rsync - Dec 2003 - why not link devices with --link-dest option?

I notice that devices are not hardlinked when using the --link-dest
option, for instance:

  rsync -aH --link-dest=../bar/ foo/ baz/

When foo/zero is a device, baz/zero is not a hardlink to bar/zero.  How
come?

$ rsync --version 
rsync  version 2.5.6  protocol version 26

on linux 2.4.x


-- 
Russell Senior         ``I have nine fingers; you have ten.''
seniorr@aracnet.com

On Sat, Dec 20, 2003 at 03:37:40AM -0800, Russell Senior
wrote:
> 
> I notice that devices are not hardlinked when using the --link-dest
> option, for instance:
> 
>   rsync -aH --link-dest=../bar/ foo/ baz/
> 
> When foo/zero is a device, baz/zero is not a hardlink to bar/zero.  How
> come?
Because rsync recreates non-regular files unconditionally.
Changing this will require restructuring some core
functionality.

I created the --link-dest option for dirvish (and anyone
else who wanted it) but i still don't see this as much of a
problem.  At some point in future i, or someone else, might
make recv_generator a bit more modular and restructure it.
For now the cost of not --link-dest not hard-linking devices,
FIFOs, sockets and symlinks is small.



-- 
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	J.W. Schultz            Pegasystems Technologies
	email address:		jw@pegasys.ws

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