In a world of slow connections, we cannot afford to be wasteful. If you change a single word in a blog post, you shouldn’t have to re-upload the entire site. Rsync is the master of efficiency.
The Power of the Delta
Rsync uses a “delta-transfer” algorithm. It compares the file on your local machine with the one on the VPS and only sends the pieces that are different.
The Command of Choice
Here is how a Textsmith pushes their local public/ folder to the web server:
rsync -avz -e "ssh -p 22" public/ user@example.com:/var/www/thetextsmith/
Breakdown of the Strike:
-a:Archive mode (preserves permissions and timestamps).-v:Verbose (tells you what’s happening).-z:Compresses data during the trip (vital for saving bandwidth).--delete:(Optional) Removes files on the server that you deleted locally.
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*Forged in the terminal. Refined under the anvil.*