Add sfdupes dwim: scan / then print duplicate trees (closes #154)

sfdupes dwim, as sneak ordered: with no arguments it runs what scan / runs with no flags, default excludes on, then what trees runs, printing the duplicate trees largest first on stdout. Its last line, on stderr, says that sfdupes trees prints the report again. It needs no setup beyond what scan creates. SIGINT or SIGTERM during the scan stops it as it stops scan, exit 1, with no report; during the report a signal ends it at once, as it ends trees. A positional argument is a usage error, exit 2.

Model: opus-5-5

README.md

@@ -17,12 +17,13 @@ gigabyte. A large file is never read in full. A match between two large files is
 a strong candidate, not proof.
 
 `sfdupes` is meant for multi-terabyte servers, where reading every byte of every
-file takes too long. It has four subcommands. `scan` walks the filesystem and
+file takes too long. It has five subcommands. `scan` walks the filesystem and
 records the files it finds in an SQLite database. SQLite keeps a whole database
 in one file. The database is kept between runs. A rescan reads only new and
 changed files. That makes `scan` cheap enough to run every day from `cron`, the
 system's job scheduler. `report`, `trees` and `info` read the database alone and
-can run at any time.
+can run at any time. `dwim` scans `/` and then prints the `trees` report, for a
+first look at a new machine with one command.
 
 ## Getting Started
 
@@ -247,12 +248,15 @@ In order:
 - `report` prints the file-level duplicate report from the database.
 - `trees` prints the duplicate-tree report from the database.
 - `info` prints the database's details.
+- `dwim` scans `/` with the default excludes, then prints the duplicate-tree
+  report.
 
 ```
 sfdupes scan [--workers N] [-x] [--no-default-excludes] PATH...
 sfdupes report > dupes.tsv
 sfdupes trees > dupetrees.tsv
 sfdupes info
+sfdupes dwim
 sfdupes --version
 sfdupes [command] --help
 ```
@@ -364,8 +368,10 @@ default. An operand may be a directory or a regular file.
 - An operand that repeats another is dropped before the walk. Two operands
   repeat each other when their real paths are the same.
 - An operand under another operand is dropped the same way, unless one of the
-  cases below applies. This too is judged on real paths. No path is then walked
+  cases below applies. No path is then walked twice. Whether one operand is
-  twice.
+  under another is judged on their real paths. With `/srv/link` a symlink to a
+  directory outside `/srv`, `scan /srv /srv/link/sub` walks `sub` on its own,
+  because the real path of `sub` is not under `/srv`.
 - An operand under another is kept, and walked on its own, when the inner
   operand or a directory between the two is one of these:
     - a default exclude (see "Rules for the walk");
@@ -377,8 +383,6 @@ default. An operand may be a directory or a regular file.
     such a directory, so the inner operand is walked on its own.
 
 - No other case keeps an operand under another.
-- With `/srv/link` a symlink to a directory outside `/srv`,
-  `scan /srv /srv/link/sub` walks `sub` on its own, at its real path.
 - An operand that is neither a regular file nor a directory is not scanned. Such
   an operand is, for example, a symlink to a device node. `scan` prints a
   warning naming the real path and what it is. It counts the operand as skipped
@@ -800,6 +804,33 @@ The summary line on stderr gives:
 trees: 14 records read, 1 duplicate tree groups, 1 dupe trees, 3.0 KiB reclaimable
 ```
 
+### `dwim` mode
+
+`dwim`, short for "do what I mean", scans a new machine and reports its
+duplicate trees in one command. It takes no positional arguments and no flags of
+its own. Like `scan`, it should run as root, so that it can read every file.
+
+`dwim` runs what `sfdupes scan /` runs with no flags. The walk skips the default
+excludes and crosses into other filesystems. `--workers` keeps its default. The
+database, its creation and the scan lock are those of `scan`. Then `dwim` runs
+what `sfdupes trees` runs. The largest trees come first.
+
+The report goes to stdout, exactly as `trees` prints it. On stderr comes what
+`scan` prints, then what `trees` prints, then one last line:
+
+```
+dwim: run "sfdupes trees" to print this report again
+```
+
+The database keeps the scan, so `sfdupes trees` prints the same report later,
+even after the terminal is gone.
+
+`SIGINT` or `SIGTERM` stops the scan as it stops `scan` (see "Stopping a scan").
+`dwim` then prints no report and exits 1. A fatal scan error also ends it before
+the report, with the same message and exit code as `scan`. Warnings for skipped
+files do not stop it. `dwim` stops catching signals when the scan ends, so a
+signal during the report ends it at once, as it ends `trees`.
+
 ### `info` mode
 
 `info` takes no positional arguments and prints the database's details on
@@ -840,7 +871,7 @@ scan is writing. `info` writes its lines after the `count` display has ended.
 
 ### Database
 
-All four subcommands work on one SQLite database file.
+All five subcommands work on one SQLite database file.
 
 #### Location
 
@@ -856,6 +887,8 @@ scan: new database /var/lib/sfdupes/db.sqlite (default)
 trees: database /srv/tmp/sfdupes/db.db (from SFDUPES_DATABASE)
 ```
 
