Rsync through intermediate server (SSH tunnelling?)

[dudumomo]

Hello,

I need to rsync a project (torproject) on my server (Stockage) but using an intermediary. (another server)

Without the intermediary, I simply need to run:

Code: Select all

rsync -rt --delete rsync.torproject.org::amnesia-archive /media/Stockage/Mirrors/Tails

Now, with the intermediary, I'm facing difficulties.

I have created a ssh key and I can connect now from my Stockage server to the intermediary without issue, but now I want to run the Rsync command and it does not work.
I would like to do it in 1 command line, to use only when needed.

I've tried this:

Code: Select all

rsync -rt --delete --progress -e "ssh user@intermediate.server ssh" rsync.torproject.org::amnesia-archive /media/Stockage/Mirrors/Tails

But I got:

Code: Select all

ssh: connect to host rsync.torproject.org port 22: Connection refused
rsync: did not see server greeting
rsync error: error starting client-server protocol (code 5) at main.c(1666) [Receiver=3.1.2]

Obviously the syntax looks incorrect.

Any idea what it should be?

Thank you

[reinob]

rsync can use *either* the rsync protocol or ssh.

You want to connect to a rsync server (rsync.torproject.org::amnesia-archive), so you can't use ssh for it.
If the torproject server allows rsync via ssh, then what you want will work. But it doesn't, as you can see ("connection refused").

If not, you have no solution to your problem. Unless of course you rsync from your intermediate server (if you control it and have space for it) and then rsync from your initial server to the intermediate one.

[dudumomo]

A friend helped me with this.

Here is the command needed

Code: Select all

RSYNC_CONNECT_PROG='ssh -l user intermediateserver nc %H 873' rsync -rt --delete --progress rsync.torproject.org::amnesia-archive /media/Stockage/Mirrors/Tails

You will need netcat.

Works well now, and in 1 line.

I wasn't aware of such environment.

Hope it can helps others

[reinob]

That's a cool solution!

(and it's actually described in the manual :)

[reinob]

That's a cool solution!

(and it's actually described in the manual :)

NOTE however that the rsync protocol does not do any encryption on its own. So your connection between the intermediate (proxy) server and the destination (rsync daemon) -- which is what netcat is doing -- will be clear-text.