Re: ln can't backup directories

[Bert Wesarg]

On Fri, Sep 11, 2009 at 16:15, Jim Meyering <address@hidden> wrote:
> Bert Wesarg wrote:
>> On Mon, Sep 7, 2009 at 18:25, Bert Wesarg <address@hidden> wrote:
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> I'm failing in creating a symlink where the destination is a directory
>>> and do a backup of this directory. This is what I tried:
>>>
>>> $ mkdir a
>>> $ ln -s --no-target-directory --backup=numbered b a
>>> ln: `a': cannot overwrite directory
>>>
>>> Looking at the code I can seen the reason, the backup rename() is
>>> never executed, because the check whether the target is a directory
>>> comes first.
>>>
>>> Any hints whether this is a bug of ln or how I can create the link
>>> while preserving the destination as an backup are more than welcomed.
>>>
>>> Thanks.
>>> Bert
>>>
>> Thanks to all for the release. But can someone please have a look at my 
>> problem?
>
> cp and mv work the same way: even with --backup, they refuse to move
> aside a destination directory.
>
> However, that's something that I've considered worth changing
> for years.  I never got around to it.  If only for the testing
> requirements, it will not be a trivial change, since for UI
> consistency, it should affect all three at the same time.
>
> Maybe someone will volunteer to do the work.
Maybe a simpler solution would be a new dedicated tool which just
backups files, i.e. utilize the find_backup_file_name()/rename()
combination and call it 'mkbck'.

Regards
Bert