GNU bug report logs - #32127
ln: add option to fall-back to softlink if hardlink fails

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Message #26 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: L A Walsh <coreutils <at> tlinx.org>
To: Paul Eggert <eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu>
Cc: Coreutils <bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org>, Coreutils <coreutils <at> gnu.org>,
 32127 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#32127: RFE -- in the way "cp -rl" -- enable 'ln' to do
 likewise?
Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2018 10:51:22 -0700

Paul Eggert wrote:
> On 07/12/2018 02:16 AM, L A Walsh wrote:
>>     I'm asking why does 'ln' bother to tell the user that they are
>> wrong and do nothing useful?  Why not just go ahead and create a symlink
> 
> The user didn't ask for a symlink,
User didn't ask for a physical or hardlink (-P) either.  Just asked
for a link, kind unspecified.

> and it sounds unwise for ln to be
> second-guessing that.
---
 True - should **probably** have given them *SOME* link.  Since
they didn't specify Physical or Symlink...either would be fine.


> Sometimes, reporting an error and exiting is a
> better thing to do.
---
	Unless they claim to want one or the other (-P or -l), unless
it is an "undo-able" operation (like one that deletes data), why would
you guarantee ln doing the wrong thing, rather than having a better than
50% chance of doing the right thing?

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