Are you stuck with rsync error 24?

Errors are common while executing Rsync commands. When the Rsync command fails, it returns error codes with a predefined error description.

The error code 24 mainly happens when there is a partial transfer due to vanished source files.

At Bobcares, we often receive requests to fix the Rysnc error 24 as part of our Server Management Services.

Today, let’s get deep into this Rsync error and see how our Support Engineers fix it for our customers.

What causes Rsync error 24?

Have a vague idea about this error? Let’s discuss it in detail.

Recently, one of our customers approached us with a rsync error. He tried to take a network backup from his disk but it failed with a rsync error 24. He was not making any changes in the disk but faced this error frequently.

The exact message was:

rsync warning: some files vanished before they could be transferred (code 24) at
main.c(892) [sender=2.6.8]

We’ll now take a look at the two main reasons for the error.

1. Missing source file

Rsync error 24 is a warning message that shows up due to missing source files. Rsync usually builds a file list first before doing the actual data transfer.

In other words, error 24 means the files were existing while rsync was building the list of files to transfer. But they were removed before transferring.

The files vanishing during a live backup are perfectly normal. For example, a lot of applications create short-lived temporary files. And, they will be removed later on. This particularly happens in the case of mail servers, where files containing e-mail messages are constantly moved from one directory to another.

2. Error reading file name

Similarly, the 24 error can even happen due to the presence of some special characters in the file name. This prevents Rsync from reading the file.

Or when the drive containing the files has errors, it can also create trouble for Rsync to access files. Additionally, insufficient permissions also create Rsync problems.

How we fix it?

So far, we have discussed the causes of error 24. Now, let’s see how our Support Engineers fix this error for our customers.

When we receive this error, we initially check whether all the files that we present in the original location or not. If they are found missing, we debug the reason. Mostly, this happens when the source files are moved by scripts.

In the case of temporary files, we simply omit them from the backup process using the –exclude switch.

$ rsync -avz --exclude '/home/abc/public_html/*/tmp/' source/ destination/

This command will exclude the folders and files from /home/abc/public_html/*/tmp/.

If we delete any of the source files, then we make sure to remove the files from the backup process. If the files got removed by mistake, we make sure to restore the file to the original location on the source and reattempt the Rsync.

As we already saw, Rsync finds it difficult to read the file name with special characters. So our Dedicated Engineers always recommend avoiding the use of special characters while creating files or directories.

In rare cases, where the error happens due to disk drive errors, we fix it by executing a file system check on the faulty drive too.

[Need more assistance to solve the rsync error 24?- We’re available 24/7 to help you.]

Conclusion

In short, the rsync error 24 occurs when there happens a partial transfer due to vanished source files. Also, today’s write-up discussed the main causes of this error and saw how our Support Engineers fix it for our customers.