How to clone/copy all file/directory attributes onto different file/directory?

I want to copy the attributes (ownership, group, ACL, extended attributes, etc.) of one directory to another but not the directory contents itself.

This does not work:

cp -v --attributes-only A B
cp: omitting directory `A'

Note: It does not have to be cp.

Answers:

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Method 1

After quite a bit of trial and error on the commandline, I think I’ve found the answer. But it isn’t a cp-related answer.

rsync -ptgo -A -X -d --no-recursive --exclude=* first-dir/ second-dir

This does:

-p, --perms                 preserve permissions
-t, --times                 preserve modification times
-o, --owner                 preserve owner (super-user only)
-g, --group                 preserve group
-d, --dirs                  transfer directories without recursing
-A, --acls                  preserve ACLs (implies --perms)
-X, --xattrs                preserve extended attributes
    --no-recursive          disables recursion

For reference

    --no-OPTION             turn off an implied OPTION (e.g. --no-D)
-r, --recursive             recurse into directories

Method 2

chmod --reference=first-dir second-dir

Method 3

rsync -aAX --exclude='*' src_dir/ dst_dir

where dst_dir – is a target dir. Or:

rsync -dADXgot src_dir dst_dir

where dst_dir – is a dir containing target dir, or a non-existing target dir.

From rsync man page:

    -a, --archive               archive mode; equals -rlptgoD (no -H,-A,-X)
        --exclude=PATTERN       exclude files matching PATTERN

    -d, --dirs                  transfer directories without recursing
    -p, --perms                 preserve permissions
    -A, --acls                  preserve ACLs (implies -p)
    -X, --xattrs                preserve extended attributes
    -o, --owner                 preserve owner (super-user only)
    -g, --group                 preserve group
        --devices               preserve device files (super-user only)
        --specials              preserve special files
    -D                          same as --devices --specials
    -t, --times                 preserve modification times

Method 4

cp -rfp from_dir to_dir

• -r – recursive
• -f – force
• -p – preserve attributes: mode, ownership, timestamps

Method 5

I do not understand because it seems to work for others, but the rsync method fails for me on FreeBSD with ZFS. Nothing happens. However Jean-François Dockes’s method works. (see: https://www.lesbonscomptes.com/pxattr/ ) Source directory = A & destination directory = B, from the original question.

pxattr -lR A > tmp.EAs

(edit the first line of tmp.EAs to change the A directory to B, s/A/B/)

pxattr -S tmp.EAs

Method 6

You need the “-r” for copying a directory.

All methods was sourced from stackoverflow.com or stackexchange.com, is licensed under cc by-sa 2.5, cc by-sa 3.0 and cc by-sa 4.0