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OpenShell/examples/sync-files.md
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Drew Newberry 2f808eae7b feat(cli): replace rsync with tar-over-SSH for sandbox file sync (!41)
Closes #20, #36, #46

## Summary
- Replace the external `rsync` dependency with built-in tar-over-SSH for file synchronization, using the `tar` crate to stream archives through the existing SSH proxy tunnel
- Add a new `nav sandbox sync` subcommand supporting bidirectional file transfer (`--up` to push local files, `--down` to pull sandbox files)
- Add sync workflow example in `examples/sync-files.md`

## Changes

| File | Change |
|---|---|
| `crates/navigator-cli/Cargo.toml` | Add `tar = "0.4"` dependency |
| `crates/navigator-cli/src/ssh.rs` | Remove `sandbox_rsync()`, add `sandbox_sync_up()`, `sandbox_sync_down()`, `sandbox_sync_up_files()` |
| `crates/navigator-cli/src/run.rs` | Add `sandbox_sync_command()` dispatcher, update re-exports, update `--sync` call site |
| `crates/navigator-cli/src/main.rs` | Add `Sync` variant to `SandboxCommands` with `--up`/`--down` flags |
| `architecture/sandbox-connect.md` | Rewrite File Sync section for tar-over-SSH and new command |
| `examples/sync-files.md` | New example walkthrough for sync workflows |

## New UX

```bash
# Push local files up to sandbox
nav sandbox sync my-sandbox --up ./src /sandbox/src

# Pull sandbox files down to local
nav sandbox sync my-sandbox --down /sandbox/output ./output

# Existing --sync flag on create still works (now uses tar internally)
nav sandbox create --sync -- python main.py
```

## Design

- **No new host dependencies**: `tar` crate handles archive creation/extraction in Rust; `ssh` is already required. The sandbox side uses the `tar` binary from the base image.
- **No new server-side infrastructure**: reuses the existing SSH tunnel, no new gRPC RPCs or gateway changes.
- **Bidirectional**: the same tar-pipe pattern works for both push and pull by reversing which side produces and which consumes the archive.
- **No compression** for v1 — the SSH tunnel is local-network; can add gzip via `flate2` later.

## Test Plan
- All existing tests pass (`mise run pre-commit` green: fmt, clippy, 206 Rust tests, 6 Python tests)
- Manual e2e testing required for actual sandbox sync operations
2026-02-23 08:22:52 -08:00

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Markdown

# Syncing Files To and From a Sandbox
Move code, data, and artifacts between your local machine and a Navigator
sandbox using `navigator sandbox sync`.
## Push local files into a sandbox
Upload your current project directory into `/sandbox` on the sandbox:
```bash
navigator sandbox sync my-sandbox --up .
```
Push a specific directory to a custom destination:
```bash
navigator sandbox sync my-sandbox --up ./src /sandbox/src
```
Push a single file:
```bash
navigator sandbox sync my-sandbox --up ./config.yaml /sandbox/config.yaml
```
## Pull files from a sandbox
Download sandbox output to your local machine:
```bash
navigator sandbox sync my-sandbox --down /sandbox/output ./output
```
Pull results to the current directory:
```bash
navigator sandbox sync my-sandbox --down /sandbox/results
```
## Sync on create
Push all git-tracked files into a new sandbox automatically:
```bash
navigator sandbox create --sync -- python main.py
```
This collects tracked and untracked (non-ignored) files via
`git ls-files` and streams them into `/sandbox` before the command runs.
## Workflow: iterate on code in a sandbox
```bash
# Create a sandbox and sync your repo
navigator sandbox create --name dev --sync --keep
# Make local changes, then push them
navigator sandbox sync dev --up ./src /sandbox/src
# Run tests inside the sandbox
navigator sandbox connect dev
# (inside sandbox) pytest
# Pull test artifacts back
navigator sandbox sync dev --down /sandbox/coverage ./coverage
```
## How it works
File sync uses **tar-over-SSH**. The CLI streams a tar archive through the
existing SSH proxy tunnel -- no `rsync` or other external tools required on
your machine. The sandbox base image provides GNU `tar` for extraction.
- **Push**: `tar::Builder` (Rust) -> stdin | `ssh <proxy> sandbox "tar xf - -C <dest>"`
- **Pull**: `ssh <proxy> sandbox "tar cf - -C <dir> <path>"` | stdout -> `tar::Archive` (Rust)