Options to set in order to make rclone move a directory

Help and Support
1

Rclone does not create the destination directory like a "normal" copy would do...

rclone move /source/path/directory /destination/path/

Will move the files inside "/source/path/directory" directly into "/destination/path/" but can you make rclone create the "/destination/path/directory" instead? Right now you need to add the "/directory/" path on the destination (and remember to do so...or else...) :slight_smile:

I have been looking at the options, but maybe it's just me that cannot find it?

I basically would like rclone to work just like a normal "mv /path1/folder /path2/" (and this would create "/path2/folder")

This is my rclone version:

rclone v1.60.1-DEV

  • os/version: ubuntu 24.04 (64 bit)
  • os/kernel: 6.8.0-134-generic (x86_64)
  • os/type: linux
  • os/arch: amd64
  • go/version: go1.22.2
  • go/linking: dynamic
  • go/tags: none

2

welcome to the forum,

that is a many years ol, dev version from an out of date linux reporsoty.

  1. rclone selfupdate
    or
  2. remove that version and https://rclone.org/install/#script-installation

that is how rclone works.

3

Hi... I updated to 1.75.0, but still the same issue... basically I have to remember to add the source directory to the destination... which is not how other copy tools doit... (mv or rsync)...

I hope there is an option which will "fix" this?

4 
root@boxen:~/rctest# mkdir source
root@boxen:~/rctest# echo blah > source/testfile.txt
root@boxen:~/rctest# mkdir destination
root@boxen:~/rctest# rclone move ./source ./destination
root@boxen:~/rctest# ls -l destination/
total 4
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 5 Aug  6 14:39 testfile.txt
root@boxen:~/rctest# mv destination/testfile.txt ./source/.
root@boxen:~/rctest# mv source ./destination
root@boxen:~/rctest# ls -l destination/
total 4
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Aug  6 14:40 source

I hope this little test explains it good enough?

5

we understand the issue.
it is documented multiple times and discussed in the forum.

afiak, there cannot be a fix, as that would be a backwards compatibility issue.
if you think different, please let us know?

6

OK, sorry that I didn't find the other posts in the forum.

I still cannot see how this cannot be added as an option?

I have asked my friend Claude to create a wrapper script which adds the source directory to the destination... which I guess helps me here and now... but when you are used to the way "mv" and others work, it's very hard to remember to add the destination folder like that...
Otherwise I think rclone is a wonderful pice of software which we use a lot... first we used it mainly for S3 migrations etc.. where this issue isn't as big of a problem.. but lately we have been using it for simple migrations of filestructures on internal disks where we used rsync before, but the multiple streams really speeds things up with rclone :wink:

Anyway I won't waste more of your time with this, I understand that this somehow is a "me" issue :wink:

7

sure, it could be added as a flag, but not sure the value or advantage?
you would still need a wrapper script or other such workaround.

8

If it was a flag you were able to add to the global variables so that you didn't need to specify it each time, it would help... otherwise you are right.

9

for example RCLONE_CONFIG_FLAGNAME
open an issue at github...

but you would have to remember to add that to each new machine and each user of each machine.
i rarely run rclone direct on the command line, even for simple commands
instead i use a simple batch file.

here is one example
https://forum.rclone.org/t/how-copy-entire-directory-structure/4176