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 --minimum-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.

0.3                                                2012-09-17                                        hardlink(1)