Xref: utzoo comp.unix.wizards:11269 comp.bugs.4bsd:1009 Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!haven!ncifcrf!nlm-mcs!adm!smoke!gwyn From: gwyn@smoke.ARPA (Doug Gwyn ) Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards,comp.bugs.4bsd Subject: Re: directory copying with cp; broken? Message-ID: <8540@smoke.ARPA> Date: 20 Sep 88 19:58:30 GMT References: <35@ausonics.OZ> Reply-To: gwyn@brl.arpa (Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB)) Organization: Ballistic Research Lab (BRL), APG, MD. Lines: 5 In article <35@ausonics.OZ> greyham@ausonics.OZ (Greyham Stoney) writes: >... surely changing a directory into a regular file is a bit inconsistent?. "cp" is not changing anything; it's making a copy of the contents of a file. It wouldn't be safe for that to be turned into an actual directory since at least the "." entry in it would be incorrect.