https://bugzilla.samba.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1670
Summary: softlink can't be excluded
Product: rsync
Version: 2.6.3
Platform: All
OS/Version: Linux
Status: NEW
Severity: normal
Priority: P3
Component: core
AssignedTo: wayned@samba.org
ReportedBy: johndhendrickson22124@yahoo.com
QAContact: rsync-qa@samba.org
Hi,
I would like you to seriously consider this. That is: I know
its a feature request but feel it's important.
The --exlude option can't look at link targets. I know it sounds
trivial at first but I think mirroring users need that.
Here's my problem / example:
For a mirroring situation I have /etc/hosts.$HOSTNAME on each machine
with a softlink /etc/hosts pointing to the right host file.
This makes /etc distributable (ie, excepting fstab, lilo.conf).
My problem is: mirroring /etc/host softlink writes the wrong link on
other hosts.
---------------------------
That is: for most link I want common rsync -uavH functionality. But
some links aren't supposed to point to the same place on a mirrored host
because of mandatory (host specific) differences. One might find this
situation on ftp mirrors as well.
I use rsync because it *can* replicate softlink. But using rsync, I have
no idea what I'm about replicate, right?
Allowing link targets in --exclude lists - is the only
answer. (note: meaning: exclude links pointing to target)
Its true. One could run rsync twice. One for all non-links. Then use
find. Then use resulting find in a loop for rsync. But that is much
harder and would require allot of separate transfers. It would be error
prone as well.
Personally, I can't think of a reason to allow specifying link targets
in any other place than the --exclude / --include lists.
------------------------
In most directories, host based files make the directory completely
distributable - despite that some files point on a per-host basis. This
means one can much more easily mirror functionality of unix machines
while leaving host based files alone.
I administer several unix boxes - and mirroring updates is very important
to saving [massive] ammounts of time. Added: if one box goes down the
other is ready not just as a backup: but ready for use in place of.
--------------------------------------
The host based thing is an example. I'm sure other's would have
important uses for exluding softlinks via their link targets as well.
Thanks,
John D. Hendrickson
johndhendrickson22124@yahoo.com
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