VFS_CROSSRENAME(8)

👑 VFS_CROSSRENAME — the manual, but make it cute

okay bestie, so this is vfs_crossrename(8) — a section 8 sysadmin tool page, and it's literally about letting your server do the renaming when the file's hopping across physical device boundaries. sit down, hydrate, let's go 💅

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✨ NAME ✨

vfs_crossrename — server side rename files across filesystem boundaries 🦋

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

vfs objects = crossrename

that's it. one line. iconic behavior honestly 💖

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

okay so first thing: this VFS module is part of the samba(7) suite. periodt.

The vfs_crossrename VFS module lets rename operations happen server side even when the source and the target are chilling on totally different physical devices. like, different devices? different vibes? doesn't matter, the server handles it.

Here's the tea: a "move" in Explorer is usually just a rename operation when it's inside of a single share or device. and normally that rename returns NT_STATUS_NOT_SAME_DEVICE and the client is forced to move the file the long way — manual copy + delete operations, one at a time, sobbing. but if the server does that rename-by-copy itself? so much more efficient. that's literally what vfs_crossrename is trying to do: this server-side cross-device rename operation. ate. 🔥

but bestie, there are limitations that this module currently does not solve, and we have to be honest about them, no cap:

• The ACLs of files are not preserved 🙈
• meta data in EAs are not preserved 💀
• renames of whole subdirectories cannot be done recursively — in that case we still return STATUS_NOT_SAME_DEVICE and let the client decide what to do 😭
• rename operations of huge files can cause hangs on the client, because clients expect a rename operation to return fast. and it won't. so. yeah. 🫠

also important: this module is not fully stackable. it can be combined with other modules, but it should be the last module in the vfs objects list. it directly access the files in the OS filesystem. like, it goes straight to the filesystem, no middleman, main character energy only.

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✨ OPTIONS ✨

• crossrename:sizelimit = BYTES — server-side cross-device-renames are only done for files if the filesize is not larger than the defined size in MiB, all to prevent timeouts. The default sizelimit is 20 (MiB). so 20 MiB is the vibe unless you say otherwise 🎀

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🌈 EXAMPLES 🌈

okay so you wanna add server-side cross-device renames inside of a share for all files sized up to 50MB? say less:

            [testshare]
         path = /data/mounts
         vfs objects = crossrename
         crossrename:sizelimit = 50

look at her. 50 MiB of pure cross-device slay. ✨

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💜 VERSION 💜

This man page is part of version 4.24.7-Ubuntu-4.24.7+dfsg-1ubuntu1 of the Samba suite. yes the version string is That Long, we don't make the rules 💅

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🧚 AUTHOR 🧚

The original Samba software and related utilities were created by Andrew Tridgell. Samba is now developed by the Samba Team as an Open Source project similar to the way the Linux kernel is developed. kings. absolute kings. 👑

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and that's the whole page bestie!! this lil manual is from Samba 4.24.7-Ubuntu-4.24.7+dfsg-1ubuntu1, dated 09/13/2026, and it's VFS_CROSSRENAME(8) in the System Administration tools section. mwah, go rename something across a device boundary 🫶💖