[SOLVED] Cp doesn't copy timestamps but MC does

iammike2 · 04-09-2022, 09:29 PM

Need your help again.

I am copying files with CP from my Raspberry PI to my NAS.

PI is ext4
NAS is btrfs

Ps: NAS dir is the mount point for my NAS

None of the following commands is copying the timestamps over

Code:

cp -i -a /home/pi/files/*.txt /home/pi/Downloads/NAS/files
cp -i -p /home/pi/files/*.txt /home/pi/Downloads/NAS/files
cp -i --preserve=timestamps /home/pi/files/*.txt /home/pi/Downloads/NAS/files

But if I select the files in MC (Midnight Commander) and copy them over (same files / same dirs) the timestamp is kept

Any ideas???

Os: raspios-bullseye-arm64 (fully up to date)

mrmazda · 04-09-2022, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iammike2

Any ideas???

Use rsync instead of cp?

iammike2 · 04-09-2022, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrmazda

Use rsync instead of cp?

Good idea yes will try that, but then the question remains why is CP not copying timestamps?

Edit: Yes Rsync (-v -a -h) does transfer the timestamps!

lvm_ · 04-10-2022, 12:18 AM

How the NAS is mounted?

mrmazda · 04-10-2022, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lvm_

Because you didn't tell it so

Looks to me like he did so:

Code:

cp -i -a ...

unless -i overrides, supercedes or disables -a.

iammike2 · 04-10-2022, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lvm_

How the NAS is mounted?

Cifs.

Will mount as NFS and see if it changes the outcome for CP

But Rsync works!

iammike2 · 04-10-2022, 03:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrmazda

Looks to me like he did so:

Code:

cp -i -a ...

unless -i overrides, supercedes or disables -a.

Will try with removing -i!

(But why should -i override, it's AFAIK for interactive - ask before overwrite)

Edit:

removing -i only leaving -a no change
removing -i only leaving -p no change
removing -i only leaving --preserve=timestamps no change
change --preserve=timestamps to =all no change

MadeInGermany · 04-10-2022, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iammike2

Code:

cp -i -a /home/pi/files/*.txt /home/pi/Downloads/NAS/files
cp -i -p /home/pi/files/*.txt /home/pi/Downloads/NAS/files
cp -i --preserve=timestamps /home/pi/files/*.txt /home/pi/Downloads/NAS/files

All these should work, a -i does not make a difference.
Check what you cp is

Code:

type cp

iammike2 · 04-10-2022, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadeInGermany

All these should work, a -i does not make a difference.
Check what you cp is

Code:

type cp

Code:

~ $ type cp
cp is /usr/bin/cp

~ $ which cp
/usr/bin/cp

iammike2 · 04-11-2022, 04:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iammike2

Cifs.

Will mount as NFS and see if it changes the outcome for CP

But Rsync works!

Mount NAS as NFS and CP works with -a in preserving the timestamps

So concluding

Ext4 -> BTRFS -> Mounted as CIFS -> CP -a (not retaining timestamps)
Ext4 -> BTRFS -> Mounted as CIFS -> CP -p (not retaining timestamps)
Ext4 -> BTRFS -> Mounted as CIFS -> Rsync -v -a -h (retaining timestamps)
Ext4 -> BTRFS -> Mounted as NFS -> CP -a (retaining timestamps)