Copy a directory tree using hardlinks (converting soft links to hard links).

sap.cphl.sh

#!/bin/bash

function printUsage {
echo "Usage:
  $(basename "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}") <SRC_DIR> <DST_DIR>
  Makes a recursive copy of <SRC_DIR> to <DST_DIR> using harlinks and avoiding softlinks.
If <DST_DIR> exists then creates there a subdirectory with name of <SRC_DIR>. Otherwise,
creates <DST_DIR> and uses it as a destination directory." >&2
exit $0 
}

[[ "$1" == '-h' || "$1" == '--help' ]] && printUsage 0
[ $# -ne 2 ] && { echo "Error: Wrong parameter count." >&2 ; printUsage 1 ; }

function _cp-hl {
    [ $# -ne 2 ] && { echo "Error: There must be two parameters (SOURCE and DEST)." >&2 ; return 1 ; }
    [ -d "$1" ] || { echo "Error: The source directory doesn't exist." >&2 ; exit 2 ; }
    local SRCLEN=${#1}
    if [ -d "$2" ]; then local DST="$(readlink -m "$2/$(basename "$1")")" || return $?
    else local DST="$(readlink -m "$2")" || retun $?; fi
    find -L "$1" -exec bash -c '[ -d "$1" ] && { mkdir "$2/${1:$3}" ; exit ;} ; \
ln -fL "$1" "$2/${1:$3}" ; exit ;' '' {} "$DST" $SRCLEN \; \
    && find -L "$1" -type d -exec bash -c 'touch -m -r "$1" "$2/${1:$3}"' '' {} "$DST" $SRCLEN \;
}

_cp-hl "$1" $2" ; exit $?