handling duplicate names deterministically and adding alternative checksum algorithms

[Andrew Shewmaker]

Thanks, rsync developers, for creating such a great tool.

I'm a member of a team of system administrators and integrators that
use rsync with SystemImager and Cfengine to rapidly deploy and
prescriptively maintain systems.  Our current practices would benefit
if rsync were enhanced to handle duplicate names deterministically as
described in the todo list.  If we were able to use rsync to overlay a
base system image directory with customization directories, then we
would also be interested in the ability to optionally use a stronger
checksum algorithm.  Then we could use rsync to replace our use of the
Tripwire file system integrity checking tool.

I was planning on doing this work myself sometime in FY06.  I would
start sooner, but I have a lot of other projects with higher
priorities, and I am attempting to arrange for specific funding for
this work.

Is anyone else was already working on these features?

Thanks again,

Andrew Shewmaker