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Re: dpkg and hardlinks



Jerome Warnier wrote:
Raphael Hertzog wrote:
On Tue, 24 Mar 2009, Jerome Warnier wrote:
For files from packages, though, deduplication might be a good idea, as
dpkg is supposedly the only one to ever modify the files (under /usr for
example).
I don't know however how dpkg treats hardlinks. Does it "break" the
hardlink before replacing a file or does it replace the file whatever
its real nature is?
IIRC dpkg preserves hardlinks inside a binary package but I don't see how
it could do the same across multiple binary packages.
Oh, I didn't expect it to. I just wanted to know its behaviour when it
upgrades a package.
Before the upgrade, the file is a hardlink (because I hardlinked it
manually), then it tries to upgrade the file/hardlink. Does it "break"
the hardlink* before upgrading the file or does it overwrite the
file/hardlink and all of its "siblings"?

Do you really care? (not theoretically, but in normal use).
I would expect that same content will be delivered:
- by "brother" packages (same source), thus usually updated
  at the same time.
- in documentation (so maybe not so important for your use).

I think the most problem are in files outside "dpkg" control,
i.e. /var and /etc.

I'm just curious: do you have a list of "same" content files?
maybe I'm completely wrong.

ciao
	cate


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