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The `Sync` task deletes all files in the target directory, and then copies the new ones over.

Is it possible to configure `Sync`  (or some other task) to NOT touch the files that haven't changed? I'm using another tool afterwards, which reacts to the files being deleted, even though they are immediately recreated identically.

&gt; The Sync task deletes all files in the target directory, and then copies the new ones over.
&gt; 
Not exactly, it copies over the files and then deletes the files it not copy. That is more efficient. :-)

&gt; Is it possible to configure Sync  (or some other task) to NOT touch the files that haven't changed?
&gt; 
That's then `Copy`. :-)
Alternatively, you can configure the `Sync` task which files to retain afair.

&gt; That's then `Copy`. :slightly_smiling_face:
But `Copy` doesn't delete files in the destination that have been deleted in the source, right?

Turns out the Kotlin plugin has a task specifically for that :man-facepalming:
<https://github.com/JetBrains/kotlin/blob/032e1cdbbc89268423302fad3d605933dcb7e5c0/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/common/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/ir/DefaultIncrementalSyncTask.kt#L17|https://github.com/JetBrains/kotlin/blob/032e1cdbbc89268423302fad3d605933dcb7e5c0/[…]rains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/ir/DefaultIncrementalSyncTask.kt>

&gt; But Copy doesn't delete files in the destination that have been deleted in the source, right?
&gt; 
Correct. 
I'm not aware of a built-in way to achieve that behavior except such a custom task you linked to. That one does some additional things to `.map` files though and if it is a non-incremental run, it just behaves like `Copy`. If that is what you want, it might be appropriate. Or you use `Sync` and configure which files to retain even if they were not synced.