GNU bug report logs - #17103
cp: "cp -al" doesn't copy symlinks, tries to link to them

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From: Linda Walsh <coreutils <at> tlinx.org>
To: Eric Blake <eblake <at> redhat.com>
Cc: 17103 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>
Subject: bug#17103: regression: cp -al doesn't copy symlinks, but tries to link to them (fail)
Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 13:57:15 -0700

Eric Blake wrote:
> On 03/26/2014 02:21 PM, Linda Walsh wrote:
> 
>>     As far as I know, you could never hardlink
>> to a symlink.  only to a file.
> 
> Wrong. 
---
	How can you presume to say what I wrote
about my 'knowledge' (as far as I knew), is wrong?  You
are implying that I wrote differently than I thought --
an accusation of deliberate lying if one was to look at
your response (which I don't think is what you intended --
you were just trying to be abrasive in your answer).

You could say what I knew was dated, but simply saying
'wrong' to that sentence shows a lack of understanding
of what was said.

Nevertheless, it if it can't link to the symlink (like
it cannot like to directories), then it should copy the
symlink.  Whether it is a relative or an absolute
symlink, the symlink is readable and can be copied.

Furthermore, the man page says "-l: hard link files instead
of copying'.  AFAIK, symlinks are not files any more
than directories (or is that wrong too and they are now
considered to be 'files'?

FWIW, the behavior does seem to be caused by the new
buggy security behavior.   I.e. it makes no sense that
I can hardlink to a file, but not a symlink in the same
directory.

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