reclinker For Linux

reclinker is a recursive symlinking utility. The project mirrors a hierarchy of files by means of symlinks.

The program has a linker, a deleter and a test mode. By default it's in linker mode. It gets into deleter mode if it's invoked as recdeleter, and into test mode if it's invoked as reclinktester. Linker/deleter/test mode may be forced with the -l/-d/-t switches.

In linker mode it mirrors the directory tree under < from > to under < where > and symlinks files there. The symlinks point to the basename of the file processed, prefixed with < prefix >. If < prefix > is not given, it defaults to the absolute pathname of < from > (ie., the symlink points to the correct absolute filename).

In deleter mode it deletes non-broken symlinks (empty directories) of the form < where >/foo, where < from >/foo is an existing file (directory). (A dir is also considered empty if it gets empty during the deletion procedure.)

In test mode it tests whether symlinks/dirs under < where > corresponding to files/dirs under < from > exist, and whether are they created properly.

If extra arguments are given, then they will be treated as files named relatively from < from >, and they will be proceeded individually (no mass action is taken). If "-" is among these extra arguments, then individual file names are also read from stdin; if "0-" is among them, individual file names are also read from stdin, being separated by ''.

Here are some key features of "reclinker":

� written in pure C (no dependencies, fast) � free of forced, confusing package management terminology (like stow dir, target dir, package) � supports both absolut and relative linking � supports linking into existing hierarchies, handles properly already existing directory symlinks in the target hierarchy (like /usr/man -> share/man) � supports access control (set ownership/mode of created links/directories, filter processed files based on ownership/mode requirements) � license is LGPL, not GPL (some may think it's a feature)

It also has a feature which makes it similar to cpio passthrough mode: reclinker can take a list of files on stdin, and link only those files which occur in the list.

reclinker was written to be the part of a more comprehensive symlinky package management scheme, IFS. IFS is not ready but you can just start using reclinker immediately.

Options common for all modes:

-h print this message and exit -U < user > skip file under < from > if it's not owned by < user > -G < group > skip file under < from > if it doesn't belong to < group > -v/-q increase/decrease verbosity level (currently 0, 1, 2 are in use, default is 1)

Options in linker mode are:

-r produce relative symlinks -f overwrite existing files -m < mode > create new directories with mode < mode > ( &'d with umask!) -o force < mode > given by -m for all processed directories (if -m is not used, the mode of the actually processed dir is forced) -u < user > newly created dirs/symlinks shall be owned by < user > -g < group > newly created dirs/symlinks shall belong to < group > -D only directories are proceeded -p < prefix > prepend < prefix > to link targets

Options in deleter mode are:

-f delete corresponding file even it's not a symlink -m < mode > deletes < where >/foo only if < from >/foo is of mode < mode > -o only broken symlinks are deleted -u < user > deletes < where >/foo only if it belongs to < user > -g < group > deletes < where >/foo only if it belongs to < group > -D don't delete directories

Options in test mode are:

-r test symlinks as if they were created using -r in linker mode -m < mode > skip foo if < from >/foo isn't of mode < mode > -u < user > skip foo if < where >/foo is not owned by < user > -g < group > skip foo if < where >/foo doesn't belong to < group > -p < prefix > test links assuming they were created using "-p < prefix >"

Return values: 0 - success; 1 - fatal error; 2 - some act failed but just kept on doing; 3 - arguments imply nothing happens (eg., bad options used)