shutil.copy2 is not the same as cp -p

[csernazs]

BPO	34260
Nosy	@csernazs, @vstinner, @giampaolo
PRs	bpo-34260: fix docstring of shutil.copy2 #8523 [3.6] bpo-34260, shutil: fix copy2 and copystat documentation (GH-8523) #10068 [2.7] bpo-34260, shutil: fix copy2 and copystat documentation (GH-8523) #10071 [3.7] bpo-34260, shutil: fix copy2 and copystat documentation (GH-8523) #10065

^{Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.}

Show more details

GitHub fields:

assignee = None
closed_at = <Date 2018-10-24.21:23:19.589>
created_at = <Date 2018-07-28.12:43:01.119>
labels = ['3.8', '3.7', 'library']
title = 'shutil.copy2 is not the same as cp -p'
updated_at = <Date 2018-10-25.06:52:09.790>
user = 'https://github.com/csernazs'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2018-10-25.06:52:09.790>
actor = 'csernazs'
assignee = 'none'
closed = True
closed_date = <Date 2018-10-24.21:23:19.589>
closer = 'vstinner'
components = ['Library (Lib)']
creation = <Date 2018-07-28.12:43:01.119>
creator = 'csernazs'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 34260
keywords = ['patch']
message_count = 7.0
messages = ['322551', '328297', '328348', '328349', '328394', '328395', '328414']
nosy_count = 3.0
nosy_names = ['csernazs', 'vstinner', 'giampaolo.rodola']
pr_nums = ['8523', '10068', '10071', '10065']
priority = 'normal'
resolution = 'fixed'
stage = 'resolved'
status = 'closed'
superseder = None
type = None
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue34260'
versions = ['Python 2.7', 'Python 3.6', 'Python 3.7', 'Python 3.8']

[csernazs]

The docstring of shutil.copy2 says the following:

Copy data and all stat info ("cp -p src dst").

This can be misleading as it is not the same as 'cp -p', as it does not copy the file owner (uid and gid). That would need to have a chown() call to be made, which is currently not called unavailable.

I would like to have the documentation fixed by adding that it does not copies file owner and group.

[vstinner]

New changeset 4f399be by Victor Stinner (Zsolt Cserna) in branch 'master':
bpo-34260, shutil: fix copy2 and copystat documentation (GH-8523)
4f399be

[vstinner]

New changeset 861f61b by Victor Stinner (Zsolt Cserna) in branch '3.7':
[3.7] bpo-34260, shutil: fix copy2 and copystat documentation (GH-8523) (GH-10065)
861f61b

[vstinner]

New changeset 797cfbd by Victor Stinner (Zsolt Cserna) in branch '3.6':
[3.6] bpo-34260, shutil: fix copy2 and copystat documentation (GH-8523) (GH-10068)
797cfbd

[vstinner]

New changeset 4a59c96 by Victor Stinner (Zsolt Cserna) in branch '2.7':
[2.7] bpo-34260, shutil: fix copy2 and copystat documentation (GH-8523) (GH-10071)
4a59c96

[vstinner]

Thanks Zsolt Cserna for the report and for the documentation enhancements! The doc is now way better.

[csernazs]

Thanks for your help! :)