[tex-live] Rsync, a different question

Vladimir Volovich vvv at vsu.ru
Mon Nov 10 09:32:15 CET 2008


"RF" == Robin Fairbairns writes:

 >> but unfortunately the timestamps of many of the files on these
 >> main ctan sites are not properly synchronized.

 RF> they are, however, properly synchronised, in the sense that ftp
 RF> mirroring between the sites "works".

in which case the ftp client is not using the MDTM commands to find
out exact time stamps but relies on directory listings which are
timezone-dependent and don't even show timestamps with a second
precision, but at most with minute precision. and indeed i saw some
files which have difference in timestamps (between different ctan
nodes) of a few minutes or seconds. in other words, it is not very
robust system. e.g. it may not detect the change of a file if it was
changed within a minute, with the same size.

an example of a good ftp client which uses MDTM and can do miroring is
lftp (but rsync is more efficient anyway).

 RF> rainer's mirror of cambridge (for the things that i'm the
 RF> "gateway" for) is currently running rsync.

good to know. hopefully all main nodes will switch to rsync soon.

Best,
v.


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