sparse files

[James H. Coombs]

"Sparse files" have been mentioned in several recent postings.  For example:

>Kemp at DOCKMASTER.NCSC.MIL writes:
>>Just for the record, is there *any* way to do a recursive copy
>>correctly?  I.e.  one that doesn't:
>> * turn symbolic links into actual files
>> * turn link loops into a series of infinitely nested copies
>> * alter the modify and change times
>> * choke on block and character special files
>> * turn holes in sparse files into real disk blocks
>I think afio will do this. I am not sure about the symlink
>stuff, though, as we're a SYS V only site.

Can someone explain exactly what a sparse file is?  How does one get created?

--Jim

Dr. James H. Coombs
Senior Software Engineer, Research
Institute for Research in Information and Scholarship (IRIS)
Brown University, Box 1946
Providence, RI 02912
jazbo at brownvm.bitnet
Acknowledge-To: <JAZBO at BROWNVM>