state $rsync_base_cmd = "rsync -avm -L --exclude='S/' --include='*/' --include='*.cpp' " .
     "--include='*.hpp' --exclude='*'";
  
  # perform the copy
  my $command = "$rsync_base_cmd ${login}:${remoteDirectory} $localDirectory";
  #print("\n$command\n"); # for debugging
  #`$command`; 
  my $output = ""; 
  my $pid = open3(undef, my $pipe, undef, $command) 
    or confess("[_copy_component] Cannot perform rsync : $!");
    
  while(<$pipe>){ $output .= $_; } # wait it completes to process
  
  eval { close ($pipe); };
  
  waitpid($pid, 0);