+`dwim` prints the `scan` line first, and the `trees` line after the scan.
+
 A relative path is printed with the working directory in front of it. The
 working directory is printed as `pwd -P` prints it, with its symlinks resolved.
 The rest of the path is printed as set, so a `..` in it stays. The line names
@@ -1139,8 +1172,8 @@ showing the count it stopped at.
 ### Error handling and exit codes
 
 - `0`: success, even when files were skipped with warnings.
-- `1`: a fatal error, or a `scan` stopped by `SIGINT` or `SIGTERM`. A fatal
+- `1`: a fatal error, a `scan` stopped by `SIGINT` or `SIGTERM`, or a `dwim`
-  error is one of these:
+  stopped by either during its scan. A fatal error is one of these:
     - an operand that does not exist, or whose real path `scan` cannot find;
     - a list of mounted filesystems that `scan` cannot read;
     - another `scan` holding the lock (see "The scan lock");
@@ -1161,7 +1194,7 @@ showing the count it stopped at.
       `--workers abc`;
     - `scan` with no operand;
     - `--workers` below 1;
-    - `report`, `trees` or `info` with a positional argument.
+    - `report`, `trees`, `info` or `dwim` with a positional argument.
 
 A fatal error is reported on stderr, starting with `sfdupes:`. A failed write to
 stdout, such as a full disk, is reported the same way. Two cases never reach

TODO.md

@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@
 Newest first. An entry ends with its date and its issue or branch, where those
 are known.
 
+- New subcommand `dwim`. It runs what `sfdupes scan /` runs with no flags, then
+  what `sfdupes trees` runs. Its last line on stderr says that `sfdupes trees`
+  prints the report again (2026-11-06,
+  https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/154)
+
 - `scan` resolves each operand to its real path, symlinks followed, before the
   walk. A symlink operand is scanned at its target instead of skipped. With
   `/srv/link` a symlink to a directory outside `/srv`, `scan /srv /srv/link/sub`

db.go

@@ -146,33 +146,44 @@ var errHashSize = errors.New("hash is not 32 bytes")
 
 // databasePath resolves the database location: SFDUPES_DATABASE when
 // set and non-empty, the compiled-in default otherwise. It returns the
-// path, with the working directory, its symlinks resolved, put in front
+// path, made absolute by absolutePath, and where the path came from,
-// of it when it is relative, and where the path came from, "default" or
+// "default" or "from SFDUPES_DATABASE", for the line each subcommand
-// "from SFDUPES_DATABASE", for the line each subcommand prints first on
+// prints first on stderr.
-// stderr.
 func databasePath() (string, string, error) {
 	path, source := defaultDatabasePath, "default"
 	if p := os.Getenv(databaseEnv); p != "" {
 		path, source = p, "from "+databaseEnv
 	}
 
