Re: Small patch to add -a to cp

On Monday 11 February 2008 04:47:44 pm David Frascone wrote:
> This small patch adds the -a (archive) flag to cp.  Personally, I use cp -a
> all the time, and I miss it on BSD.  This makes cp share the common -a flag
> with rsync and other file manipulation utilities.
> 
> Comments, flames, etc welcome.

I have this patch from the last time this came up.  It maps -a to -RpP rather
than -rpP though.  Since -r won't preserve symlinks but copy their contents, I
think -RpP is probably the better default.

Index: cp.1
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/cvs/src/bin/cp/cp.1,v
retrieving revision 1.39
diff -u -r1.39 cp.1
--- cp.1	2 Nov 2006 19:10:05 -0000	1.39
+++ cp.1	16 Mar 2007 03:19:51 -0000
_at__at_ -45,7 +45,7 _at__at_
 .Op Fl H | Fl L | Fl P
 .Oc
 .Op Fl f | i | n
-.Op Fl lpv
+.Op Fl alpv
 .Ar source_file target_file
 .Nm
 .Oo
_at__at_ -53,7 +53,7 _at__at_
 .Op Fl H | Fl L | Fl P
 .Oc
 .Op Fl f | i | n
-.Op Fl lpv
+.Op Fl alpv
 .Ar source_file ... target_directory
 .Sh DESCRIPTION
 In the first synopsis form, the
_at__at_ -116,6 +116,10 _at__at_
 or
 .Xr pax 1
 instead.
+.It Fl a
+Archive mode.
+Same as
+.Fl RpP .
 .It Fl f
 For each existing destination pathname, remove it and
 create a new file, without prompting for confirmation
Index: cp.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/cvs/src/bin/cp/cp.c,v
retrieving revision 1.59
diff -u -r1.59 cp.c
--- cp.c	26 Dec 2007 08:32:20 -0000	1.59
+++ cp.c	10 Jan 2008 16:03:38 -0000
_at__at_ -102,7 +102,7 _at__at_
 	char *target;
 
 	Hflag = Lflag = Pflag = 0;
-	while ((ch = getopt(argc, argv, "HLPRfilnprv")) != -1)
+	while ((ch = getopt(argc, argv, "HLPRafilnprv")) != -1)
 		switch (ch) {
 		case 'H':
 			Hflag = 1;
_at__at_ -119,6 +119,12 _at__at_
 		case 'R':
 			Rflag = 1;
 			break;
+		case 'a':
+			Pflag = 1;
+			pflag = 1;
+			Rflag = 1;
+			Hflag = Lflag = 0;
+			break;
 		case 'f':
 			fflag = 1;
 			iflag = nflag = 0;
Index: utils.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/cvs/src/bin/cp/utils.c,v
retrieving revision 1.52
diff -u -r1.52 utils.c
--- utils.c	7 Oct 2006 12:14:50 -0000	1.52
+++ utils.c	16 Mar 2007 03:19:51 -0000
_at__at_ -429,8 +429,8 _at__at_
 {
 
 	(void)fprintf(stderr, "%s\n%s\n",
-"usage: cp [-R [-H | -L | -P]] [-f | -i | -n] [-lpv] source_file target_file",
-"       cp [-R [-H | -L | -P]] [-f | -i | -n] [-lpv] source_file ... "
+"usage: cp [-R [-H | -L | -P]] [-f | -i | -n] [-alpv] source_file target_file",
+"       cp [-R [-H | -L | -P]] [-f | -i | -n] [-alpv] source_file ... "
 "target_directory");
 	exit(EX_USAGE);
 }


-- 
John Baldwin