[linux-cifs-client] cp -p does not preserve timestamps

[Jochen Roderburg]

Hello list,

This favourite linux-cifs error seems to be still around (or returned  
again lately  ;-)

When I copy a file to a cifs-mounted share, in most cases the time  
stamps are not preserved. I see this with "cp -p" and the GNOME  
commander file-manager and with various combinations of Linux clients  
and samba servers:
with Linux kernels 2.6.28 and 2.6.29, samba 3.2.7 on an IBM SoFS  
system (kind of huge NAS which we are about to release upon our  
university staff/students), samba 3.0.25 on an own NAS box (Acer  
EasyStore) and samba 3.3.4 on my Linux machines themselves. The  
problem seems to occur only with enabled CIFS Unix Extensions.

I have searched in the net and the cifs archives and saw that this  
type of error was already discussed and repaired several times in  
recent years. I have found also two test programs in the archives with  
which I can show the error in some of the above mentioned cases. As I  
said it does not occur in every case which makes it kind of difficult  
to diagnose.

What I read in the old discussions is that this issue happens in cases  
where file attributes (incl. timestamps) are set on open files and the  
subsequent file close resets them again somehow.

Let me know if I can help with specific tests on my systems. I have,  
however, the feeling that is not difficult to reproduce the error in  
other environments, too.

Best Regards,

Jochen Roderburg
RRZK
University of Cologne
Robert-Koch-Str. 10                    Tel.:   +49-221/478-7024
D-50931 Koeln                          E-Mail: Roderburg at Uni-Koeln.DE
Germany