Create extension that can disable symlink support: $ cat > nolink.py < from mercurial import extensions, util > def setflags(orig, f, l, x): > pass > def checklink(orig, path): > return False > def extsetup(ui): > extensions.wrapfunction(util, 'setflags', setflags) > extensions.wrapfunction(util, 'checklink', checklink) > EOF $ hg init unix-repo $ cd unix-repo $ echo foo > a $ ln -s a b $ hg ci -Am0 adding a adding b $ cd .. Simulate a checkout shared on NFS/Samba: $ hg clone -q unix-repo shared $ cd shared $ rm b $ echo foo > b $ hg --config extensions.n=$TESTTMP/nolink.py status --debug ignoring suspect symlink placeholder "b" Make a clone using placeholders: $ hg --config extensions.n=$TESTTMP/nolink.py clone . ../win-repo updating to branch default 2 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved $ cd ../win-repo $ cat b a (no-eol) $ hg --config extensions.n=$TESTTMP/nolink.py st --debug Write binary data to the placeholder: >>> open('b', 'w').write('this is a binary\0') $ hg --config extensions.n=$TESTTMP/nolink.py st --debug ignoring suspect symlink placeholder "b" Write a long string to the placeholder: >>> open('b', 'w').write('this' * 1000) $ hg --config extensions.n=$TESTTMP/nolink.py st --debug ignoring suspect symlink placeholder "b" Commit shouldn't succeed: $ hg --config extensions.n=$TESTTMP/nolink.py ci -m1 nothing changed [1] Write a valid string to the placeholder: >>> open('b', 'w').write('this') $ hg --config extensions.n=$TESTTMP/nolink.py st --debug M b $ hg --config extensions.n=$TESTTMP/nolink.py ci -m1 $ hg manifest tip --verbose 644 a 644 @ b