I cannot get rsync to connect to a linux box at all (I have tried with 2 different ones). Here is the result of my attempts...
C:\>rsync -vvvvv -e "plink" "nikki@debian::nikki"
cmd=plink machine=debian user=nikki path=nikki
cmd=plink -l nikki debian rsync --server --daemon .
opening connection using plink -l nikki debian rsync --server --daemon .
Unable to write to standard output
rsync: read error: Connection reset by peer (104)
_exit_cleanup(code=12, file=io.c, line=584): entered
rsync error: error in rsync protocol data stream (code 12) at io.c(584)
_exit_cleanup(code=12, file=io.c, line=584): about to call exit(12)
C:\>rsync -vvvvv -e "ssh" "nikki@debian::nikki"
cmd=ssh machine=debian user=nikki path=nikki
cmd=ssh -l nikki debian rsync --server --daemon .
opening connection using ssh -l nikki debian rsync --server --daemon .
Local: Bad packet length 1349676916.
rsync: read error: Connection reset by peer (104)
_exit_cleanup(code=12, file=io.c, line=584): entered
rsync error: error in rsync protocol data stream (code 12) at io.c(584)
_exit_cleanup(code=12, file=io.c, line=584): about to call exit(12)
Compares with a similar command attempted on the linux box itself...
nikki@debian:~$ rsync -v -e ssh nikki@debian::nikki
drwxr-xr-x 4096 2005/11/07 15:52:35 .
-rwxr-xr-x 90 2005/11/07 15:52:35 changeroot
-rwxr-xr-x 128 2005/11/07 15:52:35 copycgi
-rwxr-xr-x 111 2005/11/07 15:52:35 drssh
-rwxr-xr-x 978 2005/11/07 15:52:35 jumbocopy
-rwxr-xr-x 47 2005/11/07 15:52:35 reserr
-rwxr-xr-x 48 2005/11/07 15:52:35 reslog
-rwxr-xr-x 1501 2005/11/07 15:52:35 resplan.nightly
-rwxr-xr-x 80 2005/11/07 15:52:35 vpn
sent 76 bytes received 171 bytes 494.00 bytes/sec
total size is 2983 speedup is 12.08
As far as I can see, it should work - ssh and plink can both connect OK.
Both "plink nikki@debian" and "ssh nikki@debian" give me a shell prompt on the Linux box.
C:\>ssh nikki@debian /bin/true >testit
C:\>dir testit
Volume in drive C has no label.
Volume Serial Number is 0CCD-D9FC
Directory of C:\PROGRA~1\cwRsync\bin
07/11/2005 15:55 0 testit
1 File(s) 0 bytes
0 Dir(s) 10,236,416,000 bytes free
A similar test for plink also works OK, generating a zero length file.
The Windows box is running XP Professional SP2. Both plink and ssh are the ones provided with cwRSync. I have a later version of plink, which I have tried as well, giving the same problem.
As far as I can see, rsync just doesn't work. But I see other people seem to be operating OK, so i can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.
Nikki
Try to connect without using ssh/plink as transport mechanism. If it works, you can establish an external secure channel and run rsync traffic through it. Secure Channel Wizard can produce a batch file you can customize according to your needs.
I now have a working rsync connection (I opened the firewall at the other end to allow rsync direct connection through).
But I still can't connect using -e ssh or -e plink.
I could set up a tunnel, but what is the point of having a -e option if it doesn't work at all?
Nikki
Not every rsync functionality works as expected on windows/cygwin environment. Some of them don't work at all. Your problem might be caused by the well-known cygwin bug of erroneous socket handling during rsync operations. There is no solution for that problem. Meanwhile, it is recommended that you set up an external secure tunnell and run rsync traffic through it.
I tested your scenario on my test environment with same results as yours. Problems disappear when I use a batch file generated by the secure channel wizard.