dsync

dsync init [DIR] [--remote-folder P] [--credentials FILE] [--client-id ID] [--client-secret SECRET] [--depth N]dsync {push | pull} [PATH] [-y] [--force] [-j N] [--refresh] [--fast | --verify] [--delete]dsync diff [PATH] [-j N] [--refresh] [--fast | --verify]dsync {status | update-cache [--refresh] | version}

dsync is the command-line binary for DriveSync, a small Rust tool that keeps one local folder and one Google Drive folder in step. It is modelled on odeke-em/drive: you push, pull, or diff on demand rather than running a background sync daemon.Run any command from anywhere inside the sync folder. Each side is compared as a set of paths with size, mtime, and MD5 (Drive returns MD5s in listings). Different sizes mean different content; otherwise the local MD5 is compared against a cache keyed on size and mtime. Equal MD5 wins over mtime. Different MD5 with a newer side (1 s tolerance) is a transfer; the same mtime with different content is a conflict.Push and pull print one line per change (`+` create, `M` overwrite, `!` skipped, `C` conflict, `E` unreadable local file, `D` delete with --delete) and ask before doing anything. While conflicts exist the prompt defaults to no, --no-prompt refuses to run, and end-of-input is never taken as yes. Destinations are re-checked immediately before each write. Uploads over 5 MB use resumable sessions stored in .gd/. Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides have no binary content and are always skipped. Symlinks and non-regular files are never synced.Exit status is 0 on success, 1 when diff found differences, and 2 on an error or when any transfer failed. Only one dsync command runs in a workspace at a time (even diff writes the index); a second one waits. PATH is taken in its on-disk spelling, so on a case-insensitive filesystem `push Docs` and `push docs` mean the same folder.

-y, --no-prompt

Apply the plan without asking. Refused if the plan contains conflicts. push / pull only.

Also overwrite conflicts where the destination is newer or has different content at the same mtime. Case / Unicode-normalization collisions are never forced. push / pull only.

Parallel transfer (or hashing) streams. Default 8, range 1–64.

Ignore the cached remote index and re-list the whole remote tree.

Trust equal size and mtime without reading the file (rsync-style quick check). Conflicts with --verify.

Re-read every file that needs hashing instead of trusting the local hash cache.

After transfers succeed, remove from the destination whatever no longer exists on the source. push moves Drive entries to the Drive trash. pull moves local files to Trash (macOS) or Recycle Bin (Windows) and deletes them permanently on Linux. Off by default. push / pull only.

.gd/

Per-workspace state inside the sync root (mode 0600 on Unix, never uploaded). Must be a real directory, not a symlink.

Client id/secret, remote folder path and id, and traversal depth.

OAuth tokens from init. Google expires refresh tokens after 7 days for External apps still in Testing; publish the consent-screen app for personal use to keep tokens.

SQLite index of the remote tree plus the local hash cache. Rebuilt automatically if damaged. Unreliable on NFS or SMB; keep the sync folder on a local disk.

gitignore-style patterns at the sync root. init creates one with `.DSStore`, `.*`, `Thumbs.db`, and `desktop.ini`.

Alternative to --client-id / --client-secret when no --credentials file is given.

init [DIR]

Authorize with Google Drive and turn DIR (default .) into a sync folder mirroring My Drive/P. Writes .gd/ inside the folder. --remote-folder P is created if missing and defaults to the My Drive root. --depth N limits how many levels to traverse (-1, the default, is unlimited). Supply a Desktop-app client_secret.json with --credentials, or --client-id and --client-secret together (also GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID / GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET).

Upload files that are new or newer locally. Shows the plan and asks first. PATH is relative to the current directory and defaults to ..

Download files that are new or newer on Drive. Same plan-and-confirm behaviour as push.

List what differs, with both modification times. Changes nothing. Exit 1 if anything differs, 0 if the trees match, 2 on error.

Print the local folder, remote folder, depth, cache state, ignore file, filesystem kind, and token expiry. Does not take the workspace lock.

Refresh the local index of the remote tree (incrementally, or fully with --refresh).

Print `dsync <version> (https://scaleninja.com/drivesync/)`.

Linux and Windows binaries are built and smoke-tested in CI; the project documents live Drive testing on macOS only.Two machines syncing the same Drive folder are not coordinated. The Drive API has no conditional update, so a write from elsewhere between the pre-write check and the upload can be lost.pull --delete on Linux deletes local files permanently (no trash). An empty source is refused so --delete cannot wipe the destination. Deletions run last and only if every transfer succeeded.Do not overwrite conflicts without --force. Pull keeps no local backup of files it overwrites. The hash cache trusts unchanged size and mtime; use --verify after restoring from backup or when a tool rewrites files with mtimes preserved.The binary name is dsync; the project, Homebrew formula, and GitHub repo are named drivesync. Other unrelated tools also ship a `dsync` command.

DriveSync is an MIT-licensed Rust CLI by ScaleNinja. The public repository was created on 7 September 2026. It is an explicit successor in spirit to odeke-em/drive (2015): Git-style push/pull against Google Drive, with MD5 comparison, a Drive Changes-API index, and no background daemon. Version 0.4.1 is the crate version at documentation time.

rclone(1), drive(1), gdrive(1), rsync(1)

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