symlinks with copy

[Greg Gallagher]

I seem to be running into a strange error with cfengine, at least one
that I didn't expect and don't know how to fix.

We're using cfd and a centralized software repository on a server
"cfengine.foc.com" which allows access to /opt/dist for pulling.

Running one of the clients, I noticed this problem when it was copying
a particular piece of software:

-----------------------
cfengine:loyalty: (Can't stat /opt/dist/rogue/libthr7d.so)

cfengine:loyalty: Server returned error:  unable to stat file 
/opt/dist/rogue/libtls7d.so

cfengine:loyalty: (Can't stat /opt/dist/rogue/libtls7d.so)
-----------------------

If I login to cfengine I can see this on cfengine.foc.com:

balder:/etc/cfengine# ls -l /opt/dist/roguelibthr7d.so
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     other         78 Jul  2 16:09 
/opt/dist/rogue/libthr7d.so ->
/opt/rogue/lib/libthr7d.so

Of course, on the server that /opt/rogue/ doesn't exist, just the
one under /opt/dist for copying.  What I thought would happen is that
when the client copies /opt/dist/rogue that the symlink would be cool,
because /opt/rogue/libs would exist.  Instead, there is no symlink on
the client.  Here is the relevant copy policy:

copy:

   qa_servers::
      /opt/dist/rogue dest=/opt/rogue recurse=inf type=ctime 
      server=cfengine.foc.com


Any help would be appreciated.  I thought that symlinks would be
created automagically with copy even if you don't specify "linktype="
but maybe I'm wrong or missed something?  I even tried allowing /opt
with cfd on cfengine.foc.com and that didn't seem to help.  I just
want the copy of symlinks to work the same way tar with the "-p" does.

Much thanks,

-- 
Greg Gallagher
Sr. UNIX Systems Administrator
First Options Chicago .... (312) 362-3643