diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'doc/coreutils.texi')
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/coreutils.texi | 18 |
1 files changed, 11 insertions, 7 deletions
diff --git a/doc/coreutils.texi b/doc/coreutils.texi index 3eac96b7d..2dbfccecc 100644 --- a/doc/coreutils.texi +++ b/doc/coreutils.texi @@ -8125,9 +8125,11 @@ Equivalent to @option{--no-dereference --preserve=links}. When copying without this option and an existing destination file cannot be opened for writing, the copy fails. However, with @option{--force}, when a destination file cannot be opened, @command{cp} then removes it and -tries to open it again. Contrast this behavior with that enabled by -@option{--link} and @option{--symbolic-link}, whereby the destination file -is never opened but rather is removed unconditionally. Also see the +tries to open it again. When this option is combined with +@option{--link} (@option{-l}) or @option{--symbolic-link} +(@option{-s}), the destination link is replaced, and unless +@option{--backup} (@option{-b}) is also given there is no brief +moment when the destination does not exist. Also see the description of @option{--remove-destination}. This option is independent of the @option{--interactive} or @@ -9825,11 +9827,13 @@ directory, using the @var{target}s' names. @end itemize -Normally @command{ln} does not remove existing files. Use the -@option{--force} (@option{-f}) option to remove them unconditionally, -the @option{--interactive} (@option{-i}) option to remove them +Normally @command{ln} does not replace existing files. Use the +@option{--force} (@option{-f}) option to replace them unconditionally, +the @option{--interactive} (@option{-i}) option to replace them conditionally, and the @option{--backup} (@option{-b}) option to -rename them. +rename them. Unless the @option{--backup} (@option{-b}) option is +used there is no brief moment when the destination does not exist; +this is an extension to POSIX. @cindex hard link, defined @cindex inode, and hard links |