How to change permissions on a directory without meaning to... - include/exclude semantics

[jw schultz]

On Tue, Oct 07, 2003 at 10:21:16AM -0700, Wayne Davison wrote:
> On Tue, Oct 07, 2003 at 09:55:45AM -0700, jw schultz wrote:
> > This should probably be attached to this paragraph early in the USAGE
> > section:
> 
> I've incorporated some suggested tweaks into the text you cited.
> See if you like this:
> 
> a trailing slash on the source changes this behavior to transfer all
> files from the directory src/bar on the machine foo into the /data/tmp/.
> A trailing / on a source name means "copy the contents of this
> directory, em(including) the '.' file".  Without a trailing slash it means
>          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I suspect talking about "the '.' file" is going to add to
the confusion of those coming from other OSs.

Also, it is incorrect.  The trailing slash means the
contents of the directory (excluding .).

> "copy the directory by name". This difference becomes particularly
>                    ^^^^^^^^
> important when using the --delete option.
> 
> Note that the inclusion of the '.' file in the copy when using a
> trailing slash causes the destination directory to be affected if
> file attributes (ownership, mode, etc.) are being copied.  It is
> impossible to exclude the dot file to prevent this, so don't do
> something like this:
> 
> quote(rsync -av /some/dir/ /tmp/)
> 
> Unless you want the attributes of /tmp to change.

What i was talking about regarding a documentation addition
was something discussing the root dir ("/") which is more
awkward to to specify copy the contents but not the
directory.  Possibly with an explicit example.

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

		Remember Cernan and Schmitt