-	if filepath.IsAbs(path) {
+	abs, err := absolutePath(path)
-		return path, source, nil
-	}
-
-	// The working directory as the kernel reports it, with no symlink
-	// in it, as README "Database" says. os.Getwd may return PWD
-	// instead, which can name it through a symlink.
-	wd, err := unix.Getwd()
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("resolve database path %s: %w", path, err)
 	}
 
-	// Not filepath.Abs or filepath.Join: they clean the path, which
+	return abs, source, nil
-	// drops each ".." together with the directory name before it. When
+}
-	// that directory is a symlink, the cleaned path names another file.
+
+// absolutePath returns path unchanged when it is absolute, and
+// otherwise the working directory, a "/" and path. The working
+// directory is the one the kernel reports, with no symlink in it;
+// os.Getwd may return PWD instead, which can name it through a symlink.
+// The result is not cleaned, as filepath.Abs and filepath.Join would
+// clean it. Cleaning drops each ".." together with the directory name
+// before it. When that name is a symlink, the cleaned path names
+// another file than the one the system reaches by following the symlink
+// first.
+func absolutePath(path string) (string, error) {
+	if filepath.IsAbs(path) {
+		return path, nil
+	}
+
+	wd, err := unix.Getwd()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
 	// The working directory ends in "/" only when it is the root.
-	return strings.TrimSuffix(wd, "/") + "/" + path, source, nil
+	return strings.TrimSuffix(wd, "/") + "/" + path, nil
 }
 
 // createDatabaseDirectory creates the directory the database at path

dwim.go

@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"runtime"
+)
+
+// runDwim implements the dwim subcommand: it runs what "sfdupes scan
+// root" runs with no flags, then what "sfdupes trees" runs, and ends
+// with a line on stderr saying how to print the report again. The dwim
+// command passes "/" as root. It catches SIGINT and SIGTERM as scan
+// does, but only during the scan. An error from the scan, an interrupt
+// included, ends it before the report. During the report, a signal
+// ends it at once, as it ends trees.
+func runDwim(ctx context.Context, root string, stdout io.Writer) error {
+	scanCtx, stop := interruptContext(ctx)
+	err := runScan(scanCtx, []string{root}, runtime.NumCPU(), false, false)
+
+	stop()
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	err = runTrees(ctx, stdout)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr,
+		`dwim: run "sfdupes trees" to print this report again`)
+
+	return nil
+}

dwim_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestRunDwimPrintsLargestTreesFirst(t *testing.T) {
+	// dwim scans its root, then prints the trees report, the larger of
+	// two duplicate-tree pairs first, and ends by saying how to print
+	// the report again.
+	t.Setenv(databaseEnv, testDBPath(t))
+
+	root := realTempDir(t)
+
+	small := []string{
+		filepath.Dir(writeFile(t, root, "a1/f.bin", pattern(1, 300))),
+		filepath.Dir(writeFile(t, root, "a2/f.bin", pattern(1, 300))),
+	}
+	large := []string{
+		filepath.Dir(writeFile(t, root, "b1/f.bin", pattern(2, 5000))),
+		filepath.Dir(writeFile(t, root, "b2/f.bin", pattern(2, 5000))),
+	}
+
+	var stdout bytes.Buffer
+
+	stderr := captureStderr(t)
+
+	err := runDwim(t.Context(), root, &stdout)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("runDwim: %v; stderr: %s", err, stderr())
+	}
+
+	lines := strings.Split(strings.TrimSuffix(stdout.String(), "\n"), "\n")
+	if len(lines) != 3 {
+		t.Fatalf("stdout = %q, want a header and two groups",
+			stdout.String())
+	}
+
+	wantFirst := large[0] + "\t" + large[1] + "\t1\t5000\t"
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(lines[1], wantFirst) {
+		t.Errorf("first group = %q, want it to start %q", lines[1], wantFirst)
+	}
+
+	wantSecond := small[0] + "\t" + small[1] + "\t1\t300\t"
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(lines[2], wantSecond) {
+		t.Errorf("second group = %q, want it to start %q",
+			lines[2], wantSecond)
+	}
+
+	last := "\ndwim: run \"sfdupes trees\" to print this report again\n"
+	if got := stderr(); !strings.HasSuffix(got, last) {
+		t.Errorf("stderr = %q, want it to end %q", got, last)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRunDwimScanErrorPrintsNoReport(t *testing.T) {
+	// A fatal scan error ends dwim before the report: a root that does
+	// not exist fails the scan as it fails scan itself.
+	t.Setenv(databaseEnv, testDBPath(t))
+
+	missing := filepath.Join(realTempDir(t), "missing")
+
+	var stdout bytes.Buffer
+
+	stderr := captureStderr(t)
+
+	err := runDwim(t.Context(), missing, &stdout)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("runDwim on a missing root: error = nil, want it fatal")
+	}
+
+	if got := stdout.String(); got != "" {
+		t.Errorf("stdout = %q, want no report", got)
+	}
+
+	if got := stderr(); strings.Contains(got, "trees:") ||
+		strings.Contains(got, "dwim:") {
+		t.Errorf("stderr = %q, want nothing from trees or dwim", got)
+	}
+}

