Software⏱️ 3 min read📅 2026-06-11

How to Fix: rsync error: symlink has no referent

Rsync error with symlink on Windows server using rsnapshot

Quick Answer: Use the --ignore-existing option with rsync to avoid errors when dealing with symlinks.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. 🔍 Why This Happens
  2. 🚀 How to Resolve This Issue
  3. ✨ Wrapping Up

The 'rsync error: symlink has no referent' issue occurs when rsync is unable to follow a symbolic link (symlink) on the server, which prevents it from accessing the files it's meant to copy. This can be frustrating for users who rely on rsync for backups or file synchronization.

This problem affects Windows servers that use symlinks to access files and are backed up using rsnapshot, a tool that relies on rsync. The issue is particularly challenging when dealing with systems that have a complex file structure and rely heavily on symlinks.

🔍 Why This Happens

  • The main reason for this error is that rsync does not support following symlinks by default. When rsync encounters a symlink, it will fail if the target of the symlink does not exist or has no referent.
  • An alternative cause could be issues with the file system or permissions on the Windows server, which might prevent rsync from accessing the files through the symlink.

🚀 How to Resolve This Issue

Resolving Symlink Issues Using Cygwin and rsync

  1. Step 1: To fix this issue, you can use the '--follow-symlinks' option with rsync. This option tells rsync to follow symlinks instead of failing when it encounters one.
  2. Step 2: Add the '-P' or '--password-file' option to specify a password file for authentication. If you don't have a password file set up, this step may not be necessary.
  3. Step 3: Use the '--sparse' option to allow rsync to copy sparse files, which can help improve performance and reduce the risk of errors when dealing with symlinks.

Using SCP as an Alternative

  1. Step 1: Since SCP doesn't have the same issues with symlinks as rsync, you can use SCP instead to copy files from the symlinked shadow copy volume.
  2. Step 2: Make sure that the SSH keys are properly configured and that you have the necessary permissions to access the files on the Windows server.
  3. Step 3: Use the '--sparse' option when copying files with SCP to allow it to handle sparse files correctly.

✨ Wrapping Up

To resolve the 'rsync error: symlink has no referent' issue, you can try using the '--follow-symlinks' option with rsync or switch to using SCP as an alternative. If you encounter issues with symlinks, consider configuring your file system and permissions correctly or seeking additional support from Cygwin or Windows server administrators.

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