Path: csiph.com!x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net!usenet.pasdenom.info!gegeweb.org!de-l.enfer-du-nord.net!feeder1.enfer-du-nord.net!feeds.phibee-telecom.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed6.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: UNSURE 0.229 X-Spam-Level: ** X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.56; '*S*': 0.02; 'figuring': 0.09; 'subject:python': 0.10; 'entries': 0.15; '"2"': 0.16; 'stupid.': 0.16; '\xc2\xa0you': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'subject:not': 0.19; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.22; 'feb': 0.22; 'received:209.85.212.46': 0.23; 'received:mail- vw0-f46.google.com': 0.23; 'personally,': 0.23; 'referring': 0.23; 'separate': 0.28; 'second': 0.28; 'message-id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.29; 'pm,': 0.29; 'subject:?': 0.31; 'file.': 0.31; 'thu,': 0.32; 'that,': 0.32; 'received:209.85.212': 0.33; 'file': 0.34; 'running': 0.34; 'subject:/': 0.34; 'directory.': 0.34; 'numbers.': 0.34; 'thank': 0.35; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.35; 'two': 0.36; 'comparing': 0.37; 'received:google.com': 0.37; 'difference': 0.38; 'received:209.85': 0.38; 'think': 0.38; 'files': 0.39; 'received:209': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.40; 'header:Received:6': 0.61; 'hill': 0.68; 'confirm': 0.72; 'biggest': 0.74; 'spot': 0.79; 'introduce': 0.82; '-0500,': 0.84; 'directories,': 0.84; 'filesystem.': 0.84; 'neck.': 0.84; 'pain': 0.84; 'readability': 0.84; 'together,': 0.84; 'hit.': 0.91; 'subject:Just': 0.93 Received-SPF: pass (google.com: domain of malaclypse2@gmail.com designates 10.52.88.235 as permitted sender) client-ip=10.52.88.235; Authentication-Results: mr.google.com; spf=pass (google.com: domain of malaclypse2@gmail.com designates 10.52.88.235 as permitted sender) smtp.mail=malaclypse2@gmail.com; dkim=pass header.i=malaclypse2@gmail.com DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :content-type:content-transfer-encoding; bh=1kgYXPTVeGc3FF9Mh45P5+8KeNeulrDlqaBTBYhYlds=; b=lalkmgM0svdr6KF7J/69V0RcDnlXKYiL0UJ3pRYWDdcr1g9NK2cTm/6FoKQ9NVCdta HnJbsjkFqtMIfhbEuXyOLNP1cesEV12hdnp0AJshYArdt9Qu1bJau3ZUw6qriVvir0Ve x92v/Twl10eGhWwFiQ13JGndh2aq1gia4gyy0= MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: References: Date: Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:54:10 -0500 Subject: Re: Just curious: why is /usr/bin/python not a symlink? From: Jerry Hill To: python-list@python.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Mailman-Approved-At: Fri, 24 Feb 2012 08:33:03 +0100 X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.12 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 23 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1330068784 news.xs4all.nl 6959 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:55529 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net comp.lang.python:20785 On Thu, Feb 23, 2012 at 2:34 PM, HoneyMonster w= rote: > On Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:24:23 -0500, Jerry Hill wrote: >> It's not two files, it's a hardlink. =C2=A0You can confirm by running ls= -li >> python* and comparing the inode numbers. > > You are spot on. Thank you, and sorry for my stupidity. I don't think you're stupid. It's hard to tell the difference between two separate files with the same file size and a hardlink. The biggest clue is the number "2" in the second column. If I recall correctly, for directories, that's the number of entries in the directory. For files, that number is the number of hardlinks referring to that file. Even with that, it's hard to tell what files are hardlinked together, and figuring it out by inode is a pain in the neck. Personally, I prefer symlinks, even if they introduce a small performance hit. Readability counts, even in the filesystem. --=20 Jerry