# btrfs-send

## NAME



           btrfs-send - generate a stream of changes between two subvolume
           snapshots
    


## SYNOPSIS



           **btrfs send**[-ve] [-p _< parent>_] [-c _< clone-src>_] [-f _< outfile>_]
           _< subvol>_ [_< subvol>_...]
    


## DESCRIPTION



           This command will generate a stream of instructions that describe
           changes between two subvolume snapshots. The stream can be
           consumed by the **btrfs receive** command to replicate the sent
           snapshot on a different filesystem. The command operates in two
           modes: full and incremental.
    
           All snapshots involved in one send command must be read-only, and
           this status cannot be changed as long as there’s a running send
           operation that uses the snapshot.
    
           In the full mode, the entire snapshot data and metadata will end
           up in the stream.
    
           In the incremental mode (options _-p_ and _-c_), previously sent
           snapshots that are available on both the sending and receiving
           side can be used to reduce the amount of information that has to
           be sent to reconstruct the sent snapshot on a different
           filesystem.
    
           The _-p <parent>_ option can be omitted when _-c <clone-src>_ options
           are given, in which case **btrfs send** will determine a suitable
           parent from among the clone sources.
    
           You must not specify clone sources unless you guarantee that these
           snapshots are exactly in the same state on both sides—both for the
           sender and the receiver. For implications of changed read-write
           status of a received snapshot please see section _SUBVOLUME FLAGS_
           in btrfs-subvolume(8).
    
           **Options**
    
           -e
               if sending multiple subvolumes at once, use the new format and
               omit the _end cmd_ marker in the stream separating the
               subvolumes
    
           -p _< parent>_
               send an incremental stream from _parent_ to _subvol_
    
           -c _< clone-src>_
               use this snapshot as a clone source for an incremental send
               (multiple allowed)
    
           -f _< outfile>_
               output is normally written to standard output so it can be,
               for example, piped to btrfs receive. Use this option to write
               it to a file instead.
    
           --no-data
               send in _NO_FILE_DATA_ mode
    
               The output stream does not contain any file data and thus
               cannot be used to transfer changes. This mode is faster and is
               useful to show the differences in metadata. -q|--quiet::::
               (deprecated) alias for global _-q_ option -v|--verbose::
               (deprecated) alias for global _-v_ option
    
           **Global options**
    
           -q|--quiet
               suppress all messages except errors
    
           -v|--verbose
               increase output verbosity, print generated commands in a
               readable form
    


## EXIT STATUS



           **btrfs send** returns a zero exit status if it succeeds. Non zero is
           returned in case of failure.
    


## AVAILABILITY



           **btrfs** is part of btrfs-progs. Please refer to the btrfs wiki
           **http://btrfs.wiki.kernel.org******for further details.


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