Rsync fails to create symlinks when syncing with an ExFAT partition

Question

I tried to sync with an ExFAT partion on an external HDD using the command:

rsync -avvP --remove-source-files /path/to/sourceDir /path/to/destDir

However I got this type of error several times:

rsync: [generator] symlink "/destDir/subdirectory/
" -> "A" failed: Function not implemented (38)

At the end of the rsync recursive copy operation, the following error was printed:

rsync error: some files/attrs were not transferred (see previous errors) (code 23) at main.c(1330) [sender=3.2.3]

The sending side is an ext4 partitioned internal hard drive.

Fortunately all the symlinks in the source directory are not important or needed. — bit, Jan 10 '21 at 15:58
Adjacently-related: Super User: rsync seems to overwrite already existing file on ExFat — Gabriel Staples, May 20 '23 at 23:44

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 10 '21 at 15:56

3

If you use the rsync option:

rsync -a

you will get a function not implemented error like:

rsync: [generator] symlink "/destDir/subdirectory/
" -> "A" failed: Function not implemented (38)

due to the limitation of the ExFAT file system. ExFAT does not support symlinks so rsync can not create one on an ExFAT file system 1 2. See answers in this question for possible workarounds.

Anecdotal evidence 3.

ExFAT also does not understand permissions, owners or groups 4 so when syncing to an ExFAT partition using: rsync you will get errors like this:

rsync: mkstemp … failed: Function not implemented (38)

answered Jan 10 '21 at 15:56

bit

1,106

See here too!: https://www.scivision.dev/rsync-to-exfat-drive/ They recommend using options -vrltD with exFAT, rather than -a. As I mention in my answer here, -a includes options -rlptgoD. – Gabriel Staples May 20 '23 at 23:37
But...like you said, and like Microsoft says here, exFAT does not support symlinks (soft links), so remove the -l and just use -vrtD. See also here: SuperUser: rsync seems to overwrite already existing file on ExFat – Gabriel Staples May 21 '23 at 00:11

Rsync fails to create symlinks when syncing with an ExFAT partition

1 Answers1