According to Section 2.2 "Backup options" of the GNU coreutils documenation, using --backup=existing will make numbered backups of files that already have them, simple backups of the others.
However, issuing the following command results in this (I realize in the example it doesn't make sense that a person would want to do this, but this is the easiest way to explain what I am trying to do as part of a larger project): First command: ln --backup=existing -s myfile.txt link_to_myfile.txt // creates symbolic link called "link_to_myfile.txt" Second command (identical to the first): ln --backup=existing -s myfile.txt link_to_myfle.txt // creates symbolic link called "link_to_myfile.txt~ (note the tilde at the end since a link with the same name already exists) Third command (identical to the first and second): ln --backup=existing -s myfile.txt link_to_myfile.txt // overwrites the link created by the second command, does *not* create a numbered backup My question is, shouldn't use of the --backup=existing option result in the third command creating a link called "link_to_myfile.txt~1" since the documentation says --backup=existing creates numbered backups? Thanks, Sam
