How do I create a new transcript of a single object?

By: Richard Glaser - Revised: 2006-10-03 devin

You can use the command line of GUI tools to create a transcript of a single file system object (i.e. file, directory, link, etc.).

Using the command line tool fsdiff:

   fsdiff -1 -c sha1 /path/to/object

The -1 option outputs a transcript for a single file system object. The /path/to/object is the absolute path to the directory you want to create the directory.

The above command will output the transcript to screen. You could redirect output to a file adding the following:

   > /path/to/transcript

Or using option -o.

Using the GUI tool Radmind Transcript Editor:

You simply drag the file system object to the Radmind Transcript Editor window.


If you are dragging a folder, you will get the following dialog, where you select "Add Directory".


Else, if you are adding a file, the transcript line will be added to the transcript.

Here is a script to automate the process:

#!/bin/bash
# Make a transcript of a file and the enclosing directories
# Released under the GPLv2.
file=/tmp/single.T.$$
fsdiff -1 "$1" > $file
cd "`dirname "$1"`"
while [ "`pwd`" != / ]; do
    fsdiff -1 "`pwd`" >> $file
    cd ..
done
sort $file
rm $file