When you run mv across different filesystems (e.g., from an external drive /media/jhuang/Elements1 to your home directory ~/DATA), Linux does not actually move files. It performs a copy followed by a delete. If interrupted, you’re left with a partial copy at the destination and the original intact at the source. mv cannot resume.

Here’s how to safely complete the transfer using rsync, which is designed to resume, verify, and handle large datasets without corruption.

🔹 Step 1: Resume & Complete with rsync

rsync will automatically skip files that were fully copied, resume partially copied files, and only transfer what’s missing.

rsync -a --info=progress2 /media/jhuang/Elements1/Data_Ute_smallRNA_7/ ~/DATA/Data_Ute_smallRNA/Data_Ute_smallRNA_7/

Flags explained:

• -a : Archive mode (preserves permissions, timestamps, symlinks, etc.)
• --info=progress2 : Shows a single overall progress bar + transfer speed
• Trailing / on source ensures contents are placed inside the destination directory (matching your original mv behavior)

⚠️ If you use SSH or worry about disconnections, run this inside tmux or screen:

tmux new -s data_move
# paste the rsync command inside
# Detach with Ctrl+B, D. Reattach later with: tmux attach -t data_move

🔹 Step 2: Verify the Transfer

Once rsync finishes, verify that both directories match:

# Compare total sizes
du -sh /media/jhuang/Elements1/Data_Ute_smallRNA_7/
du -sh ~/DATA/Data_Ute_smallRNA/Data_Ute_smallRNA_7/

# Optional: Deep verification (checks checksums, slower but thorough)
rsync -a --dry-run -c /media/jhuang/Elements1/Data_Ute_smallRNA_7/ ~/DATA/Data_Ute_smallRNA/Data_Ute_smallRNA_7/

If the dry run outputs nothing, the directories are identical.

🔹 Step 3: Safely Remove the Original

Only delete the source after verification:

rm -rf /media/jhuang/Elements1/Data_Ute_smallRNA_7/

Important Notes

1. Never use mv for cross-drive transfers > few GB. Always use rsync or cp -a.
2. Why rsync is safe here: It uses size + modification time to decide what to copy. If a file was interrupted, its size will differ, and rsync will re-transfer it. If it’s complete, it’s skipped instantly.
3. Filesystem warnings: If your external drive is formatted as exFAT or NTFS, you may see harmless warnings like rsync: chown failed: Operation not permitted. This is normal and doesn’t affect data integrity. You can suppress them with --no-perms --no-owner --no-group if desired.
4. Space check: Ensure ~/DATA/ has at least 650 GB free before starting:

   df -h ~/DATA/

Let me know if you want a script to automate verification or if the destination path structure needs adjustment! ✨

    Device  Partition   Appears in /dev Mounted?    Mount Point
    nvme0n1 p1  ✅   ✅   /mnt/nvme0n1p1
    nvme1n1 p1  ✅   ✅   /mnt/nvme1n1p1
    nvme2n1 p1  ✅   ✅   /mnt/nvme2n1p1
    nvme3n1 p1  ✅   ❌   (not mounted)
    nvme4n1 p1  ✅   ❌   (not mounted)
    nvme5n1 p1  ✅   ✅   /boot/efi
    nvme5n1 p2  ✅   ✅   / (root)
    nvme6n1 p1  ✅   ✅   /mnt/nvme6n1p1

    # 1. Check filesystem type first
    sudo blkid /dev/nvme3n1p1
    sudo blkid /dev/nvme4n1p1

    # 2. Create mount points (if needed)
    sudo mkdir -p /mnt/nvme3n1p1
    sudo mkdir -p /mnt/nvme4n1p1

    # 3. Mount (adjust -t if not ext4/xfs)
    sudo mount -t auto /dev/nvme3n1p1 /mnt/nvme3n1p1
    sudo mount -t auto /dev/nvme4n1p1 /mnt/nvme4n1p1

    # 4. Verify
    df -h | grep nvme3
    df -h | grep nvme4