Copying Files

Last updated on 2026-08-24 | Edit this page

Estimated time: 25 minutes

Overview

Questions

  • How do I copy files from HPC to cloud storage?
  • What does the remote:path syntax mean?
  • How do I preview changes before copying?

Objectives

  • Understand rclone’s remote:path syntax
  • Copy files between local, Box, and OneDrive with rclone copy
  • Use --dry-run to preview operations before executing
  • Verify transfers with rclone check

Understanding remote:path Syntax

Callout

The Foundation: remote:path Notation

The most important concept in rclone is the remote:path syntax. When you use an rclone command, you reference cloud storage using:

remote_name:path/to/file

remote_name is the name you gave during configuration (pomona-box, pomona-onedrive, etc.) path/to/file is the location within that remote

Examples

BASH 

# Box root
pomona-box:/

# A file in Box
pomona-box:/my-results.csv

# A folder in Box
pomona-box:/research/project-2026

# OneDrive
pomona-onedrive:/Documents/thesis.docx

Copying Files: rclone copy

The rclone copy command copies files from a source to a destination, adding new files to the destination without removing existing ones.

Syntax

BASH 

rclone copy source destination

Local to Cloud Examples

Copy a file from your HPC home directory to Box:

BASH 

rclone copy ~/results.csv pomona-box:/rclone-test/

Copy a local folder to Box:

BASH 

rclone copy ~/my-data pomona-box:/rclone-test/

Cloud to Local Examples

Copy files from Box to your HPC home:

BASH 

rclone copy pomona-box:/rclone-test/ ~/downloaded-results/

Cloud to Cloud Examples

Copy from Box to OneDrive:

BASH 

rclone copy pomona-box:/rclone-test pomona-onedrive:/backup

Key Points About rclone copy

  • Copies recursively: Includes all subfolders
  • Additive: Only adds new files; doesn’t delete existing ones
  • Fast: Only copies files that aren’t already at the destination
  • Preserves structure: Folder hierarchies are maintained

Dry-Run: Preview Before Copying

Callout

Safe Testing: Always Use –dry-run First

Before running a copy, use --dry-run to preview what will happen:

BASH 

rclone copy ~/my-data pomona-box:/backup --dry-run

Expected output:

2026/03/05 15:10:22 INFO  : file1.csv: Copied (dry run)
2026/03/05 15:10:22 INFO  : subfolder/file2.txt: Copied (dry run)
2026/03/05 15:10:22 INFO  : Transferred:   2 files
2026/03/05 15:10:22 INFO  : Total size: 5.3M

This shows what would be copied without actually doing it. Always use --dry-run on large operations!

Checking File Integrity: rclone check

Verify that files were copied correctly by comparing checksums:

BASH 

rclone check ~/my-data pomona-box:/backup

Expected output if all match:

2026/03/05 15:25:00 INFO  : Checks completed successfully
Challenge

Challenge 5.1: Create Test Data and Copy to Box

Create a local folder with test files, then copy to Box:

BASH 

mkdir -p ~/test-data/subfolder
echo "This is file 1" > ~/test-data/file1.txt
echo "This is file 2" > ~/test-data/subfolder/file2.txt

Preview first with --dry-run:

BASH 

rclone copy ~/test-data pomona-box:/rclone-test/challenge5 --dry-run

Then execute:

BASH 

rclone copy ~/test-data pomona-box:/rclone-test/challenge5

Verify:

BASH 

rclone tree pomona-box:/rclone-test/challenge5

The dry-run should show:

2026/03/05 15:10:22 INFO  : file1.txt: Copied (dry run)
2026/03/05 15:10:22 INFO  : subfolder/file2.txt: Copied (dry run)

After executing, verify with rclone tree:

/
├── file1.txt
└── subfolder/
    └── file2.txt

The folder structure on Box should match your local ~/test-data exactly.

Challenge

Challenge 5.2: Copy from Box to OneDrive

Copy your test data from Box to OneDrive:

BASH 

rclone copy pomona-box:/rclone-test/challenge5 pomona-onedrive:/rclone-test/box-backup --dry-run

Preview first, then execute without --dry-run:

BASH 

rclone copy pomona-box:/rclone-test/challenge5 pomona-onedrive:/rclone-test/box-backup

Verify on OneDrive:

BASH 

rclone tree pomona-onedrive:/rclone-test/box-backup

The dry-run should show both files being copied from Box to OneDrive. After executing:

BASH 

rclone tree pomona-onedrive:/rclone-test/box-backup

Expected output:

/
├── file1.txt
└── subfolder/
    └── file2.txt

This confirms cloud-to-cloud transfer works. The folder structure on OneDrive mirrors what was on Box.

Key Points
  • The remote:path syntax (e.g., pomona-box:/folder/file.txt) is fundamental to all rclone commands
  • rclone copy is additive and safe – it never deletes files at the destination
  • The –dry-run flag previews changes without making them and should always be used before large operations
  • Understanding the difference between local paths (~/file.txt) and remote paths (remote:path) is critical for avoiding mistakes