rsync - Jul 2008 - DO NOT REPLY [Bug 5645] New: Optimization-only basis dirs that don't affect itemization

https://bugzilla.samba.org/show_bug.cgi?id=5645

           Summary: Optimization-only basis dirs that don't affect
                    itemization
           Product: rsync
           Version: 3.1.0
          Platform: All
        OS/Version: All
            Status: NEW
          Severity: enhancement
          Priority: P3
         Component: core
        AssignedTo: wayned@samba.org
        ReportedBy: matt@mattmccutchen.net
         QAContact: rsync-qa@samba.org


Currently, when rsync uses a basis file from a --*-dest basis dir, rsync
itemizes as if the basis file were actually present in the destination. 
However, a --copy-dest or --link-dest dir (but not a --compare-dest dir) may be
intended purely as an optimization that does not affect the resulting contents
of the destination (ignoring hard links).  I would like a means to specify such
a basis dir without affecting itemization except to change some "<"
or ">" in
the first column to "c" or "h".

This means could take the form of a separate flag --no-itemize-alt-basis or,
for more flexibility, non-itemizing variants of --copy-dest and --link-dest. 
These variants could be named --basis-dir and --link-basis-dir to suggest that
they lack the semantic association with the destination that the --*-dest
options have.


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https://bugzilla.samba.org/show_bug.cgi?id=5645





------- Comment #1 from matt@mattmccutchen.net  2008-07-29 14:09 CST -------
I previously requested this enhancement at:
http://lists.samba.org/archive/rsync/2007-February/017210.html

Wayne on why the --*-dest options affect itemization but --fuzzy doesn't:
http://lists.samba.org/archive/rsync/2006-October/016561.html


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https://bugzilla.samba.org/show_bug.cgi?id=5645





------- Comment #2 from matt@mattmccutchen.net  2008-10-04 15:45 CST -------
To clarify, I propose splitting --copy-dest=DIR and --link-dest=DIR into two
variants, one that means purely "use DIR as an optimization" and
another that
means purely "regard DIR as the previous version of the destination". 
The
first variant could be named --{,link-}basis-dir and the second could keep the
name --{copy,link}-dest, or the second could adopt a new name for backward
compatibility.

The first variant would have no effect on rsync's itemization (except to
change
"<" or ">" to "c" or "h" when
appropriate) or on the resulting destination
contents (except for hard links outside the destination).

The second variant would give essentially the same result as copying DIR to the
destination with "cp -a" ("-l" in the case of --link-dest)
and then running
rsync, except that --link-dest would avoid tweaking attributes in DIR
regardless of --no-tweak-hlinked (see bug 4561).  In particular, it would
itemize deletions with respect to DIR when --delete is on (as in bug 5263) and
would copy/hard-link extraneous files from DIR to the destination when --delete
is off.  The proposal of this last bit of behavior on the list inspired me to
make this clarification:

http://lists.samba.org/archive/rsync/2008-October/021854.html


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