.TH SYNCTREE 1
.SH NAME
synctree \- synchronize directory trees.
.SH SYNOPSIS
.nf
\fBsynctree\fP [\fB\-iuf\fP] [[\fIuser1\fP@]\fImachine1\fP:]\fIdir1\fP [[\fIuser2\fP@]\fImachine2\fP:]\fIdir2\fP
.fi
.SH DESCRIPTION
.B Synctree
synchronizes the directory tree rooted at \fIdir2\fP with \fIdir1\fP. It
walks recursively through both trees, and deletes and adds files in
\fIdir2\fP to make it equal to \fIdir1\fP. Mode, owner and group are set for
each file unless the \fB\-u\fP flag is given. In its normal mode of operation,
synctree will ask if it may delete or add directories assuming that you don't
want to. Non-directories are simply deleted or added, but synctree will ask if
it needs to update a normal file with a default answer of 'y'. Simply typing
return will choose the default answer, typing end-of-file is like typing
return to this question and all other questions.
.PP
You can specify a hostname and user-id to be used to access \fIdir1\fP or
\fIdir2\fP.  Synctree will use \fBrsh\fP(1) to run a copy of itself on
the remote machine.  The call interface mimics that of \fBrcp\fP(1), but
you can use more than one user@machine prefix if you want to make things
really interesting.
.PP
Hard links are enforced, an update is done by first deleting the old file
so that links to unknown files are broken.  Links to files within \fIdir2\fP
will be restored.
.PP
If either directory contains the file \fB.backup\fP, then this file will
be used as an alternate inode table.  This allows one to make a backup copy
of a file tree full of special files and differing user-ids on a remote
machine under an unpriviledged user-id.
.PP
.SH OPTIONS
.TP 5
.B \-i
Ask for permission (with default answer 'n') to delete or
add any file or directory.
.TP 5
.B \-u
Only install newer files, i.e. merge the directory trees.
.TP 5
.B \-f
Don't ask, think 'yes' on any question.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.BR remsync (1),
.BR cpdir (1),
.BR rsh (1),
.BR rcp (1),
.BR perror (3).
.SH DIAGNOSTICS
Messages may come from three different processes.  One named "Slave" running
in \fIdir1\fP, one named "Master" running in \fIdir2\fP, and synctree itself
in a mediator role.  The mediator will also perform the task of either the
master or the slave if one of them is running locally.  You need to know this
to interpret the error messages coming from one of these processes.  The
messages are normally based on \fBperror\fP(3).  Failure to contact a remote
machine will be reported by \fBrsh\fP.  \fBSynctree\fP should have a zero
exit status if no errors have been encountered.
.SH BUGS
Directory \fIdir2\fP will be created without asking.
.PP
The master and slave processes get their error output mixed up sometimes
(nice puzzle).
.PP
The local and remote machine must use the same file type encoding.
.PP
The link replacement strategy may lead to lack of space on a small device.
Let \fBsynctree\fP run to completion and then rerun it to pick up the pieces.
.PP
Letting the local process keep its "synctree" name may be a mistake.
.PP
It talks too much.
.SH AUTHOR
Kees J. Bot, (kjb@cs.vu.nl)