to the client specifying the --exclude-from option with an equivalent file.
+See the "exclude" option above.
dit(bf(include)) The "include" option allows you to specify a space
separated list of patterns which rsync should not exclude. This is
-equivalent to the client specifying these patterns with the --include
-option. This is useful as it allows you to build up quite complex
-exclude/include rules. Only one "include" option may be specified, but you
-can use "+" and "-" before patterns to switch include/exclude.
-
-See the section of exclude patterns in the rsync man page for information
-on the syntax of this option.
+only superficially equivalent to the client specifying these patterns
+with the --include option because it applies only on the server.
+This is useful as it
+allows you to build up quite complex exclude/include rules. Only one
+"include" option may be specified, but you can use "+" and "-" before
+patterns to switch include/exclude. See the "exclude" option above.
dit(bf(include from)) The "include from" option specifies a filename
on the server that contains include patterns, one per line. This is
-equivalent to the client specifying the --include-from option with a
-equivalent file.
+only superficially equivalent to the client specifying the
+--include-from option with a equivalent file.
+See the "exclude" option above.
dit(bf(auth users)) The "auth users" option specifies a comma and
space separated list of usernames that will be allowed to connect to
"secrets file" option. The default is for all users to be able to
connect without a password (this is called "anonymous rsync").
+See also the bf(CONNECTING TO AN RSYNC SERVER OVER A REMOTE SHELL
+PROGRAM) section in rsync(1) for information on how handle an
+rsyncd.conf-level username that differs from the remote-shell-level
+username when using a remote shell to connect to an rsync server.
+
dit(bf(secrets file)) The "secrets file" option specifies the name of
a file that contains the username:password pairs used for
authenticating this module. This file is only consulted if the "auth
dit(bf(strict modes)) The "strict modes" option determines whether or not
the permissions on the secrets file will be checked. If "strict modes" is
-true, then the secrets file must not be readable by any user id other
+true, then the secrets file must not be readable by any user ID other
than the one that the rsync daemon is running under. If "strict modes" is
false, the check is not performed. The default is true. This option
was added to accommodate rsync running on the Windows operating system.
Each pattern can be in one of five forms:
itemize(
- it() a dotted decimal IP address. In this case the incoming machines
- IP address must match exactly.
+ it() a dotted decimal IPv4 address of the form a.b.c.d, or an IPv6 address
+ of the form a:b:c::d:e:f. In this case the incoming machine's IP address
+ must match exactly.
- it() a address/mask in the form a.b.c.d/n were n is the number of
- one bits in in the netmask. All IP addresses which match the masked
- IP address will be allowed in.
+ it() an address/mask in the form ipaddr/n where ipaddr is the IP address
+ and n is the number of one bits in the netmask. All IP addresses which
+ match the masked IP address will be allowed in.
- it() a address/mask in the form a.b.c.d/e.f.g.h where e.f.g.h is a
- netmask in dotted decimal notation. All IP addresses which match the masked
- IP address will be allowed in.
+ it() an address/mask in the form ipaddr/maskaddr where ipaddr is the
+ IP address and maskaddr is the netmask in dotted decimal notation for IPv4,
+ or similar for IPv6, e.g. ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:: instead of /64. All IP
+ addresses which match the masked IP address will be allowed in.
it() a hostname. The hostname as determined by a reverse lookup will
be matched (case insensitive) against the pattern. Only an exact
then the client is allowed in.
)
+Note IPv6 link-local addresses can have a scope in the address specification:
+
+quote(fe80::1%link1)
+quote(fe80::%link1/64)
+quote(fe80::%link1/ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff::)
+
You can also combine "hosts allow" with a separate "hosts deny"
option. If both options are specified then the "hosts allow" option s
checked first and a match results in the client being able to
The default is no "hosts deny" option, which means all hosts can connect.
dit(bf(ignore errors)) The "ignore errors" option tells rsyncd to
-ignore IO errors on the server when deciding whether to run the delete
+ignore I/O errors on the server when deciding whether to run the delete
phase of the transfer. Normally rsync skips the --delete step if any
-IO errors have occurred in order to prevent disasterous deletion due
-to a temporary resource shortage or other IO error. In some cases this
+I/O errors have occurred in order to prevent disasterous deletion due
+to a temporary resource shortage or other I/O error. In some cases this
test is counter productive so you can use this option to turn off this
behaviour.
it() %h for the remote host name
it() %a for the remote IP address
it() %l for the length of the file in bytes
- it() %p for the process id of this rsync session
+ it() %p for the process ID of this rsync session
it() %o for the operation, which is either "send" or "recv"
it() %f for the filename
it() %P for the module path
in the rsync source code distribution.
dit(bf(timeout)) The "timeout" option allows you to override the
-clients choice for IO timeout for this module. Using this option you
+clients choice for I/O timeout for this module. Using this option you
can ensure that rsync won't wait on a dead client forever. The timeout
is specified in seconds. A value of zero means no timeout and is the
default. A good choice for anonymous rsync servers may be 600 (giving
quality security then I recommend that you run rsync over ssh.
Also note that the rsync server protocol does not currently provide any
-encryption of the data that is transferred over the link. Only
+encryption of the data that is transferred over the connection. Only
authentication is provided. Use ssh as the transport if you want
encryption.
Future versions of rsync may support SSL for better authentication and
encryption, but that is still being investigated.
+manpagesection(RUNNING AN RSYNC SERVER OVER A REMOTE SHELL PROGRAM)
+
+If rsync is run with both the --daemon and --rsh (-e) options, it will
+spawn an rsync daemon using a remote shell connection. Several
+configuration options will not be available unless the remote user is
+root (e.g. chroot, setuid/setgid, etc.). There is no need to configure
+inetd or the services map to include the rsync server port if you run an
+rsync server only via a remote shell program.
+
+ADVANCED: To run an rsync server out of a single-use ssh key, use the
+"command=em(COMMAND)" syntax in the remote user's authorized_keys entry,
+where command would be
+
+quote(rsync --server --daemon .)
+
+NOTE: rsync's argument parsing expects the trailing ".", so make sure
+that it's there. If you want to use an rsyncd.conf(5)-style
+configuration file other than the default, you can added a
+--config option to the em(command):
+
+quote(rsync --server --daemon --config=em(file) .)
+
+Note that the "--server" here is the internal option that rsync uses to
+run the remote version of rsync that it communicates with, and thus you
+should not be using the --server option under normal circumstances.
+
manpagesection(EXAMPLES)
A simple rsyncd.conf file that allow anonymous rsync to a ftp area at
manpagefiles()
-/etc/rsyncd.conf
+/etc/rsyncd.conf or rsyncd.conf
manpageseealso()
url(http://rsync.samba.org/)(http://rsync.samba.org/)
manpagesection(VERSION)
-This man page is current for version 2.0 of rsync
+This man page is current for version 2.x of rsync.
manpagesection(CREDITS)
Matt McCutchen's Web Site / rsync / rsync.git / blobdiff