hardlink(1)

NAME

   hardlink - Link multiple copies of a file

SYNOPSIS

   hardlink [option]...  [directory|file]...

DESCRIPTION

   hardlink  is  a  tool  which  replaces copies of a file with hardlinks,
   therefore saving space.

OPTIONS

   -h or --help
          print quick usage details to the screen.

   -v or --verbose
          More verbose output. If specified once, every hardlinked file is
          displayed, if specified twice, it also shows every comparison.

   -n or --dry-run
          Do not act, just print what would happen

   -f or --respect-name
          Only try to link files with the same (basename).

   -p or --ignore-mode
          Link/compare  files even if their mode is different. This may be
          a bit unpredictable.

   -o or --ignore-owner
          Link/compare files even if  their  owner  (user  and  group)  is
          different. It is not predictable

   -t or --ignore-time
          Link/compare  files  even  if  their  time  of  modification  is
          different. You almost always want this.

   -X or --respect-xattrs
          Only try to link files with the same extended attributes.

   -m or --maximize
          Among equal files, keep the file with the highest link count.

   -M or --minimize
          Among equal files, keep the file with the lowest link count.

   -O or --keep-oldest
          Among  equal  files,  keep  the  oldest   file   (least   recent
          modification  time).  By  default,  the  newest file is kept. If
          --maximize or --minimize is specified,  the  link  count  has  a
          higher precedence than the time of modification.

   -x or --exclude
          A  regular  expression  which excludes files from being compared
          and linked.

   -i or --include
          A regular expression to include files. If the  option  --exclude
          has  been  given,  this  option  re-includes  files  which would
          otherwise be excluded. If the option is used without  --exclude,
          only files matched by the pattern are included.

   -s or --nimum-size
          The  minimum  size  to  consider. By default this is 1, so empty
          files will not be linked. An optional suffix of K,M,G,T  may  be
          provided, indicating that the file size is KiB,MiB,GiB,TiB.

ARGUMENTS

   hardlink takes one or more directories which will be searched for files
   to be linked.

BUGS

   hardlink assumes that the trees it operates on  do  not  change  during
   operation.  If  a  tree  does  change,  the  result  is  undefined  and
   potentially dangerous. For example, if a regular file is replaced by  a
   device, hardlink may start reading from the device. If a component of a
   path is replaced  by  a  symbolic  link  or  file  permissions  change,
   security  may be compromised. Do not run hardlink on a changing tree or
   on a tree controlled by another user.

   hardlink , as of version 0.3 RC1, improperly calculates the  amount  of
   space  saved  if  the  option  --respect-name is specified. In previous
   versions, the amount was wrong in almost all other cases as well.

AUTHOR

   The program hardlink and this  manpage  have  been  written  by  Julian
   Andres  Klode,  and are licensed under the MIT license. See the code of
   hardlink for further information.

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