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Subject: bug#23950: An enhancement request
Resent-From: "Dr. Randall Fisher" <randall.fisher@HIDDEN>
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From: "Dr. Randall Fisher" <randall.fisher@HIDDEN>
Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2016 18:41:00 -0400
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Hi,

I use "diff -r" when comparing a directory tree to a copy that I have made
when the storage media is questionable.  There are often broken symlinks in
the original (usually a backup from some defunct machine).  When I do the
diff, I get thousands of messages along the lines of :

diff: gecko-clone-100714/var/X11R6/lib/xkb/xkbcomp: No such file or
directory
diff: /home2/Backups/gecko-clone-100714/var/X11R6/lib/xkb/xkbcomp: No such
file or directory

There are also messages along the lines of:

X/afifo is a fifo while Y/afifo is a fifo
... or a socket or a character special, etc.

=E2=80=8BThese aren't really useful in this context and bury any really imp=
ortant
errors.=E2=80=8B

Could you add switches to :
    1. Not dereference symlinks, but compare the symlink itself (i.e. no
message if they point to the same non-existant place)?
    2. Not report the "this is an orange while that is an orange" messages?

=E2=80=8BThank you,

Randy Fisher=E2=80=8B

--=20
Randall Fisher, Ph.D.
randall.fisher@HIDDEN
randall.fisher@HIDDEN

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-size:small">Hi,=
<br><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-size:small">I use =
&quot;diff -r&quot; when comparing a directory tree to a copy that I have m=
ade when the storage media is questionable.=C2=A0 There are often broken sy=
mlinks in the original (usually a backup from some defunct machine).=C2=A0 =
When I do the diff, I get thousands of messages along the lines of :<br><br=
>diff: gecko-clone-100714/var/X11R6/lib/xkb/xkbcomp: No such file or direct=
ory<br>diff: /home2/Backups/gecko-clone-100714/var/X11R6/lib/xkb/xkbcomp: N=
o such file or directory<br><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D=
"font-size:small">There are also messages along the lines of:<br><br></div>=
<div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-size:small">X/afifo is a fifo wh=
ile Y/afifo is a fifo<br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-s=
ize:small">... or a socket or a character special, etc.<br clear=3D"all"></=
div><br><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-size:small">=E2=80=8BThe=
se aren&#39;t really useful in this context and bury any really important e=
rrors.=E2=80=8B<br><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-siz=
e:small">Could you add switches to :<br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" =
style=3D"font-size:small">=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 1. Not dereference symlinks, b=
ut compare the symlink itself (i.e. no message if they point to the same no=
n-existant place)?<br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-size=
:small">=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 2. Not report the &quot;this is an orange while =
that is an orange&quot; messages?<br></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_default"=
 style=3D"font-size:small">=E2=80=8BThank you,<br><br></div><div class=3D"g=
mail_default" style=3D"font-size:small">Randy Fisher=E2=80=8B</div><br>-- <=
br><div class=3D"gmail_signature" data-smartmail=3D"gmail_signature">Randal=
l Fisher, Ph.D.<br><a href=3D"mailto:randall.fisher@HIDDEN" target=3D"_bl=
ank">randall.fisher@HIDDEN</a><br><a href=3D"mailto:randall.fisher@HIDDEN=
g" target=3D"_blank">randall.fisher@HIDDEN</a><br></div>
</div>

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To: "Dr. Randall Fisher" <randall.fisher@HIDDEN>
Subject: bug#23950: Acknowledgement (An enhancement request)
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Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2016 22:43:02 +0000

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Message sent to bug-diffutils@HIDDEN:

Subject: bug#23950: [bug-diffutils] bug#23950: An enhancement request
Resent-From: Dave Gordon <david.s.gordon@HIDDEN>
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On 11/07/16 23:41, Dr. Randall Fisher wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I use "diff -r" when comparing a directory tree to a copy that I have made
> when the storage media is questionable.  There are often broken symlinks in
> the original (usually a backup from some defunct machine).  When I do the
> diff, I get thousands of messages along the lines of :
>
> diff: gecko-clone-100714/var/X11R6/lib/xkb/xkbcomp: No such file or
> directory
> diff: /home2/Backups/gecko-clone-100714/var/X11R6/lib/xkb/xkbcomp: No such
> file or directory
>
> There are also messages along the lines of:
>
> X/afifo is a fifo while Y/afifo is a fifo
> ... or a socket or a character special, etc.
>
> These aren't really useful in this context and bury any really important
> errors.
>
> Could you add switches to :
>      1. Not dereference symlinks, but compare the symlink itself (i.e. no
> message if they point to the same non-existant place)?
>      2. Not report the "this is an orange while that is an orange" messages?
>
> Thank you,
> Randy Fisher

Maybe diff(1) isn't the right tool? Have you considered using rsync(1) 
with the -vn options (verbose reporting, no actual transfers) to see 
what differs between the two trees? If you doubt the integrity of the 
storage medium, you might want to add "-C" (use checksums) as well, thus

$ rsync -aHvCn src/ dest/
sending incremental file list
./
bxt_dmc_ver1.bin -> bxt_dmc_ver1_07.bin

sent 510 bytes  received 22 bytes  1,064.00 bytes/sec
total size is 404,951  speedup is 761.19 (DRY RUN)

The output should list every directory checked (lines ending /) plus 
those nondirectory objects which differ between src and dest (lines not 
ending /) -- the latter are presumably what you're interested in.

HTH,
.Dave.

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