This is a suggestion for a new feature in the "mv" command. This feature applies to moving directories. If a user moves a directory with a lot of files and encounters an error, it can often leave the source directory in a partially moved state. It makes it hard to redo the operation because the source directory has changed.
The feature I'm looking for is a flag in the "mv" command that preserves a copy of the source directory until the entire tree has been successfully copied to the destination directory. At that point, the move command can delete the source directory. That way, a user can fix the error and rerun the same move command. It makes it easier and less of a headache.
There might be other ways to accomplish this. But, I would use this feature all the time if it were available. I call it the "safe move operation."
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Michael BoldischarResearch Fellow / IT Manager
University of Minnesota
Department of Civil Engineering
MAST Laboratory
University of Minnesota
2525 4th Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Desk Phone: 612-626-9562
Cellphone: 651-387-0223
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