RubyClone - Simplifying the use of Rsync

RubyClone was designed to be simple, easy, clean and a high level script for RSync.

Install the gem:

gem install ruby_clone

Create a file that is named '.ruby_clone' in your home folder and set up a profile. NOTE: Don't forget to use the dot in the file.

And then execute:

$ ruby_clone my_profile

You can also specify another path of your RubyClone file:

$ ruby_clone -b /my/ruby_clone_file my_profile

To start using it, you'll need to create the following configuration in your RubyClone file.

NOTE: The folder of from configurations needs to have the last slash. If it doesn't have, it will copy the 'source_folder' inside the 'destination_folder'. (This behaviour is from RSync)

NOTE 2: If your source folder/destination_folder has spaces as "My Source Folder", you need to set up it as "My\ Source\ Folder" with two back slashes for each space. Spaces and only one back slash will not work.

profile :my_profile do
  from "/my/source_folder/"
  to "/my/destination_folder"
end

If you set up this configuration in your $HOME/.ruby_clone, you can run with:

$ ruby_clone my_profile

If is in another path, run with:

$ ruby_clone -b /my/backup_file my_profile

NOTE: This basic setup doesn't sync deleted files from the source folder. If you want to delete them, you need to setup the option 'delete: true'.

RubyClone offers the option to use SSH in a easy way. You just need to use the option ':ssh' with the 'user@host'. Example for SSH that is on source folder.

profile :my_profile do
  from "/my/source_folder/", ssh: "user@source_server"
  to "/my/destination_folder"
end

Example for SSH that is on destination folder:

profile :my_profile do
  from "/my/source_folder/"
  to "/my/destination_folder", ssh: "user@destination_server"
end

After running one of theses profiles, you just need to type the password.

RubyClone aims to be simple and be readable for you when you set up it. All the new configurations that you can set up was created with this in mind.

Here is all the configuration you can set up and improve your RubyClone file.

If you need to exclude folders or files matching a pattern, use the 'exclude_pattern command. This command can be used in two ways: On the top of RubyClone file and/or inside the 'from'. Here a complete example:

exclude_pattern "top_pattern"

profile :my_profile1 do
  from "/my/source_folder/"
  to "/my/destination_folder"
end

profile :my_profile2 do
  from "/my/source_folder/" do
    exclude_pattern "from_pattern"
  end
  to "/my/destination_folder"
end

1. 'my_profile1' will exclude only the "top_pattern".
2. 'my_profile2' will exclude the "top_pattern" and "from_pattern"

Same as the exclude_pattern. If you need to include folders or files matching a pattern, use the include_pattern command. This command can be use in two ways: On the top of RubyClone file and/or inside the 'from' block. Example:

include_pattern "top_pattern"

profile :my_profile1 do
  from "/my/source_folder/"
  to "/my/destination_folder"
end

profile :my_profile2 do
  from "/my/source_folder/" do
    include_pattern "from_pattern"
  end
  to "/my/destination_folder"
end

1. 'my_profile1' will include only the "top_pattern".
2. 'my_profile2' will include the "top_pattern" and "from_pattern"

Here an example using exclude_pattern and include_pattern together. In this example, :my_profile will exclude all folders and will sync/include only the 'from_pattern'

profile :my_profile do
  from "/my/source_folder/" do
    exclude_pattern "*"
    include_pattern "from_pattern"
  end
  to "/my/destination_folder"
end

• Deleting files that don't exist in source_folder but in destination folder - delete: true

The basic configuration was created to be a secure configuration. So if you really want to delete files/folders in your destination folder that doesn't exist anymore in your source folder, you'll need to set up 'delete: true' in your RubyClone file. Below an example how to do it:

profile :my_profile do
  from "/my/source_folder/"
  to "/my/destination_folder", delete: true
end

Now all files that exists in "/my/destination_folder/" but "/my/source_folder" will be deleted. If for some reason you want to keep some files and delete others, just set up the exclude_pattern inside 'from' block.

• Deleting files that are excluded from source folder to destination folder - delete_excluded: true

If you decided to exclude files from the syncronization but they still in your destination folder, you can use the 'delete_excluded' to delete this files inside destination folder that are excluded from the source_folder. Example:

profile :my_profile do
  from "/my/source_folder/" do
    exclude_pattern "my_pattern"
  end
  to "/my/destination_folder", delete_excluded: true
end

Now all files that are inside destination_folder that have the pattern 'my_pattern' will be deleted.

