This is a simple recursive file copy tool that allows to copy any kind of file from a source folder to a target folder, while keeping the relative path location of the file.

In the first pass this tool will simply copy the files checking the sha256 hash before and after. If a faulty copy is detected the copied file will be removed again.

If you run this tool a second time and it detects files in both the source and the target folder the tool will remove the source and replace with a soft link to the target instead!

git clone [email protected]:stela2502/file_copy_tool.git

cd file_copy_tool

cargo test -r

cp target/release/file_copy_tool ~/bin/
cp target/release/revert_links ~/bin/

file_copy_tool <source_folder> <target_folder> <pattern1> [<pattern2> ...]

The patterns are not really RegExp patterns but simply file end strings. So in order to e.g. copy all fastq.gz files from my_work_area to my_backup_area you would run this:

file_copy_tool my_work_area my_backup_area '.fastq.gz'

If you run this a second time the tool will remove all fastq.gz files from the my_work_area and replace them with soft links to the my_backup_area files. To save space you should run it a second time. But you can check if the backup data is OK before you do so.

You have copied the files into a new location and your original file structure is no cluttered with links! But you want to move all data into a new location or you need to move the backup directory somewhere else - in other words I need to get rid of the links I just produced.

I have the solution:

Usage: revert_links <folder>  <pattern1> [<pattern2> ...]

This will undo the linking of the files - including the sha check that the files have been copied correctly.

Afterwards you can simply delete the backup directory. Say you can do that IF YOU USED THE SAME PATTERNS ;-)