a proposed patch file for rsync 3.1.1 to ignore time/attr setting failures with --delete-missing-args or --ignore-missing-args

rsync.3.1.1.ignore-missing-times.v3.diff

diff -r 0bbc80b2fd14 options.c
--- a/options.c	Wed Apr 05 18:11:37 2017 +1000
+++ b/options.c	Fri Apr 07 19:50:39 2017 +1000
@@ -2640,11 +2640,11 @@
 		}
 	}
 
-	/* --delete-missing-args needs the cooperation of both sides, but
-	 * the sender can handle --ignore-missing-args by itself. */
+	/* both --delete-missing-args and --ignore-missing-args
+	 * require a bit of cooperation from the receiver */
 	if (missing_args == 2)
 		args[ac++] = "--delete-missing-args";
-	else if (missing_args == 1 && !am_sender)
+	else if (missing_args == 1)
 		args[ac++] = "--ignore-missing-args";
 
 	if (modify_window_set) {
diff -r 0bbc80b2fd14 rsync.c
--- a/rsync.c	Wed Apr 05 18:11:37 2017 +1000
+++ b/rsync.c	Fri Apr 07 19:50:39 2017 +1000
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 extern int preserve_perms;
 extern int preserve_executability;
 extern int preserve_times;
+    extern int missing_args;
 extern int am_root;
 extern int am_server;
 extern int am_daemon;
@@ -460,6 +461,7 @@
 	int change_uid, change_gid;
 	mode_t new_mode = file->mode;
 	int inherit;
+        enum logcode ferror_code = FERROR_XFER ; /* handle 'missing_args' */
 
 	if (!sxp) {
 		if (dry_run)
@@ -543,6 +545,10 @@
 		set_xattr(fname, file, fnamecmp, sxp);
 #endif
 
+/* local macro */
+#define IGNORE_MISSING ((1 == missing_args) && (EINVAL == errno))
+
+
 	if (!preserve_times
 	 || (!(preserve_times & PRESERVE_DIR_TIMES) && S_ISDIR(sxp->st.st_mode))
 	 || (!(preserve_times & PRESERVE_LINK_TIMES) && S_ISLNK(sxp->st.st_mode)))
@@ -551,9 +557,11 @@
 	    && cmp_time(sxp->st.st_mtime, file->modtime) != 0) {
 		int ret = set_modtime(fname, file->modtime, F_MOD_NSEC(file), sxp->st.st_mode);
 		if (ret < 0) {
-			rsyserr(FERROR_XFER, errno, "failed to set times on %s",
+                        ferror_code = ( IGNORE_MISSING ) ? FWARNING : FERROR_XFER ;
+			rsyserr(ferror_code, errno, "failed to set times on %s",
 				full_fname(fname));
-			goto cleanup;
+                        if (!IGNORE_MISSING) /* == "normal" behaviour */
+                            goto cleanup;
 		}
 		if (ret == 0) /* ret == 1 if symlink could not be set */
 			updated = 1;
@@ -578,16 +586,20 @@
 	if (!BITS_EQUAL(sxp->st.st_mode, new_mode, CHMOD_BITS)) {
 		int ret = am_root < 0 ? 0 : do_chmod(fname, new_mode);
 		if (ret < 0) {
-			rsyserr(FERROR_XFER, errno,
+                        ferror_code = ( IGNORE_MISSING ) ? FWARNING : FERROR_XFER ;
+			rsyserr(ferror_code, errno,
 				"failed to set permissions on %s",
 				full_fname(fname));
-			goto cleanup;
+                        if (!IGNORE_MISSING) /* == "normal" behaviour */
+                            goto cleanup;
 		}
 		if (ret == 0) /* ret == 1 if symlink could not be set */
 			updated = 1;
 	}
 #endif
 
+#undef IGNORE_MISSING /* ((1 == missing_args) && (EINVAL == errno)) */
+
 	if (INFO_GTE(NAME, 2) && flags & ATTRS_REPORT) {
 		if (updated)
 			rprintf(FCLIENT, "%s\n", fname);