Comments on: New: relpath http://www.n8gray.org/blog/2004/11/17/new-relpath/ distraction in action Fri, 5 Dec 2008 08:39:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: n8 http://www.n8gray.org/blog/2004/11/17/new-relpath/#comment-3341 n8 Fri, 16 Feb 2007 18:36:15 +0000 http://www.n8gray.org/sandbox/wordpress/?p=70#comment-3341 Yeah, it's a shame about the alias/symlink thing, but each serves a different purpose. Aliases are about 1/2 hard link and 1/2 symlink. If a target file is moved, they still point to it, but if it's deleted and another is put in it's place then they'll point to the new file. Symlinks, OTOH, always point to a given path, whether or not the target is moved. In fact, the "target" might not ever have existed! It would be nice if aliases could be used from the command line, though. BTW, I should mention that I've never had any unexpected behavior with relative paths in symlinks under OS X. Yeah, it’s a shame about the alias/symlink thing, but each serves a different purpose. Aliases are about 1/2 hard link and 1/2 symlink. If a target file is moved, they still point to it, but if it’s deleted and another is put in it’s place then they’ll point to the new file. Symlinks, OTOH, always point to a given path, whether or not the target is moved. In fact, the “target” might not ever have existed!

It would be nice if aliases could be used from the command line, though.

BTW, I should mention that I’ve never had any unexpected behavior with relative paths in symlinks under OS X.

]]> By: Jefe http://www.n8gray.org/blog/2004/11/17/new-relpath/#comment-3330 Jefe Fri, 16 Feb 2007 09:27:37 +0000 http://www.n8gray.org/sandbox/wordpress/?p=70#comment-3330 Too bad OS X can't get their S#%T together and just work out the symlink thing once and for all. Having both Aliases and symlinks is stupid, esp when Aliases just show up as zero length files (under HFS+ at least) and can't be followed from the command line. Then, unless it's my imagination (or a bad version of OS X bash), it seems like relative paths in OS X symlinks only work HALF the time. The other part of the time, you wind up with the absolute path you never wanted and a bald front tire. -- Jefe Too bad OS X can’t get their S#%T together and just work out the symlink thing once and for all.

Having both Aliases and symlinks is stupid, esp when Aliases just show up as zero length files (under HFS+ at least) and can’t be followed from the command line.

Then, unless it’s my imagination (or a bad version of OS X bash), it seems like relative paths in OS X symlinks only work HALF the time. The other part of the time, you wind up with the absolute path you never wanted and a bald front tire.
–
Jefe

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