# synchronize links **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Developer\ **Created:** [September 17, 2020, 10:54am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/synchronize-links/33840 "2020-09-17T10:54:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gerrit\_Kuehn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f07891/32.png) [@Gerrit\_Kuehn](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Gerrit_Kuehn)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2020, 10:54am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/synchronize-links/33840/1 "2020-09-17T10:54:46Z")
Hello, I have a question concerning the handling of symlinks with the synchronize module: What exactly is the difference between the "link" and "copy\_link" options, and how are they intended to be used? The docs say ---
**Author:** ![felixfontein](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/felixfontein/32/7530_2.png) [@felixfontein](https://forum.ansible.com/u/felixfontein)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2020, 7:41am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/synchronize-links/33840/2 "2020-09-18T07:41:56Z")
Hi, > I have a question concerning the handling of symlinks with the > synchronize module: > > What exactly is the difference between the "link" and "copy\_link" > options, and how are they intended to be used? The docs say > > --- > copy\_links: Copy symlinks as the item that they point to (the > referent) is copied, rather than the symlink. > > links: Copy symlinks as symlinks. > --- > > This looks rather redundant to me (plus I do not really understand > what the "is copied" part for copy\_links should mean). the formulation is a bit broken. The "is copied" shouldn't be there. Feel free to create a PR to remove that part. (The line in question is here: [https://github.com/ansible-collections/ansible.posix/blob/main/plugins/modules/synchronize.py#L99](https://github.com/ansible-collections/ansible.posix/blob/main/plugins/modules/synchronize.py#L99)) The naming of these two options comes from rsync, BTW. It's man page says:        --links, -l copy symlinks as symlinks        --copy-links, -L transform symlink into referent file/dir Or in longer form: --links, -l     When symlinks are encountered, recreate the symlink on the     destination.   --copy-links, -L     When symlinks are encountered, the item that they point to (the     referent) is copied, rather than the symlink. [...] Cheers, Felix ---
**Author:** ![Gerrit\_Kuehn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f07891/32.png) [@Gerrit\_Kuehn](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Gerrit_Kuehn)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2020, 7:25am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/synchronize-links/33840/3 "2020-09-22T07:25:39Z")
> \> --- > \> copy\_links: Copy symlinks as the item that they point to (the > \> referent) is copied, rather than the symlink. > \> > \> links: Copy symlinks as symlinks. > \> --- > \> > \> This looks rather redundant to me (plus I do not really understand > \> what the "is copied" part for copy\_links should mean). > the formulation is a bit broken. The "is copied" shouldn't be there. > Feel free to create a PR to remove that part. (The line in question is > here: > [https://github.com/ansible-collections/ansible.posix/blob/main/plugins/modules/synchronize.py#L99](https://github.com/ansible-collections/ansible.posix/blob/main/plugins/modules/synchronize.py#L99)) Ok, I'll look into that. > --links, -l >     When symlinks are encountered, recreate the symlink on the >     destination. > >   --copy-links, -L >     When symlinks are encountered, the item that they point to (the >     referent) is copied, rather than the symlink. [...] I still don't understand why both exist, they appear to be mutually exclusive. Or is --links intended to copy links, and --copy-links to copy files, i.e., they are designed to achieve the opposite of each other? In that case, I do not understand why ansible offers to turn off or on both of them independently. That might also explain why setting "links: no" in ansible does not change the behaviour as expected (because the underlying rsync option is just removed, but that does not force any other behaviour). cu   Gerrit