[SOLVED] rsyncd, start with xinetd or systemd ?

rebootl · 2012-12-19 14:42:43

Hi

I would like to use rsyncd to synchronize my laptop and desktop and vice-versa. Now I'm wondering what would be the best way to start rsyncd up.

The simplest would be to start it by rsyncd.service on both machines.

I read that it is possible to use xinetd to start it up on-demand. I don't have xinetd running and I don't think it makes sense to start it up for only this task.

I'm wondering if systemd could somehow start rsyncd up on-demand ? Or is this done when I use rsyncd.service ? I read that systemd can offer sockets to services and start them up when they are needed. However I don't really understand how this is working. If someone could enlighten me a bit on that matter or give me a link to a simple explanation.

I read man rsync and I know that there's the possibilty to use ssh for this.

Last edited by rebootl (2012-12-27 16:35:30)

WonderWoofy · 2012-12-19 16:01:03

Start the rsyncd.socket rather than the service.

rebootl · 2012-12-19 17:09:28

Hey, thanks for this tip, would be cool if I could get this working.

Unfortunately this gives me:

[cem@amd64box TEST]$ rsync -avu -P --delete files cem@hplaptop::home_cem/TEST/
@ERROR: failed to open lock file
rsync error: error starting client-server protocol (code 5) at main.c(1516) [sender=3.0.9]

While with rsyncd.service started it's working.

Here's my /etc/rsyncd.conf from the host I want to sync with (hplaptop in this case):

hosts allow = 192.168.0.<xxx>
hosts deny = *

uid = cem
gid = users

use chroot = no
max connections = 4
syslog facility = local5
pid file = /run/rsyncd.pid

read only = false

[home_cem]
path = /home/cem
comment = My personal home directory

I added:

lock file = /home/cem/rsyncd.lock

and also tried commenting out pid file but no luck yet...

Edit: Marked as solved. The trick with activating the socket instead of the service was what I was looking for. It works for sshd, maybe I'll go this way.

Last edited by rebootl (2012-12-20 16:05:16)

cfr · 2012-12-22 01:09:43

Do you mean you got it working? If so, others will appreciate your explaining how!

WonderWoofy · 2012-12-22 01:21:38

I think that instead of trying to use xinetd with rsyncd, the OP decided to simply go with systemd's built in socket activation (ie. starting rsyncd.socket rather than rsyncd.service). I was confused at first as well, but I think the edit on the bottom is where the true solution lies.

rebootl · 2012-12-22 15:59:09

Hi again

WonderWoofy is right.

Unfortunately starting rsyncd.socket gives me the error mentioned in the post above. Till now I did not find a solution to get this working. If someone has an idea on this, please tell.

I was unsure if I should mark it as solved or not. But then I decided to do so, because the basic question was how to start the service on-demand with systemd. Which was answered by starting the socket instead of the service. This I didn't know before. Since systemd can do this there's really no need to setup xinetd for this case.

By the edit I meant that starting sshd.socket instead of sshd.service works just out of the box (I can log-in). Since it's possible to use rsync through ssh I should be able to set it up this way. (Start sshd.socket on the host I want to push sync and tell rsync to use ssh.)
See (external link): www.yolinux.com/TUTORIALS/Rsync.html

The goal is not to have constantly running services, wich would be achieved by this (using sshd instead of rsyncd) I think.
I would still prefer to use rsyncd and maybe I'll give it another try this evening... One reason I'd prefer rsyncd is that I need a passwordless log-in, cause I want to script this, and I just found it the easiest way to get this. Of course ssh is more secure but I don't know, I don't feel the need to have this super security on my home LAN.

Regards

Edit: Okay, when using rsyncd.socket systemd uses /usr/lib/systemd/system/rsyncd@.service to start up the service on-demand. There User and Group are specified to be nobody. Changing this to root or my user (by copying the file to /etc/systemd/system/ and editing there of course;) makes it work w/o the above error...

Last edited by rebootl (2012-12-22 20:21:24)

akira86 · 2014-09-21 11:52:07

You can also create the file manualy and change it's owner to nobody:nobody

sudo touch /var/run/rsyncd.lock
sudo chown nobody:nobody /var/run/rsyncd.lock

Arch Linux

#1 2012-12-19 14:42:43

[SOLVED] rsyncd, start with xinetd or systemd ?

#2 2012-12-19 16:01:03

Re: [SOLVED] rsyncd, start with xinetd or systemd ?

#3 2012-12-19 17:09:28

Re: [SOLVED] rsyncd, start with xinetd or systemd ?

#4 2012-12-22 01:09:43

Re: [SOLVED] rsyncd, start with xinetd or systemd ?

#5 2012-12-22 01:21:38

Re: [SOLVED] rsyncd, start with xinetd or systemd ?

#6 2012-12-22 15:59:09

Re: [SOLVED] rsyncd, start with xinetd or systemd ?

#7 2014-09-21 11:52:07

Re: [SOLVED] rsyncd, start with xinetd or systemd ?

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