From owner-freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Feb 22 22:54:45 2004 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E43A816A4CE for ; Sun, 22 Feb 2004 22:54:45 -0800 (PST) Received: from cowbert.2y.net (d46h180.public.uconn.edu [137.99.46.180]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with SMTP id 74B4043D2F for ; Sun, 22 Feb 2004 22:54:45 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from sirmoo@cowbert.2y.net) Received: (qmail 28083 invoked by uid 1001); 23 Feb 2004 06:54:44 -0000 Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2004 01:54:44 -0500 From: "Peter C. Lai" To: freebsd-gnats-submit@FreeBSD.org, chu@gpi.ru Message-ID: <20040223065444.GP23219@cowbert.2y.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.4i cc: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org Subject: Re: docs/40196: man find does not describe -follow X-BeenThere: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list Reply-To: peter.lai@uconn.edu List-Id: Documentation project List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2004 06:54:46 -0000 find(1) has the -follow option historically on SysV and Solaris. In IRIX 6.5, the find(1) manpage says: -follow Always true; causes the underlying file of a symbolic link to be checked rather than the symbolic link itself. In GNU find(1), the manpage says: -follow Dereference symbolic links... In Solaris 8+ find(1), the manpage says: -follow Always true; causes symbolic links to be followed. When following symbolic links, find keeps track of the directories visited so that it can detect infinite loops; for example, such a loop would occur if a sym- bolic link pointed to an ancestor. This expression should not be used with the -type l expression. Whereas I'm not sure whether or not FreeBSD's find(1) supports the infinite loop detection feature, the Solaris description appears to be the most accurate. Can someone verify this for me, and submit a diff/patch? This PR's been open for over a year. Thanks, Pete -- Peter C. Lai University of Connecticut Dept. of Molecular and Cell Biology Yale University School of Medicine SenseLab | Research Assistant http://cowbert.2y.net/