Re: Could timestamps be replaced with MD5?

[Noel L Yap]

[EMAIL PROTECTED] on 04/18/2000 04:13:44 AM
>Bottom line: MD5 checking can/should be switch enable-able, default on.
>Timestamp checking can/should be switch enable-able, default on
>Always check every byte can/should be switch enable-able, default off
>(it is needed if you are in an environment where timestamps can be
>changed or mis-maintained, such as an NT 4.0 sp 6 workstation box
>smb-mounted onto a linux system, as I have -- timestamps on files are not
>reliable, but at least are (seem to be) consistent.)

IMHO, the "best" heuristic would be:
1. If timestamp and filesize hasn't changed, assume file is the same -- too bad
for those who use touch -r.  Aside from the filesize check, this is exactly the
CVS behaves now.
2. If timestamp or filesize has changed, check the MD5.

A "byte-by-byte" comparison should be left for another time (when someone can
implement the rsync algorithm within CVS).

Noel