unison-2.9.1 - a file-synchronization tool for Unix and Windows

unison-2.9.1 [options]

unison-2.9.1 root1 root2 [options]

unison-2.9.1 profilename [options]

unison-2.9.1-gtk [options]

This manual page briefly documents Unison, and was written for the Debian GNU/Linux distribution because the original program does not have a manual page. For a full description, please refer to the inbuilt documentation or the manuals in /usr/share/doc/unison2.9.1/. The unison-2.9.1-gtk binary has similar command-line options, but allows the user to select and create profiles and configure options from within the program.

Unison is a file-synchronization tool for Unix and Windows. It allows two replicas of a collection of files and directories to be stored on different hosts (or different disks on the same host), modified separately, and then brought up to date by propagating the changes in each replica to the other.

Unison offers several advantages over various synchronization methods such as CVS, Coda, rsync, Intellisync, etc. Unison can run on and synchronize between Windows and many UNIX platforms. Unison requires no root privileges, system access or kernel changes to function. Unison can synchronize changes to files and directories in both directions, on the same machine, or across a network using ssh or a direct socket connection.

Transfers are optimised using a version of the rsync protocol, making it ideal for slower links. Unison has a clear and precise specification, and is resilient to failure due to its careful handling of the replicas and its private structures.

All Unison options are long, starting with one dash (`-') only. A summary of options is included here. For a complete description, see the inbuilt documentation or the manuals in /usr/share/doc/unison2.9.1/.

-addprefsto

specify a file to add new preferences to in interactive mode

-addversionno

add version number to name of unison-2.9.1 executable on server

-auto

automatically accept default actions

-backup xxx

add a regexp to the backup list

-backups

keep backup copies of files (deprecated: use 'backup')

-batch

batch mode: ask no questions at all

-contactquietly

suppress the 'contacting server' message during startup

-debug xxx

debug module xxx ('all' -> everything, 'verbose' -> more)

-doc xxx

show documentation ('-doc topics' lists topics)

-dumbtty

do not try to change terminal settings in text UI

-editor xxx

command for displaying the output of the -merge program

-fastcheck

do fast (and slightly unsafe) update detection on windows

-follow xxx

add a regexp to the follow list

-force xxx

force changes from this replica to the other

-group

synchronize group

-height n

height (in lines) of main window in graphical interface

-ignore xxx

add a regexp to the ignore list

-ignorecase

ignore upper/lowercase spelling of filenames

-ignorenot xxx

add a regexp to the ignorenot list

-killserver

kill server when done (even when using sockets)

-log

record actions in file specified by logfile preference

-logfile xxx

log file name

-maxbackups n

number of backed up versions of a file to keep

-merge xxx

command for merging conflicting files

-merge2 xxx

command for merging files (when no common version exists)

-numericids

don't map uid/gid values by user/group names

-owner

synchronize owner

-path xxx

path to synchronize

-perms n

part of the permissions which is synchronized

-prefer xxx

choose this replica's version in case of conflict

-root xxx

root of a replica

-rootalias xxx

register alias for canonical root names

-rshargs xxx

other arguments (if any) for remote shell command

-rshcmd xxx

path to the rsh executable

-servercmd xxx

name of unison executable on remote server

-silent

print nothing (except error messages)

-socket xxx

act as a server on a socket

-sortbysize

list changed files by size, not name

-sortfirst xxx

add a regexp to the sortfirst list

-sortlast xxx

add a regexp to the sortlast list

-sortnewfirst

list new before changed files

-sshcmd xxx

path to the ssh executable

-statusdepth n

status display depth for local files

-terse

suppress status messages

-testserver

exit immediately after the connection to the server

-times

synchronize modification times

-ui xxx

select user interface ('text' or 'graphic')

-version

print version and exit

Some preferences are just boolean flags. Others take numeric or string arguments, indicated in the preferences list by n or xxx. Most of the string preferences can be given several times; the arguments are accumulated into a list internally.

The program is documented fully in the in-built documentation and the manual, available as text in /usr/share/doc/unison2.9.1/.

This manual page was written by Robert McQueen <robot101@debian.org>, for the Debian GNU/Linux system (but may be used by others).