From 238346f13461eb2631bd03c57332bd6ac914c94b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Adam Spiers Date: Fri, 5 Apr 2024 22:24:00 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] manual: clarify the pros and cons and history of --compat --- doc/stow.texi | 16 +++++++++------- 1 file changed, 9 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-) diff --git a/doc/stow.texi b/doc/stow.texi index 80cc2d2..a875308 100644 --- a/doc/stow.texi +++ b/doc/stow.texi @@ -489,13 +489,15 @@ doing. Verbosity levels are from 0 to 5; 0 is the default. Using @item -p @itemx --compat -Scan the whole target tree when unstowing. By default, only -directories specified in the @dfn{installation image} are scanned -during an unstow operation. Scanning the whole tree can be -prohibitive if your target tree is very large. This option restores -the legacy behaviour; however, the @option{--badlinks} option to the -@command{chkstow} utility may be a better way of ensuring that your -installation does not have any dangling symlinks (@pxref{Target +Scan the whole target tree when unstowing. By default, only directories +specified in the @dfn{installation image} are scanned during an unstow +operation. Previously Stow scanned the whole tree, which can be +prohibitive if your target tree is very large, but on the other hand has +the advantage of unstowing previously stowed links which are no longer +present in the installation image and therefore orphaned. This option +restores the legacy behaviour; however, the @option{--badlinks} option +to the @command{chkstow} utility may be a better way of ensuring that +your installation does not have any dangling symlinks (@pxref{Target Maintenance}). @item -V