exclude_test.go

@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ func TestRunScanTempDirOperand(t *testing.T) {
 	path := testDBPath(t)
 	t.Setenv(databaseEnv, path)
 
-	dir := t.TempDir()
+	dir := realTempDir(t)
 	if !underAnyRoot(dir, defaultExcludes(runtime.GOOS)) {
 		t.Skip(dir + " is not inside a default exclude")
 	}

main.go

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 //	sfdupes report > dupes.tsv
 //	sfdupes trees > dupetrees.tsv
 //	sfdupes info
+//	sfdupes dwim
 //	sfdupes --version
 //
 // See README.md for the complete specification.
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ const (
 	cmdReport = "report"
 	cmdTrees  = "trees"
 	cmdInfo   = "info"
+	cmdDwim   = "dwim"
 )
 
 // errNoSubcommand is returned by the root command when it is invoked
@@ -96,8 +98,8 @@ func main() {
 // exit code. It is the program's single exit point: the subcommands
 // return their errors instead of exiting, so every deferred cleanup —
 // above all closing the database, which checkpoints the SQLite WAL —
-// runs before the process ends. The report, trees and info subcommands
+// runs before the process ends. The report, trees, info and dwim
-// write their data to stdout.
+// subcommands write their data to stdout.
 func run(args []string, stdout, stderr io.Writer) int {
 	// A nil slice makes cobra fall back to os.Args, which would let a
 	// test binary's own flags reach the command tree.
@@ -201,7 +203,16 @@ func newRootCommand(stdout, stderr io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 		}),
 	}
 
-	root.AddCommand(newScanCommand(), reportCmd, treesCmd, infoCmd)
+	dwimCmd := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   cmdDwim,
+		Short: "Scan / with the default excludes, then print the duplicate-tree report",
+		Args:  cobra.NoArgs,
+		RunE: runE(func(ctx context.Context, _ []string) error {
+			return runDwim(ctx, "/", stdout)
+		}),
+	}
+
+	root.AddCommand(newScanCommand(), reportCmd, treesCmd, infoCmd, dwimCmd)
 
 	return root
 }

main_test.go

@@ -622,6 +622,7 @@ func TestRunUsageErrors(t *testing.T) {
 		"report with args":   {[]string{cmdReport, "x"}, usageMarker},
 		"trees with args":    {[]string{cmdTrees, "x"}, usageMarker},
 		"info with args":     {[]string{cmdInfo, "x"}, usageMarker},
+		"dwim with args":     {[]string{cmdDwim, "x"}, usageMarker},
 		"unknown flag":       {[]string{cmdScan, "--nope", "/"}, usageMarker},
 		"unknown subcommand": {[]string{"nope"}, "unknown command"},
 	}
@@ -799,7 +800,7 @@ func TestRunVersionWriteFailureIsFatal(t *testing.T) {
 func scanFixture(t *testing.T) []string {
 	t.Helper()
 
