I am largely unconvinced that it would be possible to create a much more confusing syntax for the "rsync" command even if that were the explicit goal.

@lauren

I see your rsync and raise you cpio.

'tar' is positively pedestrian by comparison.

I agree with @amy , though. 'ffmpeg' gives them both a run for their money.

@rdm @amy Generally speaking, messing up with ffmpeg isn't likely to do as much damage as messing up with rsync can do, not even close.

@lauren not to go on a tangent, but have you met git?

@tallawk Unfortunately.

@lauren @rdm @amy I have to sit on my hands for a minute and scrutinize every character in the command whenever I run something with --delete.

@monsieuricon @lauren @amy I always get someone else in my team to review before hitting enter!

@lauren for this reason I have embedded all my use of #rsync into #emacs #dired mode so I don't have to thing about it.

@stsquad @lauren ooh, this sounds interesting, I have a single alias setup to rsync one specific directory to my Virtual Private Server but would be interested in more general solutions.

Just had a look at what is available (can't think why I've not looked before!) and there are dired-rsync and dired-rsync-transient packages, are these what you are using or something else?

@slackline @lauren dried-sync-transient sits on top of dired-rsync for those who prefer a #magit like interface to the underlying #rsync command (allowing you to tweak a few vars). However I'm fine with just using plain dired-rsync - full disclosure I'm the original author so unsurprisingly it suites my workflow ;-)

@stsquad @slackline More complexity is not what I'm looking for, but thanks.

@monsieuricon @rdm @lauren @amy Run it with "-n" first?

@geert @monsieuricon @rdm @amy "I find your lack of faith disturbing ..."

@lauren And tar maybe is worse.

@kentborg Tar has always been easy. Never a problem.

@lauren So you never got the joke in https://xkcd.com/1168/ either.

@kentborg That's not even a joke. Just clueless.

@lauren @geert @monsieuricon @amy
Today I discovered the syntax for -prune in find(1) changed at some point.
"I have changed the syntax. Pray I do not change it further."