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rdfind:tldr:13a84
The command "rdfind -makehardlinks true ${path-to-directory}" is used to find and remove duplicate files within a directory and its subdirectories, replacing the duplicate files with hardlinks to a single copy of each file.
Let's break down the command and its components:
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"rdfind": This is the command itself. It stands for "Remove Duplicate Files" and is a utility used for finding and managing duplicate files.
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"-makehardlinks true": This option specifies that rdfind should replace the duplicate files with hardlinks instead of deleting them. A hardlink is a link to the same physical file on disk, allowing multiple filenames to reference the same data. By using hardlinks, the duplicate files are effectively consolidated into a single copy, saving storage space.
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"${path-to-directory}": This is the placeholder for the actual directory path you want to scan for duplicate files. You need to replace "${path-to-directory}" with the specific path to the directory you want to search for duplicates in. For example, if you want to search in the "Documents" folder, the command would be "rdfind -makehardlinks true /path/to/Documents".
By running this command, rdfind will recursively scan the specified directory and its subdirectories, identifying and replacing duplicate files with hardlinks.