Use rsync over SSH with --partial-dir to upload a video to your Linux VPS. If the connection breaks, run the same command again: rsync can use the saved partial data to help continue the transfer. Keep that partial data in a staging directory, not where your streaming software or other readers expect finished videos.
What you need before transferring
rsyncinstalled on both your local machine and the VPS.- SSH access to the VPS and the correct username and hostname.
- A destination directory that exists or can be created and is writable by the account you use to connect. A dedicated media directory such as
/srv/videos/is clearer than an ambiguous home or system path.
For a remote-shell transfer, rsync uses a single-colon destination of the form user@host:path. SSH is a supported remote shell. The command below pushes a local file to the VPS.
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Choose the local video and confirm the destination path. In the example, the local file is
./video.mp4and the VPS destination directory is/srv/videos/. -
Run this on the computer that has the video, replacing the example username and hostname with your own:
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rsync -av --info=progress2 --partial-dir=.rsync-partial -e ssh -- ./video.mp4 [email protected]:/srv/videos/-aenables archive mode,-vmakes rsync more descriptive, and--info=progress2shows transfer progress.-e sshselects SSH as the remote-shell transport. The--separates options from the source path. -
If the transfer is interrupted, rerun the same command with the same source and destination. The partial data is kept separately in
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Wait for rsync to finish successfully before treating the destination file as ready for a streaming server or other reader.
Keep partial data separate from finished videos
A file in the partial directory is incomplete and may not play. Treat .rsync-partial as staging space, and keep it out of any directory your streaming software scans for ready-to-play media. A relative partial-directory path is alongside the destination files; rsync adds a filter rule that excludes that directory from transfers.
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The staging directory must not be writable by other users. Rsync’s modern in-place reuse of a file from a partial directory requires rsync 3.2.0 or newer at both ends; with other version combinations, do not assume the partial data will be reused in that way.
Uploading a directory instead of one file
Rsync’s source and destination syntax supports multiple sources, but a recursive library upload needs care: a trailing slash on a directory source changes which directory contents are copied. Do not simply replace ./video.mp4 with a library path without checking the intended result. Try the command on a small sample first, confirm the resulting directory layout on the VPS, and only then expand to the full library.
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Which rsync resume option should you use?
| Approach | Good fit | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
--partial-dir=.rsync-partial |
Ordinary finished video uploads that may be interrupted, especially when an incomplete file should stay away from its final filename. | Requires a safe, private staging directory. Reuse behavior can depend on the rsync versions at both ends. |
--append-verify |
A specialized case: the destination is known to be an exact prefix of a source file that is still growing, and you want existing contents checked as part of verification. | It adds verification work and depends on the growing-file assumption. It is not a general resume switch for an arbitrary completed video. |
Why not use --append for every interrupted video?
--append assumes the bytes already at the destination exactly match the beginning of the source. That can suit a file known to be growing, but an interrupted copy of an arbitrary finished video does not establish that condition. Do not choose append mode merely because an earlier transfer failed.
-P is a convenient shorthand for --partial --progress, but it does not specify a separate partial directory. The command above uses --partial-dir to keep incomplete data separate.
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Verify the completed upload when needed
A successful rsync run is useful evidence that the copy completed. If you need an independent integrity check, generate a cryptographic checksum for the source and destination and compare them. The exact checksum command can vary by system; confirm the appropriate command for your local machine and VPS before relying on it.
Common problems and fixes
- Permission denied at the destination: Check that you are connecting as the intended VPS account and that it can write to the destination directory. Choose a directory that account owns or is allowed to write.
- SSH connection or host error: Confirm the username, hostname, SSH access, and network connection. The example hostname is illustrative; use the actual VPS hostname.
- The remote path is not the one you intended: Check the destination path and inspect the resulting directory layout before transferring a larger library. For directory sources, test whether the trailing slash gives the layout you want.
- The transfer stops and you are unsure what to do: Rerun the same command with unchanged source and destination paths. Keep the partial directory in place during recovery.
- The partial directory is accessible to other users: Correct its permissions or choose a private staging location before using it. Do not put incomplete files in a location used by a streaming server.
Costs and transfer time
This workflow requires a Linux VPS and a network connection, but no particular VPS provider, configuration, bandwidth, transfer speed, or completion time is established here. Video compression with -z is not a default recommendation: any benefit depends on the material and connection, so consider it only after measuring your own transfer rather than assuming it will be faster.
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