NOTE: When you use 'delete_excluded :true' you don't need to set up 'delete: true' even the from configuration doesn't have the 'exclude_pattern'

• If you want to save all the files that get updated and deleted, you need to set up the 'backup' configuration inside the 'to' block. Example:

profile :my_profile do
  from "/my/source_folder/"
  to "/my/destination_folder", delete: true do
    backup "/my/backup_folder"
  end
end

Now all the folders/files that get updated or deleted in the "/my/destination_folder" will be moved to "/my/backup_folder". The files moved to "/my/destination_folder" will have a default suffix that is a RubyClone control key plus the Date with the format: "yyyyMMdd".

All files that are saved in the "/my/backup_folder" will have a limit of 5 files. So if any file that passed this limit, the old file will be deleted. You can change this limit using the option "limit".

NOTE: The RubyClone control key is a special key to use as a control to remove old duplicated files.

• Changing the suffix of the files inside the backup folder - backup "folder", suffix: "my_suffix"

If you want to change the Date suffix for the files that you backup, you need to set the 'suffix' as a parameter to 'backup'. Example:

profile :my_profile do
  from "/my/source_folder/"
  to "/my/destination_folder", delete: true do
    backup "/my/backup_folder", suffix: "my_suffix"
  end
end

Another example using suffix with the Time class of Ruby to generate the date with timestamp "yyyyMMdd_hhmmss" :

profile :my_profile do
  from "/my/source_folder/"
  to "/my/destination_folder", delete: true do
    backup "/my/backup_folder", suffix: "_#{Time.now.strftime("%Y%m%d_%H%M%S")}"
  end
end

NOTE: Changing the suffix will not change the RubyClone control key. Since this key control how to remove the old duplicated files.

• Disabling the default suffix - backup "folder", disable_suffix: true

If for some reason you want to disable the file suffix in the backup folder you can set true for 'default_true'. Doing that all the files that are moved to "/my/backup_folder" will have the same name and it will get override by a new file. Example:

profile :my_profile do
  from "/my/source_folder/"
  to "/my/destination_folder", delete: true do
    backup "/my/backup_folder", disable_suffix: true
  end
end

NOTE: This kind of setup will backup only one file and nothing more.

• Changing how many files you want to backup - backup "folder", limit: 10

RubyClone have a default to save 5 files "/my/backup_folder" that have the same name. If you want to change the limit you just need to set up the option limit with the number of files to save. Example:

profile :my_profile do
  from "/my/source_folder/"
  to "/my/destination_folder", delete: true do
    backup "/my/backup_folder", limit: 20
  end
end

Now "/my/backup_folder" will save 20 files with the same name.

• Disabling the limit of files to save. Save unlimited files - backup "folder", limit: :unlimited

If for some reason you want to backup all files that are updated or deleted you need to set up the 'limit' option with ':unlimited' Example:

profile :my_profile do
  from "/my/source_folder/"
  to "/my/destination_folder", delete: true do
    backup "/my/backup_folder", limit: :unlimited
  end
end

Now all files will be saved, until you change the 'limit' to a specific number to erased all the old files that passed the new limit.

• RubyClone offers the possibility to not show the rsync command generated (show_command) and rsync output (show_output). To use it, you need to set up in the top of your RubyClone file the 'config' and the commands you want to disable. Example:

config show_command: false, show_output: false

profile :my_profile do
  from "/my/source_folder/"
  to "/my/destination_folder"
end

The above config will not show anymore the rsync command and rsync outputs. But errors will keep showing if happen.

• Overriding the default configuration of Rsync command - config options: 'override_options'

If you need to override the default configurations for RSync you can set up the "config options: 'my_options'". Example:

config options: '-Cav --stats'

profile :my_profile do
  from "/my/source_folder/"
  to "/my/destination_folder"
end

RubyClone as default will try to read the RubyClone file in your home folder: $HOME/.ruby_clone. If you need to specify another path of your RubyClone file don't forget to add the option -b

$ ruby_clone -b /my/ruby_clone_file profile

RSync offers the options to dry-run the command and just run the sincronization as a simulation. You can do this too with RubyClone. Just pass the option '-d' to ruby_clone

$ ruby_clone -d profile

Here a interesting RubyClone file that you can improve.

NOTE: Don't forget that the folder of from configuration needs to have the last slash. If it doesn't have, it will copy the 'source_folder' inside the 'destination_folder. (This behaviour is from RSync)

NOTE 2: If your source folder/destination_folder has spaces as "/My Source Folder", you need to set up it as "My\ Source\ Folder" with two back slashes for each space. Spaces and only one back slash will not work.

profile :my_profile do
  from "/my/source_folder/" do
    exclude_pattern "pattern"
  end
  to "/my/destination_folder", delete_excluded: true do
    backup "/my/backup"
  end
end

• Fork, fix, then send me a pull request.

Copyright (c) 2012 Frederico Benevides. See MIT-LICENSE for further details.