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file transfer

How to Upload Video Files to a Linux VPS with rsync and Resume Interrupted Transfers

A practical rsync-over-SSH workflow for uploading finished videos to a Linux VPS, rerunning interrupted transfers, and keeping partial files out of your media directory.

By DocumentaryTube Team 5 min read
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Use rsync over SSH with --partial-dir to upload a finished video to a Linux VPS and resume efficiently after a connection failure. If the transfer stops, rerun the same command with the same source and destination. The incomplete data stays in a separate staging directory rather than appearing under the final video filename.

Before you upload

  • Install rsync on both ends. A remote-shell transfer requires rsync on your computer and on the VPS. The syntax with a single colon, such as user@host:/path, uses a remote shell; SSH is supported. See the rsync manual.
  • Choose a destination you can write to. Use a dedicated media directory, for example /srv/videos/, and confirm the VPS account has permission to write there. Avoid guessing at system paths or uploading to an ambiguous location.
  • Keep incomplete files away from your streaming directory. A partial transfer is not a playable, finished video. The staging directory used below is named .rsync-partial; do not configure your streaming server to read it as media.

The examples use a local file named video.mp4, the SSH account user, and the example host vps.example. Replace these with your actual paths and login.

Upload one video with a resumable staging directory

  1. From a terminal on the computer that has the video, run:
    rsync -av --info=progress2 --partial-dir=.rsync-partial -e ssh -- ./video.mp4 [email protected]:/srv/videos/
  2. When prompted, authenticate to the VPS over SSH. Rsync will copy the file to the destination. The command uses -a for archive mode, --info=progress2 for overall progress, and --partial-dir=.rsync-partial to keep interrupted data in a separate directory alongside the destination files. The source-to-destination form follows rsync’s documented push syntax: rsync [OPTION...] SRC... [USER@]HOST:DEST.
  3. If the connection fails or the job is interrupted, run the exact same command again. Keep the source and destination paths and options unchanged. Rsync can use the preserved partial data to speed the subsequent transfer where applicable; do not rename or move the staging data between attempts.
  4. After rsync finishes successfully, use the completed file at /srv/videos/video.mp4. Leave the partial directory out of any playlist or media scan.

The separate partial directory has safety and version considerations. Rsync adds a filter rule that excludes a relative partial directory from transfers, and its manual warns that the directory must not be writable by other users. Modern in-place reuse of a partial-directory file requires rsync 3.2.0 or newer on both endpoints; behavior and efficiency can differ with older versions. Check the installed versions and the rsync manual if resumability is important to your workflow.

Choosing the right resume option

Option Best suited to Tradeoff or limitation
--partial-dir=.rsync-partial Ordinary uploads of finished video files when incomplete data should remain separate from the final filename. Requires a safe, private staging directory; reuse behavior and efficiency depend in part on rsync versions.
--append-verify A special case where the destination is known to be an exact prefix of a source file that is still growing, and existing data should be verified. Not a general resume option for an arbitrary interrupted video upload; it adds verification work and relies on the growing-file assumption.

Rsync’s -P shorthand means --partial --progress. It is convenient when you want to retain partial data and see progress, but it does not create a separate partial directory. For finished video uploads, the explicit --partial-dir workflow keeps the incomplete file apart from the final filename.

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Why not use --append for every failed upload?

--append assumes the receiving file’s existing bytes exactly match the beginning of the source. It is intended for a file known to be growing, not as a universal switch for resuming any video. --append-verify verifies file data as part of the operation, which adds work, but it still depends on that same growing-file assumption. See the rsync manual for the options’ documented behavior.

Uploading a directory instead of one file

Rsync’s trailing-slash behavior changes what is placed at the destination: a source directory with a trailing slash refers to its contents, while omitting it refers to the directory itself. Before syncing a large video library, check the exact path examples in the rsync manual and try the intended source and destination with a small sample. Do not expand the single-file command to a recursive library sync until you have confirmed the resulting directory layout.

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Verify the result when integrity matters

A successful rsync completion is useful evidence that the transfer finished. If you need an independent integrity check, generate a cryptographic checksum for the source and destination files and compare the results. The exact checksum command can vary by operating system and distribution, so verify the appropriate command for both systems before relying on it.

Common problems and fixes

  • Rsync is missing on one side: Install it on both your local machine and the VPS using the package manager for each system. Package commands vary by distribution; the sources cited here do not establish a universal command.
  • Permission denied at the destination: Check that the SSH account can write to the chosen media directory. Use a directory intended for uploads rather than trying an unrelated system path.
  • The transfer stopped and the next run starts over: Confirm you reran the same command with the same source and destination, including --partial-dir=.rsync-partial. Check that the partial directory remains present, is not being cleared between runs, and is private to the uploading account. Reuse can also depend on rsync versions; in-place reuse of partial-dir data requires version 3.2.0 or newer on both endpoints.
  • The incomplete file appears in a media listing: Keep the partial staging directory outside the path your streaming software scans, or configure that software to ignore it. Do not treat a partial transfer as a finished video.
  • A directory upload creates an unexpected nesting level: Review whether the source directory path ends in a slash and compare it with the manual’s examples. Test the layout with a small sample before syncing the full library.
  • You are considering --inplace: Avoid adding it casually when a file might be read during upload. An interrupted update can leave the destination inconsistent, and other users should not access the file while it is being updated.
  • You are considering compression with -z: Treat it as an optional choice to measure for your own files and connection, not a guaranteed speed improvement for video.
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