failed to parse /etc/rsyncd.conf

[CHACHI]

Hello,

I have almost 0 experience with Linux in general much less CentOS, but I have spun up an image in my workstation (CentOS 8) and am trying to configure Rsync. When I yum install rsync I am notified that it is already installed but then when i run the command rysnc --daemon I receive an error saying Failed to parse config file: /etc/rsyncd.conf When I search for the directory I find that it doesnt exist. I have the GUI installed so I actually browsed for the installation file and found "rsync-3.1.3-6.el8.x86_64.rpm" in the BaseOS/Packages. When I try to open it from there and run it with Software Install it says Failed to install file: not supported. Im stuck and have no more ideas on how to enable rsync, if anyone could provide me with some assistance it would be much appreciated.

CHACHI

[TrevorH]

If you don't have an /etc directory then your system is toast. It is the directory where system configuration files are kept and if it doesn't exist then your system will not boot next time you try. I suspect you are mistaken about the directory not existing.

Your next problem is that you don't appear to have installed the package that lets rsync run as a daemon. That's called rsync-daemon and contains /etc/rsyncd.conf and, more importantly, a systemd unit file - /usr/lib/systemd/system/rsyncd.service - that allows it to be started by systemd using systemctl start rsyncd

Thirdly, I doubt if you actually want to run it as a daemon anyway. Most people don't since it transfers data in plain text and is always available, listening on a network socket that anyone can connect to that can get through your firewall. Most people run rsync as a daemon-less process and use ssh as a transport. When you attempt to rsync using that, it connects as your user to the target over ssh, fires up an rsync daemon that only you can get to and then transfers the data in encrypted form over the connection. Much safer, much more secure.