rsync: failed to set times on file: permission denied

TL;DR

The files transferred fine; rsync just cannot set their timestamps because you do not own the destination files. Add --no-times (or --omit-dir-times) when timestamps do not matter, or fix destination ownership. The error is cosmetic unless timestamps matter to you.

Error

rsync: failed to set times on file: permission denied

Steps

1. Confirm the data is intact: compare source and destination file sizes or checksums. Expected: the transfer itself succeeded; only timestamp setting failed.
2. If timestamps do not matter, add the no-times option to the rsync invocation. Expected: the error disappears and the transfer completes quietly.
3. If timestamps matter, fix ownership: ensure the rsync user owns the destination files (or run with sufficient privilege). Expected: rsync sets times without permission errors.
4. For directories, the omit-dir-times option handles the common case where directory timestamps cannot be set. Expected: clean runs on directory trees.
5. Re-run and check the exit code. Expected: 0 with no "failed to set times" lines.

When to use

• rsync completes but reports "failed to set times" with permission denied
• Syncing as a non-owner user
• Backups where timestamps are optional

When not to use

• Transfer failures (network or disk errors)
• SSH authentication failures (transport layer)

Tool compatibility

• rsync (--no-times, --omit-dir-times)

Variant phrasings

rsync permission denied setting times

You do not own the destination; skip timestamp preservation or fix ownership.

rsync exit code 23 times

Code 23 covers partial transfers; the times-only variant is benign when data verified.

Why it happens

rsync preserves timestamps by default, which requires ownership (or privilege) on the destination. Transferring as a user who can write but not chown the files succeeds at the data level and fails only at the metadata level, producing this confusing-but-benign error.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_0qFiHMDaZfr37StRFGbVyQ

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_0qFiHMDaZfr37StRFGbVyQ

Thread query: rsync: failed to set times on file: permission denied

TL;DR: The files transferred fine; rsync just cannot set their timestamps because you do not own the destination files. Add --no-times (or --omit-dir-times) when timestamps do not matter, or fix destination ownership. The error is cosmetic unless timestamps matter to you.