NAME
unison-2.27.57 - a file-synchronization tool for Unix and Windows
SYNOPSIS
unison-2.27.57 [options]
unison-2.27.57 root1 root2 [options]
unison-2.27.57 profilename [options]
unison-2.27.57-gtk [options]
DESCRIPTION
This manual page briefly documents Unison, and was written for the Debian GNU/Linux distribution because the original program does not have a manual page. For a full description, please refer to the inbuilt documentation or the manuals in /usr/share/doc/unison2.27.57/. The unison-2.27.57-gtk binary has similar command-line options, but allows the user to select and create profiles and configure options from within the program.
Unison is a file-synchronization tool for Unix and Windows. It allows two replicas of a collection of files and directories to be stored on different hosts (or different disks on the same host), modified separately, and then brought up to date by propagating the changes in each replica to the other.
Unison offers several advantages over various synchronization methods such as CVS, Coda, rsync, Intellisync, etc. Unison can run on and synchronize between Windows and many UNIX platforms. Unison requires no root privileges, system access or kernel changes to function. Unison can synchronize changes to files and directories in both directions, on the same machine, or across a network using ssh or a direct socket connection.
Transfers are optimised using a version of the rsync protocol, making it ideal for slower links. Unison has a clear and precise specification, and is resilient to failure due to its careful handling of the replicas and its private structures.
The two roots can be specified using an URI or a path. The URI must follow the convention: protocol://[user@][host][:port][/path]. The protocol part can be file, socket, ssh or rsh.
OPTIONS
All Unison options are long, starting with one dash (`-') only. A summary of options is included here. For a complete description, see the inbuilt documentation or the manuals in /usr/share/doc/unison2.27.57/.
- -addprefsto xxx
-
file to add new prefs to
- -addversionno
-
add version number to name of unison executable on server
- -auto
-
automatically accept default actions
- -backup xxx
-
add a pattern to the backup list
- -backupcurrent xxx
-
add a pattern to the backupcurrent list
- -backupcurrentnot xxx
-
add a pattern to the backupcurrentnot list
- -backupdir xxx
-
Directory for storing centralized backups
- -backuplocation xxx
-
where backups are stored ('local' or 'central')
- -backupnot xxx
-
add a pattern to the backupnot list
- -backupprefix xxx
-
prefix for the names of backup files
- -backups
-
keep backup copies of all files (see also 'backup')
- -backupsuffix xxx
-
a suffix to be added to names of backup files
- -batch
-
batch mode: ask no questions at all
- -confirmbigdeletes
-
request confirmation for whole-replica deletes
- -confirmmerge
-
ask for confirmation before commiting results of a merge
- -contactquietly
-
Suppress the 'contacting server' message during startup
- -debug xxx
-
debug module xxx ('all' -> everything, 'verbose' -> more)
- -doc xxx
-
show documentation ('-doc topics' lists topics)
- -dumbtty
-
do not try to change terminal settings in text UI
- -fastcheck xxx
-
do fast update detection (`true', `false', or `default')
- -follow xxx
-
add a pattern to the follow list
- -force xxx
-
force changes from this replica to the other
- -forcepartial xxx
-
add a pattern to the forcepartial list
- -group
-
synchronize group
- -height n
-
height (in lines) of main window in graphical interface
- -host xxx
-
bind the socket to this host name in server socket mode
- -ignore xxx
-
add a pattern to the ignore list
- -ignorecase xxx
-
ignore upper/lowercase in filenames (`true', `false', or `default')
- -ignorelocks
-
ignore locks left over from previous run (dangerous!)
- -ignorenot xxx
-
add a pattern to the ignorenot list
- -immutable xxx
-
add a pattern to the immutable list
- -immutablenot xxx
-
add a pattern to the immutablenot list
- -key xxx
-
define a keyboard shortcut for this profile (in some UIs)
- -killserver
-
kill server when done (even when using sockets)
- -label xxx
-
provide a descriptive string label for this profile
- -log
-
record actions in file specified by logfile preference
- -logfile xxx
-
Log file name
- -maxbackups n
-
number of backed up versions of a file
- -maxthreads n
-
maximum number of simultaneous file transfers
- -merge xxx
-
add a pattern to the merge list
- -mountpoint xxx
-
abort if this path does not exist
- -numericids
-
don't map uid/gid values by user/group names
- -owner
-
synchronize owner
- -path xxx
-
path to synchronize
- -perms n
-
part of the permissions which is synchronized
- -prefer xxx
-
choose this replica's version for conflicting changes
- -preferpartial xxx
-
add a pattern to the preferpartial list
- -pretendwin
-
Use creation times for detecting updates
- -repeat xxx
-
synchronize repeatedly (text interface only)
- -retry n
-
re-try failed synchronizations N times (text interface only)
- -root xxx
-
root of a replica
- -rootalias xxx
-
Register alias for canonical root names
- -rsrc xxx
-
synchronize resource forks and HFS meta-data (`true', `false', or `default')
- -rsync
-
activate the rsync transfer mode
- -selftest
-
run internal tests and exit
- -servercmd xxx
-
name of unison executable on remote server
- -showarchive
-
show name of archive and 'true names' (for rootalias) of roots
- -silent
-
print nothing (except error messages)
- -socket xxx
-
act as a server on a socket
- -sortbysize
-
list changed files by size, not name
- -sortfirst xxx
-
add a pattern to the sortfirst list
- -sortlast xxx
-
add a pattern to the sortlast list
- -sortnewfirst
-
list new before changed files
- -sshargs xxx
-
other arguments (if any) for remote shell command
- -sshcmd xxx
-
path to the ssh executable
- -terse
-
suppress status messages
- -testserver
-
exit immediately after the connection to the server
- -times
-
synchronize modification times
- -ui xxx
-
select user interface ('text' or 'graphic'); command-line only
- -version
-
print version and exit
- -xferbycopying
-
optimize transfers using local copies, if possible
Some preferences are just boolean flags. Others take numeric or string arguments, indicated in the preferences list by n or xxx. Most of the string preferences can be given several times; the arguments are accumulated into a list internally.
SEE ALSO
The program is documented fully in the in-built documentation and the manual, available as text in /usr/share/doc/unison2.27.57/.
AUTHOR
Options are automatically extracted from `unison -help'. The rest of this manual page was written by Robert McQueen <[email protected]>, for the Debian GNU/Linux system (but may be used by others).