How to Fix Rsync Error Code 255 on Windows 11

• This blog article explains how to fix the rsync error code 255 on Windows 11.
• The rsync error code 255 occurs when the SSH connection between the local and remote systems is interrupted or timed out.
• The possible solutions for the error are to check the network and firewall settings, adjust the SSH configuration, use a different port or protocol, reduce the number of files or size of files, and update rsync and SSH.

Rsync is a powerful tool that allows you to synchronize files and directories between local and remote systems. However, sometimes you may encounter an error like this when using rsync over SSH:

rsync: [sender] write error: Broken pipe (32)
rsync error: unexplained error (code 255) at io.c (837) [sender=3.1.0]

This error means that the SSH connection between the two systems was interrupted or timed out, and rsync could not complete the transfer. This can happen for various reasons, such as network issues, firewall settings, SSH configuration, or server load.

In this article, we will show you how to fix the rsync error code 255 on Windows 11 by following these steps:

• Check your network connection and firewall settings
• Adjust your SSH configuration on both systems
• Use a different port or protocol for rsync
• Reduce the number of files or size of files to sync
• Update rsync and SSH to the latest versions

Check your network connection and firewall settings

The first thing you should do is make sure that your network connection is stable and that there are no firewall rules blocking the SSH port (usually 22) on either system. You can test your network connection by pinging the remote server from your Windows 11 system:

ping ip_address_of_remote_server

If you get a response, it means that the network connection is working. If you get a timeout or an error message, it means that there is a problem with the network connection. You may need to check your router settings, internet service provider, or VPN if you are using one.

You can also test your firewall settings by using telnet to connect to the SSH port on the remote server:

telnet ip_address_of_remote_server 22

If you get a welcome message from the SSH server, it means that the firewall is not blocking the port. If you get a connection refused or an error message, it means that the firewall is blocking the port. You may need to check your firewall settings on both systems and allow the SSH port through.

Adjust your SSH configuration on both systems

Another possible cause of the rsync error code 255 is a misconfigured SSH setting on either system. For example, if the SSH server or client has a low timeout value, it may close the connection before rsync can finish transferring the files. To fix this, you can adjust some parameters in your SSH configuration files on both systems.

On your Windows 11 system, open PowerShell and navigate to your home directory:

cd ~

Then create or edit the file .ssh\config with your preferred text editor:

notepad .ssh\config

Add or modify these lines in the file:

Host *
    ServerAliveInterval 30
    ServerAliveCountMax 6

These lines tell the SSH client to send a keepalive packet every 30 seconds and to close the connection if it does not receive a response after six attempts. This helps to prevent the connection from timing out due to network issues or server load.

On your Ubuntu server, open a terminal and navigate to your home directory:

cd ~

Then create or edit the file .ssh/config with your preferred text editor:

nano .ssh/config

Add or modify these lines in the file:

Host *
    ClientAliveInterval 30
    ClientAliveCountMax 6

These lines tell the SSH server to send a keepalive packet every 30 seconds and to close the connection if it does not receive a response after six attempts. This helps to prevent the connection from timing out due to network issues or client load.

Save and close the files on both systems and restart the SSH service on your Ubuntu server:

sudo service ssh restart

Then try to run rsync again and see if the error persists.

Use a different port or protocol for rsync

Another possible solution for the rsync error code 255 is to use a different port or protocol for rsync. By default, rsync uses SSH as its transport protocol and port 22 as its destination port. However, you can change these settings by using some options in your rsync command.

For example, if you want to use port 2222 instead of port 22 for SSH, you can use the -e option with rsync:

rsync -avz -e "ssh -p 2222" /source/path/ user@ip_address:/destination/path/

This tells rsync to use ssh -p 2222 as its remote shell command instead of ssh. You will need to make sure that the SSH server on your Ubuntu system is listening on port 2222 and that the firewall is allowing the port through.

Alternatively, if you want to use a different protocol than SSH, such as rsync daemon, you can use the –rsh option with rsync:

rsync -avz --rsh="rsync" /source/path/ user@ip_address::module/destination/path/

This tells rsync to use rsync as its remote shell command instead of ssh. You will need to make sure that the rsync daemon is running on your Ubuntu system and that the firewall is allowing the port 873 through. You will also need to configure a module name and a path for the destination on your Ubuntu system.

Reduce the number of files or size of files to sync

Another possible reason for the rsync error code 255 is that you are trying to sync too many files or too large files at once. This can cause the SSH connection to be overloaded or interrupted, resulting in the error. To avoid this, you can reduce the number of files or size of files to sync by using some options in your rsync command.

For example, if you want to exclude some files or directories from syncing, you can use the –exclude option with rsync:

rsync -avz --exclude="*.tmp" --exclude="cache/" /source/path/ user@ip_address:/destination/path/

This tells rsync to exclude any files with the .tmp extension and any directories named cache from syncing. You can use wildcards and patterns to match multiple files or directories.

Alternatively, if you want to limit the size of files to sync, you can use the –max-size option with rsync:

rsync -avz --max-size=10m /source/path/ user@ip_address:/destination/path/

This tells rsync to sync only files that are smaller than 10 megabytes. You can use different units such as k for kilobytes, g for gigabytes, etc.

Update rsync and SSH to the latest versions

Another possible solution for the rsync error code 255 is to update rsync and SSH to the latest versions on both systems. This can help fix any bugs or compatibility issues that may cause the error. To update rsync and SSH on your Windows 11 system, you can use PowerShell:

wsl --update

This will update Windows Subsystem for Linux and all its components, including rsync and SSH.

To update rsync and SSH on your Ubuntu system, you can use apt:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

This will update all your installed packages, including rsync and SSH.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question: What is rsync?

Answer: Rsync is a tool that allows you to synchronize files and directories between local and remote systems. It uses an algorithm to minimize the amount of data copied by only transferring the differences between the source and the destination.

Question: What is SSH?

Answer: SSH is a protocol that allows you to securely connect to a remote system and execute commands. It uses encryption and authentication to protect your data and identity.

Question: What is WSL?

Answer: WSL stands for Windows Subsystem for Linux. It is a feature of Windows 10 and Windows 11 that allows you to run Linux applications natively on Windows without using a virtual machine or a dual boot.

Question: What is error code 255?

Answer: Error code 255 is a generic error code that indicates an unexpected exit or termination of a process. It can be caused by various reasons, such as network issues, firewall settings, SSH configuration, server load, etc.

Summary

In this article, we have shown you how to fix the rsync error code 255 that occurs when syncing files from a remote Ubuntu server to Windows Subsystem for Linux on Windows 11. We have covered these steps:

• Check your network connection and firewall settings
• Adjust your SSH configuration on both systems
• Use a different port or protocol for rsync
• Reduce the number of files or size of files to sync
• Update rsync and SSH to the latest versions

We hope this article has helped you solve your problem and improve your file synchronization experience. If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment below.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. We are not responsible for any damages or losses caused by following this article. Please consult a qualified expert before making any changes to your system.