[REQUEST] Preserve extended file attributes on Linux!

Discuss new features and functions
Posts: 3
Joined: 1 Oct 2017

Sinuparo

It would be really perfect if FreeFileSync would preserve extended file attributes (xattr) when copying files over on common Linux file systems (Ext2,3,4, zfs, etc.) .

rsync does this, cp -a does this, the Thunar file manager does it.

Have you considered implementing this?
Do you guys accept pull requests? Not that I claim to be able to write a patch myself just yet...
Why don't you host the source code in a repository?
Posts: 2
Joined: 18 Aug 2019

newhoa

Hi, sorry to bump such an old thread but I was wondering if this was added since?

I can't seem to find an option for it, and it doesn't seem to do so by default.

Does FreeFileSync use cp on Linux?

FreeFileSync seems to preserve time and ownership, so maybe it uses cp -p?
-p     same as --preserve=mode,ownership,timestamps

--preserve[=ATTR_LIST]
          preserve the specified attributes (default: mode,ownership,timestamps),
          if possible additional attributes: context, links, xattr, all

To also transfer attributes it needs cp --preserve=xattr added to whatever else is being preserved as FreeFileSync transfers. --preserve=all also transfers Extended Attributes and everything. rsync needs --xattr added.

Thanks for such a great app and all your hard work. And thanks for making it open source / GPL / Free Software (I did the donation version and will try to renew every once in a while when I can afford to!). It's becoming my preferred backup app, even over rsync a lot of the time now! Thanks again.
Posts: 3
Joined: 1 Oct 2017

Sinuparo

I don't think FreeFileSync uses `cp` in its backend (as a sub-process), rather a library that does system calls directly.

Haven't noticed this feature being implemented yet but I could be wrong.

In the meantime, I've been using rsync. Not as handy, no nice GUI, but it works.
Posts: 305
Joined: 7 Jan 2018

bgstack15

If you like rsync and want a graphical interface, try grsync. It's probably in your package manager.
Posts: 3
Joined: 1 Oct 2017

Sinuparo

But KDE Dolphin doesn't do it. :P

There was a bug report and a work-in-progress patch not too long ago, but it's still unfinished sadly. There's even a bug bounty for it too. Anyway, this is out of topic as it is not related to FFS.