inconsistent checksums on copied directories

[Joe Smith]

charles f. zeitler wrote:
> 
> --- Joe Smith <jes at martnet.com> wrote:
>> ...
>> Alternatively, you can use "diff from_dir to_dir" to
>> verify.
>> ...
>> Rsync does it's own file-by-file verification.
>>
>> -- 
> thanks for the reply....
> 
> my problem is not with by-file verification,
> but on the directory as a whole....

Not sure I follow you. Both methods /do/ check "the directory as a 
whole" -- i.e. the entire contents of the directory and everything under 
it, however they do it at a level of comparing individual files.

"diff d1 d2" (Oops, I see now that I forgot the "-r" option: "diff -r d1 
d2") will compare each file, and the directory structure as well, but 
does not check file metadata (permissions, times, owner, etc.).

Rsync's /raison d'etre/ is to make exact copies of entire directory 
trees, including metadata, so if it finishes without error, you can be 
confident that you have a good copy.

Giving tar the "--verify" option will cause it to do checksum 
verifications as well.

If you require a method that works 'offline'--without access to the 
actual directories themselves--then that's a different issue.