Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2006 10:44:05 -0700 From: Doug Barton <dougb@FreeBSD.org> To: freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: [PATCH] adding two new options to 'cp' Message-ID: <44C8FB65.9020102@FreeBSD.org> In-Reply-To: <200607271150.k6RBoM9p031745@lurza.secnetix.de> References: <200607271150.k6RBoM9p031745@lurza.secnetix.de>
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Oliver Fromme wrote:
> Eric Anderson <anderson@centtech.com> wrote:
> > I'm tired of trying to use rsync or gcp (which doesn't like symlinks
> > often) to copy trees of files/directories using hard links, so I added
> > the gcp-ish options -a and -l.
> >
> > -a is 'archive' mode, which is just a quick form of -PpR.
>
> -P is the default anyway, so -a would only replace -Rp.
> I don't think saving one letter justifies introducing a new
> option. You can use an alias or shell function.
>
> > -l is 'link' mode, where regular files get hard linked instead of copied.
> >
> > So, you can mimic an entire tree with something like:
> >
> > cp -al /from/ /to/
> >
> > and it's fast too!
>
> You can do the same with existing tools in a portable
> (and thus preferable) way:
>
> cd /from; find -d . | cpio -dumpl /to
While I don't want to stifle anyone's creativity, I agree with Oliver (and
other posters) on this one. The Unix way of doing things is small programs
that do their jobs well, tied together to accomplish bigger things.
Doug
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