-	dir := t.TempDir()
+	dir := realTempDir(t)
 
 	dupes := []string{
 		writeFile(t, dir, "one/a.bin", pattern(1, 300)),
@@ -869,7 +870,7 @@ func TestRunScanSucceedsDespiteWarnings(t *testing.T) {
 	path := testDBPath(t)
 	t.Setenv(databaseEnv, path)
 
-	dir := t.TempDir()
+	dir := realTempDir(t)
 	writeFile(t, dir, "a.bin", pattern(1, 300))
 
 	// Same size as a.bin, so the scan reads it, and the read fails.
@@ -921,15 +922,6 @@ func symlink(t *testing.T, target, link string) {
 	}
 }
 
-// assertSummary checks that stderr holds the scan summary line want.
-func assertSummary(t *testing.T, stderr, want string) {
-	t.Helper()
-
-	if !strings.Contains(stderr, want) {
-		t.Errorf("stderr = %q, want %q", stderr, want)
-	}
-}
-
 // TestRunScanFollowsSymlinkOperand scans link, a symlink to target.
 // The operand is scanned at its real path, and its file is recorded
 // there.
@@ -943,8 +935,13 @@ func TestRunScanFollowsSymlinkOperand(t *testing.T) {
 	link := filepath.Join(dir, "link")
 	symlink(t, filepath.Join(dir, "target"), link)
 
-	assertSummary(t, scanOK(t, link), "scan: 1 files seen (1 added, "+
+	stderr := scanOK(t, link)
-		"0 updated, 0 removed, 0 unchanged), 0 skipped\n")
+
+	summary := "scan: 1 files seen (1 added, 0 updated, 0 removed, " +
+		"0 unchanged), 0 skipped\n"
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr, summary) {
+		t.Errorf("stderr = %q, want %q", stderr, summary)
+	}
 
 	if got := storedPaths(t, path); !slices.Equal(got, []string{f}) {
 		t.Errorf("records = %q, want %q", got, []string{f})
@@ -964,9 +961,13 @@ func TestRunScanWalksOperandUnderSymlinkOperand(t *testing.T) {
 	link := filepath.Join(dir, "link")
 	symlink(t, filepath.Join(dir, "target"), link)
 
-	assertSummary(t, scanOK(t, link, filepath.Join(link, "sub")),
+	stderr := scanOK(t, link, filepath.Join(link, "sub"))
-		"scan: 1 files seen (1 added, 0 updated, 0 removed, "+
+
-			"0 unchanged), 0 skipped\n")
+	summary := "scan: 1 files seen (1 added, 0 updated, 0 removed, " +
+		"0 unchanged), 0 skipped\n"
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr, summary) {
+		t.Errorf("stderr = %q, want %q", stderr, summary)
+	}
 
 	if got := storedPaths(t, path); !slices.Equal(got, []string{f}) {
 		t.Errorf("records = %q, want %q", got, []string{f})
@@ -993,8 +994,12 @@ func TestRunScanWalksSymlinkedOperandBelowOperand(t *testing.T) {
 	scanOK(t, filepath.Join(outside, "sub"))
 
 	stderr := scanOK(t, dir, filepath.Join(dir, "link", "sub"))
-	assertSummary(t, stderr, "scan: 2 files seen (1 added, 0 updated, "+
+
-		"0 removed, 1 unchanged), 0 skipped\n")
+	summary := "scan: 2 files seen (1 added, 0 updated, 0 removed, " +
+		"1 unchanged), 0 skipped\n"
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr, summary) {
+		t.Errorf("stderr = %q, want %q", stderr, summary)
+	}
 
 	want := []string{a, f}
 	slices.Sort(want)
@@ -1017,8 +1022,13 @@ func TestRunScanDropsSymlinkOperandInsideOperand(t *testing.T) {
 	link := filepath.Join(realTempDir(t), "link")
 	symlink(t, filepath.Join(dir, "real"), link)
 
