Not sure where this question belongs in MacRumors, but I'll try here. I have archived a large folder onto both DVD and USB sticks. I would like to verify that each archive copy is identical to the original. So I use "diff -rq Folder1 Folder2", and when df is done, the report that comes back only says that DS_Stores in the two locations differ. I am presuming that means that the copy is exact, but the DS_Stores are different because they are just in different places. Is that correct?
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what does it mean when "diff -rq" finds differences in .DS_Store
- Thread starter Doug Lass
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Bigwaff
Contributor
The
diff command only compare text files. The .DS_Store file is binary file. Apples and oranges. Pun intended.
adrianlondon
macrumors 604
.DS_Store just contains some customised view info for Finder, such as icon or column view, which column you've sorted by etc.
and as the copied folder is in a different location it's expected that the file might have different contents.
That file annoys me, and I usually exclude them in my backups. I sometimes run a simple terminal command which deletes them all (they get recreated each time I open a folder). I'm happy for all my directories/folders to look the same and be configured the same way in Finder.
and as the copied folder is in a different location it's expected that the file might have different contents.
That file annoys me, and I usually exclude them in my backups. I sometimes run a simple terminal command which deletes them all (they get recreated each time I open a folder). I'm happy for all my directories/folders to look the same and be configured the same way in Finder.
Thanks to both of you. Do you mean diff errors on DS_Stores don't really mean anything? I was under the impression that with regard to binary files, diff would report only that the files differ, without laying out line by line differences as it would for text files. But that's what seems to be happening, that the DS_Store files differ. I was imagining that DS_Store might depend on the location of the files, which is what adrianlondon is suggesting. I think I can be relieved that these backups are validated.