Mirror a Directory With rsync --delete

Synchronize a destination so files removed at the source are removed there too.

LinuxbackupFilessyncLow risk

Run rsync -a --delete source/ destination/ to mirror, using --dry-run first.

01Command

Command

$ rsync -a --delete --dry-run source/ destination/

02What it does

--delete turns rsync into a true mirror by removing destination files that no longer exist at the source, which is essential for deploying static sites or syncing a replica. Running with --dry-run first previews exactly what would be removed, a safety habit that suits scheduled jobs.

03Risk

RiskLow risk

Requirementssudo apt install rsync

!Warning: --delete removes data and can wipe the destination if the source is empty or mistyped; always preview and double-check trailing slashes.

04Undo

✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.

05Sources

rsync.1.en.html manual page (Debian bookworm)
Debian · technical · 2026-09-20
Evidence: Documents the --delete option and its interaction with dry runs.

Last verified: 2026-10-13 · Category: Files & Folders

06Related solutions

Search text recursively in a directory with grep

LinuxFilesTerminaldeveloper

Find every occurrence of a pattern across all files in a tree, printed as file:line:number matches.

Low risk ✓ 2026-09-17

Extract a .tar.gz archive with tar

LinuxZip & ArchivesFilesTerminal

Unpack a gzipped tarball into the current directory while printing each file as it is extracted.

Low risk ✓ 2026-09-17

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