Ignacio Fernández Galván <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> --- Jim Meyering <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
>> Copying through a destination symlink is fundamentally risky,
>> so I've changed cp not to do it anymore.
Oops. I have to clarify.
Copying through a *dangling* destination symlink is fundamentally risky,
so I've changed cp not to do it anymore.
> OK, thanks, I see.
>
>> Best is just not to do that anymore. However, if it's something
>> you cannot easily avoid, you can do this instead:
>>
>> $ cp -p link1 $(readlink -f link2)
Another way is simply to create the destination first:
$ touch link2
$ cp -p link1 link2
> Well, the problem is I don't do it, but it is sort of hardcoded in some
> other program I use, which was failing and I tracked the error down to
> this cp "feature". I will inform the maintainers of this other program.
> However, it might be a good idea to have some option to force this
> risky behaviour, maybe with --force ?
Adding an option is not impossible, but when you can get the same
effect portably by simply touching the dangling symlink,
it doesn't seem worthwhile.
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