-	assertSummary(t, scanOK(t, dir, link), "scan: 1 files seen (1 added, "+
+	stderr := scanOK(t, dir, link)
-		"0 updated, 0 removed, 0 unchanged), 0 skipped\n")
+
+	summary := "scan: 1 files seen (1 added, 0 updated, 0 removed, " +
+		"0 unchanged), 0 skipped\n"
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr, summary) {
+		t.Errorf("stderr = %q, want %q", stderr, summary)
+	}
 
 	if got := storedPaths(t, path); !slices.Equal(got, []string{f}) {
 		t.Errorf("records = %q, want %q", got, []string{f})
@@ -1151,12 +1161,15 @@ func TestRunScanSkipsSymlinkToFIFOOperand(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("stderr = %q, want %q", stderr, warning)
 	}
 
-	assertSummary(t, stderr, "scan: 0 files seen (0 added, 0 updated, "+
+	summary := "scan: 0 files seen (0 added, 0 updated, 0 removed, " +
-		"0 removed, 0 unchanged), 1 skipped\n")
+		"0 unchanged), 1 skipped\n"
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr, summary) {
+		t.Errorf("stderr = %q, want %q", stderr, summary)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestRunScanSkipsZFSOperand(t *testing.T) {
-	zfs := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), ".zfs")
+	zfs := filepath.Join(realTempDir(t), ".zfs")
 	f := writeFile(t, zfs, "snapshot/hourly/f", pattern(1, 10))
 
 	// No scan records a file inside a .zfs directory, so the record
@@ -1207,7 +1220,7 @@ func TestRunScanSkipsOperandInsideZFS(t *testing.T) {
 	path := testDBPath(t)
 	t.Setenv(databaseEnv, path)
 
-	dir := t.TempDir()
+	dir := realTempDir(t)
 	hourly := filepath.Join(dir, ".zfs", "snapshot", "hourly")
 	writeFile(t, hourly, "f", pattern(1, 10))
 	f := writeFile(t, dir, "f", pattern(2, 10))
@@ -1287,9 +1300,13 @@ func TestRunScanWalksOperandThroughSymlink(t *testing.T) {
 	data := filepath.Join(dir, "data")
 	symlink(t, filepath.Join(dir, "pool", "data"), data)
 
-	assertSummary(t, scanOK(t, filepath.Join(data, "daily")),
+	stderr := scanOK(t, filepath.Join(data, "daily"))
-		"scan: 1 files seen (1 added, 0 updated, 0 removed, "+
+
-			"0 unchanged), 0 skipped\n")
+	summary := "scan: 1 files seen (1 added, 0 updated, 0 removed, " +
+		"0 unchanged), 0 skipped\n"
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr, summary) {
+		t.Errorf("stderr = %q, want %q", stderr, summary)
+	}
 
 	if got := storedPaths(t, path); !slices.Equal(got, []string{f}) {
 		t.Errorf("records = %q, want %q", got, []string{f})

scan.go

@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
-
-	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 )
 
 // The hash phase gives every file it reads three hashes (see
@@ -221,24 +219,11 @@ func resolveRoots(roots []string) ([]string, error) {
 	resolved := make([]string, 0, len(roots))
 
 	for _, root := range roots {
-		a := root
+		a, err := absolutePath(root)
-		if !filepath.IsAbs(a) {
-			// The working directory as the kernel reports it, with no
-			// symlink in it. os.Getwd may return PWD instead, which can
-			// name it through a symlink.
-			wd, err := unix.Getwd()
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("resolve %s: %w", root, err)
 		}
 
-			// Not filepath.Abs or filepath.Join: they clean the path,
-			// which drops each ".." together with the directory name
-			// before it. EvalSymlinks follows a symlink before it
-			// applies the ".." after it, as realpath does. The working
-			// directory ends in "/" only when it is the root.
-			a = strings.TrimSuffix(wd, "/") + "/" + root
-		}
-
 		r, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(a)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("resolve %s: %w", root, err)

scan_test.go

@@ -1094,7 +1094,7 @@ func TestScanOneFilesystemWalksNestedFileOperand(t *testing.T) {
 func buildSmokeTree(t *testing.T) string {
 	t.Helper()
 
