[Bug 1670] New: softlink can't be excluded

[samba-bugs at samba.org]

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 at samba.org
        ReportedBy: johndhendrickson22124 at yahoo.com
         QAContact: rsync-qa at 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 at yahoo.com

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