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

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Message #50 received at 17103 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>
To: Paul Eggert <eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu>
Cc: 17103 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Linda Walsh <coreutils <at> tlinx.org>
Subject: Re: bug#17103: regression: cp -al doesn't copy symlinks, but tries
 to link to them (fail)
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 03:31:35 +0000

On 03/27/2014 02:57 AM, Pádraig Brady wrote:

> I've attached a patch for illustration.
> 
> However I don't like it because it doesn't deal with,
> 1. fifos, device files, setuid regular files, nor,
> 2. relative symlinks that traverse outside the copied hierarchy.

Actually point 2 isn't specific to this issue at all,
so forget about that disadvantage.

> 3. Also if you were using `cp -al source mirror`, and subsequently
> wanted to use the link count to see what was added in source,
> then symlinks having a link count of only 1 would mess that up.
> 
> So given this is a system security policy that's restricting the operation,
> and falling back to a less security sensitive operation has at least
> the above 3 disadvantages, I'm not sure there is anything we should do here.

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