Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!sun-barr!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!modcomp!joe
From: joe@modcomp.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sources.d
Subject: Re: Bug in -R flag of patch ?
Message-ID: <38300006@modcomp>
Date: 28 Jun 89 16:09:00 GMT
References: <1114@ssp15.idca.tds.philips.nl>
Lines: 19
Nf-ID: #R:ssp15.idca.tds.philips.nl:1114:modcomp:38300006:000:859
Nf-From: modcomp.UUCP!joe    Jun 28 12:09:00 1989


> When using the -R (reverse patch) flag of patch, only the first file is
> automatically patched in the reverse order.  For subsequent files patch
> "detects" that the patch was already aplied ...

This is a very annoying (but documented) feature of patch, alas.  The
problem is that patch has made this a "local flag".  Each embedded diff
set in the patch file is treated as if it was a separate file processed
by a separate instance of patch.  The local flags of each diff set have
to be separated with the plus sign on the command line.

A global -R facility would be useful in "backing out" patch files --
something I need when new, official patches come down the net and I
want to back out our site-specific patches before applying them.
Someday, I'll do it -- if it hasn't already been done somewhere out
there in netland.

joe korty
uunet!modcomp!joe