How to use rsync to copy data from one USB external drive to another

User Support
1

Hello :wave:

As the title says, I’d like to use rsync to copy files that are on one USB hard drive to another.

Should I attach the devices to the VM using qvm-block by partition e.g.

qvm-block attach work sys-usb:sdb1

Or attach the full device (for lack of a better term) via sys-usb:sdb

I would like to do the following operation:

rsync -avhWPHAXx --numeric-ids source/ destination/
  1. Does that need also mounting the devices in the VM they will be attached to as well? I know from the documentation that mounting is necessary for attaching partitions not for the full device.
2

I’ve just noticed that when I run qvm-block in dom0 terminal, I don’t see the external drives. I only see the hard drive on which Qubes is installed

[qubes_user@dom0 ~]$ qvm-block
BACKEND:DEVID    DESCRIPTION                USED BY
dom0:nvme0n1p2   SAMSUNG MZVL21T0HDLU-00BLL
dom0:nvme0n1p3   SAMSUNG MZVL21T0HDLU-0BLL
dom0:nvme0n1p4   SAMSUNG MZVL21T0HDLU-00BLL

Will try attaching with qvm-usb instead.

3

You already asked this here:

Yes.

qvm-block should show you block devices present in sys-usb as well like this:

sys-usb:sda  DEVICENAME
sys-usb:sda1  DEVICENAME
sys-usb:sda2  DEVICENAME
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4

Sorry about the duplication. Wanted to be sure about how rsync works before doing anything

You’re right. I realised I was using a faulty cable :upside_down_face:

Will mount and update this thread accordingly. Thank you :pray:

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