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Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 09:58:10 -0600
To: Doug White <dwhite@resnet.uoregon.edu>
From: Lee Crites <adonai@jump.net>
Subject: Re: Creating a directory link from one partition to another
Cc: Dan Wolfe <dwolfe@zyga.com>,
        "'questions@freebsd.org'" <questions@freebsd.org>
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Doug's instructions looked to me to be right on target.  I'm only going to
add a comment to them...

At 00:53 13-03-97 -0800, Doug White wrote:
>Do the following:
>
>mkdir /usr/target/directory
>chmod 655 /usr/target/directory
>chown bin:bin /usr/target/directory
>tar -cpf - -C /var/mail . | tar xpf - -C /usr/target/directory

I have had some problems with this construct in the past, so I do tar copies
like this:

  cd /source/directory
  tar -cf - . | ( cd /target/directory ; tar -xvf - )

I know, I know, the -C says to change to this directory before doing the
work.  It's a beautiful thing.  And, I assume, it is valid on FreeBSD.  But,
unfortunately, it is not a *universal* thing.  Since my scripts must work on
multiple platforms, I can't use it.

>The tar man page has details.  THe original example didn't have the p
>option on the left side, I added it just in case.

Yes, this is a valuable option you should keep in mind when doing things,
especially for other users, as root.  It doesn't do any good if you move
something and as a result change the permissions so it can't be used, right?
(How many of us have been burned by that oversight?)

Lee