-	dir := t.TempDir()
+	dir := realTempDir(t)
 	one := pattern(10, 2000)
 	f1 := pattern(30, 3000)
 	f2 := pattern(40, 100)
@@ -2310,34 +2310,24 @@ func TestUnderRoot(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 // TestRunScanPassesOverDatabase scans a tree that holds the scan's own
-// database, given directly and through a symlinked directory, which
+// database, and in one case also a hard link to the database file. The
-// the scan resolves to the same real path. The walk passes over the
+// walk knows the database's files by device ID and inode number, so it
-// database file, its -wal and -shm files and its .lock file with no
+// passes over the database file, its -wal and -shm files, its .lock
-// line and no count, and the record an earlier scan left for the .lock
+// file and the hard link with no line and no count. The record an
-// file is deleted. A rescan of the unchanged tree updates nothing, and
+// earlier scan left for the .lock file is deleted. A rescan of the
-// report lists none of the database's files.
+// unchanged tree updates nothing, and report lists none of the
+// database's files.
 func TestRunScanPassesOverDatabase(t *testing.T) {
-	for _, viaSymlink := range []bool{false, true} {
+	for _, viaHardLink := range []bool{false, true} {
-		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("via symlink %v", viaSymlink), func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("via hard link %v", viaHardLink), func(t *testing.T) {
-			base := realTempDir(t)
+			tree := realTempDir(t)
-			tree := filepath.Join(base, "real", "tree")
+			hardLink := filepath.Join(tree, "hardlink")
-			operand := tree
 
 			writeFile(t, tree, "a", pattern(1, 100))
 			writeFile(t, tree, "b", pattern(1, 100))
 			writeFile(t, tree, "empty1", nil)
 			writeFile(t, tree, "empty2", nil)
 
-			if viaSymlink {
-				err := os.Symlink(filepath.Join(base, "real"),
-					filepath.Join(base, "link"))
-				if err != nil {
-					t.Fatal(err)
-				}
-
-				operand = filepath.Join(base, "link", "tree")
-			}
-
 			dbPath := filepath.Join(tree, "db.sqlite")
 			t.Setenv(databaseEnv, dbPath)
 
@@ -2355,15 +2345,28 @@ func TestRunScanPassesOverDatabase(t *testing.T) {
 
 			closeScanDatabase(t.Context(), db, dbPath)
 
-			assertScanSummary(t,
+			if viaHardLink {
+				err = os.Link(dbPath, hardLink)
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatal(err)
+				}
+			}
+
+			stderr := assertScanSummary(t,
 				"4 files seen (4 added, 0 updated, 1 removed, 0 unchanged)",
-				operand)
+				tree)
-			assertScanSummary(t,
+			stderr += assertScanSummary(t,
 				"4 files seen (0 added, 0 updated, 0 removed, 4 unchanged)",
-				operand)
+				tree)
+
+			if strings.Contains(stderr, hardLink) {
+				t.Errorf("scan stderr = %q, want no line naming %s",
+					stderr, hardLink)
+			}
 
 			report := runStdout(t, cmdReport)
 			if strings.Contains(report, "db.sqlite") ||
+				strings.Contains(report, hardLink) ||
 				!strings.Contains(report, filepath.Join(tree, "empty2")) {
 				t.Errorf("report = %q, want the empty files and none of "+
 					"the database's files", report)
@@ -2389,8 +2392,9 @@ func TestRunScanPassesOverDatabaseOperands(t *testing.T) {
 
 // assertScanSummary scans operands and fails the test unless the
 // summary line gives counts with nothing skipped, and the line naming
-// the database is the only one that names one of its files.
+// the database is the only one that names one of its files. It returns
-func assertScanSummary(t *testing.T, counts string, operands ...string) {
+// everything the scan printed to stderr.
+func assertScanSummary(t *testing.T, counts string, operands ...string) string {
 	t.Helper()
 
 	stderr := scanOK(t, operands...)
@@ -2404,4 +2408,6 @@ func assertScanSummary(t *testing.T, counts string, operands ...string) {
 		t.Errorf("scan %q: stderr = %q, want only the line naming the "+
 			"database to name one of its files", operands, stderr)
 	}
+
+	return stderr
 }