GNU bug report logs - #50889
Please improve the documentation for install --compare (-C)

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Message #10 received at 50889-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>
To: Ian Cross <ian.cross <at> galagic.com>, 50889-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#50889: Please improve the documentation for install --compare
 (-C)
Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2022 13:06:28 +0100

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

On 29/09/2021 12:09, Ian Cross via GNU coreutils Bug Reports wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> A while back a request was made to improve the documentation of the
> `install --compare` cmd:
> 
> https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-coreutils/2009-09/msg00029.html
> 
> It seems the wording in `coreutils.texi` has been updated since
> (https://github.com/coreutils/coreutils/commit/c8ac385299950ba84eb8c33f7e32e4d85b18e3ff
> ) but the manpage and `--help` as of coreutils v8.32 still leave things
> vague:
> 
>> compare each pair of source and destination files, and in some cases,
> do not modify the destination at all
> 
> Florain Schlichting at the time of the request suggested this wording
> instead:
> 
>> compare each pair of source and destination files, and if identical
> (by content, ownership and mode), do not copy to preserve mtime
> 
> It looks like a patch was made but somehow never made it into the
> codebase. Please could the manpage and help be updated with this
> wording so users can understand more readily what compare will do?

Both the --help and texinfo was incomplete / confusing.
I've installed the attached to address this.

Marking this as done.

thanks,
Pádraig

[install--compare-clarify.patch (text/x-patch, attachment)]

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