[techtalk] swtiching rhat drives . . .

[Jeff Dike]

> Because cp will completely foul up device files.  Try copying /dev/mem
> from 
> one place to another.  You won't like the results :-) 

> sorry, but I can't stand it if people don't actually try things
> instead of repeating false statements:

> ---8<--- snip --- 
> root at wombat:/tmp> ls -l /dev/mem
> crw-r-----   1 root    kmem       1,   1 May  5  1998 /dev/mem
> root at wombat:/tmp> cp -a /dev/mem . 
> root at wombat:/tmp> ls -l mem
> crw-r-----   1 root     kmem       1,   1 May  5  1998 mem 

Mea culpa.  I actually did try it, but only after I sent that mail.  And I 
actually didn't like the results.  My machine hung.  I took that as evidence 
that something other than a mknod was happening.

So, tar vs cp -a (and cpio) would be more a matter of taste.

				Jeff



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