GNU bug report logs - #15727
doc: cp: expand dirs-vs-files with -f/--remove-dest

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From: Assaf Gordon <assafgordon <at> gmail.com>
To: Linda Walsh <coreutils <at> tlinx.org>, Bernhard Voelker <mail <at> bernhard-voelker.de>
Cc: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>, 15727 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#15727: Bug: cp <-a|-archive> (w/<-f|--remove-destination>) breaks if one of files is a dir and other not
Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2019 02:17:33 -0700

severity 15727 wishlist
retitle 15727 doc: cp: expand dirs-vs-files with -f/--remove-dest
stop


Hello,

On 2013-10-29 12:20 p.m., Linda Walsh wrote:
[...]
> You need to make the docs much more clear about "cp"s limitations.
> 
> update isn't eally update, and -T is certainly wrong at the very
> least.  If you feel you'd rather document cp's limitations,
> that's fine...
> 
> cp is a great tool, don't get me wrong!  But when it added update
> and -T, --remove-destination, it started inferring or promising
> more than you were willing to deliver.  That should be documented.

Based on the above (as the result of the long discussion),
I'm marking this as a documentation wish-list item:

clarify that "-f" and "--remove-destination" won't replace a file
with a directory (as explained by Pádraig and Bernhard in the thread).

Similarly for related limitations of "-T".

regards,
 - assaf

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