This program is most useful for aiding with installing a program on many Client computers. The normal installation may require input from the installer that is specific to the site, but which will be identical on all of the Clients. The installation may also distribute files into several locations.

One executes DirSnap on the first Client, before installing the program. This generates a ``snapshot'' of the system. Then, one installs the program normally. Afterwards, one executes DirSnap again, to map out the differences in the whole system. These can be bundled up into a delta file. The delta file can be taken to each Client on the task list, and DirSnap will extract all the changes to bring this Client into synch with the first. Because the delta file is the difference generated by the installation, the various Clients do not need to be identical for the application to work.

On a Windows platform, this should be used in conjunction with RegDiff, which performs the equivalent snapshotting and differencing on the Registry. DirSnap explicitly avoids the SYSTEM.DAT and associated files from which Windows constructs its Registry.

DirSnap has the full set of Filtering Options for specifying which files to consider or ignore.

Syntax

Usage: DirSnap [options] [-i input-filename] [-o output-filename] [dirname]

List rather than process:
     -l -> list the contents of the snapshot or differences

Output Options:
  --stdout     | -c -> put output data on <stdout>
  --output     | -o <pathname>  output filename for snapshot or delta-file
  --error-file | -e <pathname>  output filename for errors

  --compress    | -z -> use Compression on the snapshot or delta-file<default>
  --no-compress | -Z -> skip Compression of the snapshot or delta-file
  --encrypt     | -E -> use Encryption   on the snapshot or delta-file

Input Options:
  --snapshot | -s <pathname>   input snapshot for comparison to current
  --input    | -i <pathname>   input filename instead of directory request
  --update   | -u <pathname>  apply the delta-file to update the current directory

Difference Displaying Options:
  --skip-displayDeletedSubTrees ->  show only the name of directory
                                    which has been deleted, not its sub-tree
  --skip-displayAddedSubTrees   ->  show only the name of directory
                                    which has been added,   not its sub-tree

Pattern Filtering Options (multiple occurrences allowed):
  --exclude-dir  | -X <dirname-pattern>  omit directories with this pattern
  --exclude-file | -x <filename-pattern> omit files       with this pattern

  --only-files  <filename-pattern>  only take files with this pattern
  --file-types  <file-extension>    only take files with this extension

  --prune    | -Y <dirname-pattern>  prune directories with this pattern
                       (keeps the dir itself, but not its subdirectories)
  --add-back | -y <pathname>  explicitly add a path which is below
                              a pruned directory

File-Specifics Filtering Options:
  --owner | -O <[!]owner>  filter on ownership (positive or negative)
  --group | -G <[!]group>  filter on group     (positive or negative)
                           (can use multiple times)

  --smaller-than <size>  filter on file size (can use kB, MB, GB)
  --bigger-than  <size>  (examples: 678, 10kB, 5MB, 1GB)

  --older-than <dd-mmm-yyyy:hh:mm>  filter on modification date
  --newer-than <dd-mmm-yyyy:hh:mm>  (can omit time components)
                                    (example: 03-Sep-2005:15:33)

  --type <[!]dfls> filter on type of FileSystem object (positive or negative)
                   d = directory, f = file, l = link, s = dev or socket
  --perm <[!]rwxs> filter on Permissions (positive or negative)
                   r = read, w = write, x = executable, s = SUID/SGID

Convenience Filtering Options:
  --noback | -~  -> omit backup files
  --nodev  | -S  -> omit device files
  --nobins | -B  -> omit platform subdirectories of binary directories
  --mybins | -m  -> only this platform's subdirectories of binary directories

  --config-file | -C <pathname>  pathname to requested file

Information Options:
  --help     | -h -> output this help message
  --version  | -V -> version of the program.
  --verbose  | -v -> Enable Verbose mode.
  --quiet    | -q -> quiet = disable printout and overwrite checking

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