Environment and local files
Syq has no general configuration file. It uses your SSH configuration for SSH connections and AWS configuration for S3; see S3 options.
Add options through the environment
SYQ_CP_OPTIONS, SYQ_RSYNC_OPTIONS, and SYQ_RM_OPTIONS supply extra
arguments to their respective commands. They are useful when a script does
not let you change the syq command it runs:
SYQ_CP_OPTIONS='--resource-limits bandwidth=10M' ./nightly-backup.sh
The value is parsed with shell-style quoting and inserted before the command’s other arguments. Repeating an option follows the same rules as repeating it on the command line. Syq removes these three variables before launching SSH, helpers, or other programs; the rest of the environment is passed through.
Other variables
| Variable | Purpose |
|---|---|
SYQ_NO_UPDATE_CHECK, DO_NOT_TRACK | Disable update reminders; see Updates |
SYQ_TUNING_CACHE | Select the connection-count cache; an empty value disables it. See Remembered connection counts |
SYQ_TUNING_HISTORY | Select the local tuning history; empty disables it. See Tuning history |
SYQ_TUNING_HISTORY_SIZE | History retention target, default 128M |
SYQ_DEBUG | Add internal diagnostics to stderr |
SYQ_S3_DIAGNOSTICS=1 | Add S3 request diagnostics to stderr |
XDG_CACHE_HOME, XDG_CONFIG_HOME, XDG_RUNTIME_DIR | Relocate cache, preference, and runtime files |
Diagnostic formats can change between versions. For scripts, use
automation results. Usual system variables such as HOME,
TMPDIR, and SSH_AUTH_SOCK also apply.
Local state
Default locations include:
| Location | Contents |
|---|---|
~/.cache/syq/tuning.json | Learned connection counts in the legacy format |
~/.cache/syq/tuning.history-v1.sqlite | Local tuning timelines and filesystem startup hints |
~/.cache/syq/completion-endpoints.json | Hosts offered by completion |
~/.cache/syq/helpers/ | Downloaded SSH helpers |
~/.config/syq/persistence.json | Whether persistence is enabled |
~/.config/syq/receive.json | Receiving profiles |
~/.config/syq/install.json, last-update-check | Install receipt and update-check timing |
$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/syq-persist-UID/ | Persistent connection sockets |
~/.syq-destinations-v3/ | Registered receiving names on a server |
~/.local/share/syq/restricted/ | Receiver enrollment state |
Copies can proceed when optional caches cannot be written. Persistent connections need a writable runtime directory. See Enrollment for receiver state and Names and profiles for backing up or replacing a receiving identity.
SSH helper installation
SSH helpers are installed under ~/.cache/syq/helpers/ on the server too.
If that directory cannot be created, select an installed helper with
--syq-path, or use --no-bootstrap when a matching syq is on the server’s
PATH.
When an official release installs a helper, it also tries to install the command
at ~/.local/bin/syq. Completion and background connections can trigger this
step. Failure to install the command does not stop the copy. Reusing a cached
helper does not repeat the command installation; use the standalone installer
if the command is missing. Development builds and connections using
--syq-path or --no-bootstrap do not install the command.