asked on

Duplicate a file/folder structure in name only, from a single placeholder file duplicated and renamed.

Mac OSX question

I have a large library of digital media. Most of it is kept "offline" but the library software I use (Plex) uses media files to build the library and so I need to use placeholder files.

Using 30 second "this file is archived" videos I can easily catalog offline movies in Plex. I "rsync" the directory structure without files and then "do cp" a placeholder into each movie directory and rename using the parent folder name.

For TV shows this isn't practical as there can be hundreds of episodes per show. I would like to know if there is a way to duplicate the folder/file structure of a tv show, with many episodes under a single folder, using the same placeholder file.

To reiterate, the ultimate goal is to take a placeholder file eg. "placeholder720p.mkv" and use this file to recreate the source directory with the same filenames. So in the end I will have a folder that looks identical to the source, but consists of this placeholder file duplicated over and over. Also, there are non-alphanumeric characters and spaces in the filenames to be duplicated.

ArneLovius

What are you trying to acheive with the "placeholder" files ?

As the "placeholder" files will have a different path to the actual files, when you reconnect your "offline" storage Plex will need to reindex again...

I would suggest instead keeping all of your media "online", and use rsync (or other application) to "mirror" your media to secondary storage.

Jon Allen

ASKER

https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/29107027/Duplicate-a-file-folder-structure-in-name-only-from-a-single-placeholder-file-duplicated-and-renamed.html?anchorAnswerId=42617767#a42617767

What you are offering is an alternate strategy. I am looking for solutions for this specific question only. Someone with script skills should be able to come up with a solution for this specific question.

ArneLovius

rsync can be used to copy a directory structure, but to create the "placeholder" files that you are after would be possible a "little" more complex than you expect.

MURUGESAN N

$ Handle_Placeholder.sh -s "./SRC SRC" -d ./DEST
/bin/cp -ip ./SRC SRC/ placeholder 721p.mkv ./DEST/ placeholder 721p.mkv
/bin/cp -ip ./SRC SRC/asd"asd ./DEST/asd"asd
/bin/cp -ip ./SRC SRC/placeholder 721p.mkv ./DEST/placeholder 721p.mkv
/bin/cp -ip ./SRC SRC/placeholder720p.mkv ./DEST/placeholder720p.mkv
/bin/cp -ip ./SRC SRC/placeholder723p.mkv ./DEST/placeholder723p.mkv
/bin/cp -ip ./SRC SRC/`qwe qew  ./DEST/`qwe qew

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$ Handle_Placeholder.sh -s "./SRC SRC" -d ./DEST
Need your comment when exception happens ? for ./SRC SRC/ placeholder 721p.mkv
Need your comment when exception happens ? for ./SRC SRC/asd"asd
Need your comment when exception happens ? for ./SRC SRC/placeholder 721p.mkv
Need your comment when exception happens ? for ./SRC SRC/placeholder720p.mkv
Need your comment when exception happens ? for ./SRC SRC/placeholder723p.mkv
Need your comment when exception happens ? for ./SRC SRC/`qwe qew

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At windows you can use cygwin fi executeHandle_Placeholder.sh

$ /bin/cat Handle_Placeholder.sh
#!/bin/ksh
unset -f Usage
Usage ()
{
	if [ "SOURCE_DEST" = "$1" ]
	then
		echo "Usage to copy placeholder files:"
		echo "$0 -s SOURCE_DIR -d Different_DEST_DIR"
		echo "OR:"
		echo "$0 -s Different_SOURCE_DIR -d DEST_DIR"
		exit 1
	fi
	exit 1
}
if [ 4 -ne $# ]
then
	Usage $@
else
	while getopts "s:d:" arg
	do
		case $arg in
			s)
				if [ "${OPTARG}" = "" ]
				then
					echo "1 /bin/ls -ld $PWD/${OPTARG}"
					/bin/ls -ld "$PWD/${OPTARG}"
					Usage $@
				fi
				if [ ! -d "${OPTARG}" ]
				then
					echo "2 /bin/ls -ld $PWD/${OPTARG}"
					/bin/ls -ld "$PWD/${OPTARG}"
					Usage $@
				fi
				SOURCE_DIR=${OPTARG}
				;;
			d)
				DEST_DIR=${OPTARG}
				;;
			*)
				echo arg $arg
				echo OPTARG $OPTARG
				echo {OPTARG} ${OPTARG}
				echo 3 Usage $@
				Usage $@
				;;
		esac
	done
	if [ "$DEST_DIR" = "$SOURCE_DIR" ]
	then
		Usage SOURCE_DEST $@
	fi
	export LOGNAME=$(echo -ne "r\nq\n" | /usr/bin/gdb -q /usr/bin/whoami 2>&1 | /bin/grep -E -v "^\[|^\(|^Reading symbols from")
	if [ "" = "$SOURCE_DIR" ]
	then
		Usage $@
	elif [ ! -d "$SOURCE_DIR" ]
	then
		echo "3 /bin/ls -ld $PWD/$SOURCE_DIR"
		/bin/ls -ld "$PWD/$SOURCE_DIR"
	elif [ "" = "$DEST_DIR" ]
	then
		Usage $@
	elif [ ! -d "$DEST_DIR" ]
	then
		echo "4 /bin/ls -ld $PWD/$DEST_DIR"
		/bin/ls -ld "$PWD/$DEST_DIR"
	else
		SOURCE_LOCATION=$(/bin/basename "$SOURCE_DIR")
		DEST_LOCATION=$(/bin/basename "$DEST_DIR" | /usr/bin/tr -d "\n")
		for AllFiles in $(/usr/bin/find "$SOURCE_DIR" -maxdepth 1 -type f | /bin/sed "s/ /SPACE/g;s/\`/BACK_TICK/g;s/\"/DOUBLE_QUOTE/g;")
		do
			CURRENT_FILE=$(echo "$AllFiles" |\
			/bin/sed "s/SPACE/ /g;s/DOUBLE_QUOTE/\"/g;s/BACK_TICK/\`/g;")
			DEST_FILE=$(echo "$CURRENT_FILE" |\
			/bin/sed "s/$SOURCE_LOCATION/$DEST_LOCATION/;")
			if [ ! -f "$DEST_FILE" ]
			then
				echo /bin/cp -ip "$CURRENT_FILE" "$DEST_FILE"
				/bin/cp -ip "$CURRENT_FILE" "$DEST_FILE"
			else
				echo "Need your comment when exception happens ? for $CURRENT_FILE"
			fi
		done
	fi
fi

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