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bug#14383: cp --one-file-system / will not copy whole root filesystem
From: |
Bob Proulx |
Subject: |
bug#14383: cp --one-file-system / will not copy whole root filesystem |
Date: |
Fri, 10 May 2013 10:35:25 -0600 |
User-agent: |
Mutt/1.5.21 (2010-09-15) |
severity 14383 wishlist
thanks
Pavel Machek wrote:
> On systems like linux, cp / -a --one-file-system (destination) will
> not copy whole root filesystem. It is not cp's fault, but the
> behaviour is quite surprising to the users, so maybe it would be worth
> warning in man page?
>
> Something like
>
> -x, --one-file-system
> stay on this file system
>
> Note that on systems that allow mounts over non-empty
> directories (like Linux), cp / -ax (destination) will
> not copy whole filesystem. In particular, content of
> /dev will not be usually copied, because distributions
> mount tmpfs over /dev.
>
> [Ok, there's hopefully better wording...?]
But isn't that the entire purpose of -x? To avoid copying files on
other file systems?
I am just not sure about having a description that is "don't copy
files on other filesystems" and then "warning: does not copy files on
other filesystems".
I have never liked the wording of "stay on this file system". Usually
describing things in the positive, saying what it does, is best. But
I always felt that with -x describing it in the negative, saying what
it does not do, would be better wording.
Bob