GNU bug report logs - #5775
[PATCH] doc: fix info to say cp -a does _not_ diagnose xattr failures

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From: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>
To: Report bugs to <bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org>, Ondřej Vašík <ovasik <at> redhat.com>
Subject: bug#5775: [PATCH] doc: fix info to say cp -a does _not_ diagnose xattr failures
Date: Sat, 10 Apr 2010 00:52:48 +0100

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

On 26/03/10 11:53, Pádraig Brady wrote:
> I was surprised that `cp --preserve=all file.xattr /dev/shm` produced no warnings
> In any case, this makes the docs match the behaviour.

Actually some warnings could be output in this case so my patch is incorrect.
The xattr/selinux diagnostics from cp/mv/install are done like:

1. cp -a			outputs no warnings
2. cp --preserve=all		outputs all but ENOTSUP
3. cp --preserve=xattr,context	outputs all errors
4. mv				outputs all but ENOTSUP
5. install --preserve-context	outputs all but ENOTSUP

I'm not sure about treating xattr errors differently
to other attribute preservation errors, and in
addition ENOTSUP differently from other errors.
It just seems a bit inconsistent to me.

So how about simplifying the code to match the doc change.
I.E. don't output any warnings for 2,4 & 5 above.
A diff to do that is attached:
 copy.c    |   63 ++++++++++++++++----------------------------------------------
 copy.h    |   32 +++++++++++--------------------
 cp.c      |    2 -
 install.c |    1
 mv.c      |    1
 5 files changed, 29 insertions(+), 70 deletions(-)

Alternatively we could make 1 behave like 2,4,5?

cheers,
Pádraig.

[standard-diagnostics.diff (text/x-patch, attachment)]

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