Back up to cloud storage with rclone

rclone supports 40+ cloud providers with rsync-like commands; sync makes the destination an exact mirror of the source.

LinuxbackupcloudrcloneMedium risk

Run `rclone config` once to add a remote (e.g. gdrive), then `rclone sync ~/Documents gdrive:DocumentsBackup -P`; always test with `--dry-run` first.

01Command

Command

$ rclone sync ~/Documents gdrive:DocumentsBackup -P

02What it does

rclone handles Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, S3 and dozens more with checksum verification, bandwidth limits and encryption (rclone crypt). `copy` adds/updates files but never deletes; `sync` additionally removes destination files missing from the source, making it a true mirror — which is why --dry-run matters.

03Risk

RiskMedium risk

Requirementsrclone package; configured remote via rclone config

!Warning: sync deletes files in the destination that no longer exist in the source — an accidental local deletion propagates to the backup on the next sync. Use copy, or versioned remotes, if you want protection against that.

04Undo

Undo

$ rclone copy gdrive:DocumentsBackup ~/Documents

05Sources

rclone — Rclone documentation
rclone · community · 2026-09-17
Evidence: sync/copy commands, --dry-run flag and remote configuration
rclone sync — make destination identical to source
rclone · community · 2026-09-17
Evidence: documents deletion of extraneous files on destination

Last verified: 2026-09-18 · Category: Files & Folders

06Related solutions

Copy and Sync Files with rsync

Linuxbackupcopyrsync

rsync copies over SSH, skips unchanged files, resumes interrupted transfers, and preserves permissions and timestamps.

Low risk ✓ 2026-09-17