CLONE - duplicate file or catalog.

Syntax:

clone [From=]inpath [To=]outpath [option]*

(+|-)Askme (-)           (+|-)ME (+)
(+|-)Overwrite (-)       (+|-)PUrge (-)
(+|-)PAsswords (+)       (+|-)ReMovable (+)
(+|-)ReLease (-)         (+|-)Verbose (-)
(+|-)errorStop (+)       Device=name
Levels=number

Examples:

clone /frodo /bilbo +v
clone F=userid/rmv /rmv -me -s
clone T=/cat1/cat2 /cat1
clone T=/cat1 F=/cat1/cat2

Options:

+Askme

asks the user whether to clone each file or catalog under "inpath". Answer "yes" or "y" for each you want to clone; answer "no" or "n" for each you do not want to clone. A response of "yes*", "y*" or just "*" says that you want to answer yes to all subsequent questions (which means that everything else will be cloned). A response of "no*" or "n*" says that you want to answer no to all subsequent questions (which means that nothing else will be cloned).

Device=name

stores output files on the indicated device. You can specify a device name, as in

Device=st1

or a device code as in

Device=.ds450

If you do not specify a Device= option, the cloned files and catalogs have the same device restrictions as the originals. If you specify

Device=

(with no value after the "="), the cloned files/catalogs will not have any of the device restrictions associated with the originals.

From=inpath

specifies the "inpath" without use of positional parameters. Using From= does not necessitate using To=.

Levels=number

clones only files or catalogs "number" levels deep past "inpath". By default, CLONE clones all the files under "inpath", regardless of how many levels deep it is necessary to go.

-ME

deletes any occurrences of the user's own userid when moving specific permissions.

+Overwrite

writes on the output file even if it already exists. Normally, CLONE issues an error if an output file of the given name already exists. When files are overwritten, they do NOT receive the attributes of the copied file (e.g. specific permissions); they retain their old attributes. The +Overwrite option is not required for catalogs; in effect, it is always on.

-PAsswords

does not put passwords on output files. See below for more on passwords.

+PUrge

overwrites all files with zeroes before releasing them. This option is only necessary when you need extreme security.

+ReLease

releases the input path after the clone has been created.

-ReMovable

ignores subcatlogs on removable devices.

-errorStop

does not stop on a non-fatal error. Non-fatal errors are errors arising when trying to access parts of the input path: insufficient permissions, pack not mounted, unstructured media, etc. You also get a non-fatal error if the -Overwrite option is in effect and a potential output file already exists; in this case, the file is not overwritten, but the error is non-fatal and CLONE keeps going.

To=outpath

specifies the outpath without use of positional parameters. Using To= does not necessitate using From=.

+Verbose

calls CLIST on the output path when finished.

Description:

CLONE creates duplicates of files and catalogs. Permissions, both general and specific, are preserved, as are passwords, locks, ids-file attributes, FMS protection options, concurrency, mode, and user-specified information.

If you specify +ReLease or +PUrge, but there is some reason why a file or catalog cannot be released, CLONE preserves just enough of "inpath" to maintain a link to the item. For example, if you do not have enough permission to release a certain file four levels down in "inpath", the three catalogs leading to that file are also preserved.

When you specify +ReLease or +PUrge, the duplicate file/catalog is created, the contents are copied, and then the old version is released. For this reason, pressing BREAK does not destroy files. However, you cannot clone a file greater than your available file space within your own account, since there will be a space of time when both the original and the clone exist.

When a catalog is to be cloned, CLONE first builds up an image of the catalog's contents in memory. This means that a catalog can be cloned as a subcatalog of itself without causing infinite recursion.

CLONE copies the lowermost level of files/catalogs, then the next level up, and so on. This means that you will not have trouble cloning a catalog X to a new subcatalog of X. If, however, you try an operation like

clone from=a/b/c/d to=a/b l=10

you may run into trouble as CLONE tries to clone files that have just been created by the same clone operation.

Notes:

If the original files/catalogs contain passwords, CLONE asks you to supply the passwords before they are cloned. Normally, the clones are given the same passwords; however, if you specify -PAsswords, the clones are created without passwords.

It is impossible to create time-lock passwords from TSS. If an original file/catalog has a time-lock password, the clone version is given a normal password, not a time-lock one.

It is impossible to create non-structured files from TSS. Therefore, if you try to clone a non-structured file, you receive an error.