diff -Nur -x '*.orig' -x '*.rej' rdiff-backup-1.1.7/rdiff_backup/fs_abilities.py mezzanine_patched_rdiff-backup-1.1.7/rdiff_backup/fs_abilities.py
--- rdiff-backup-1.1.7/rdiff_backup/fs_abilities.py	2006-11-12 20:08:42.000000000 -0700
+++ mezzanine_patched_rdiff-backup-1.1.7/rdiff_backup/fs_abilities.py	2006-11-20 00:01:59.000000000 -0700
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 	acls = None # True if access control lists supported
 	eas = None # True if extended attributes supported
 	hardlinks = None # True if hard linking supported
+	symlinks = None # True if symbolic linking supported
 	fsync_dirs = None # True if directories can be fsync'd
 	dir_inc_perms = None # True if regular files can have full permissions
 	resource_forks = None # True if system supports resource forks
@@ -83,6 +84,7 @@
 		if not self.read_only:
 			add_boolean_list([('Ownership changing', self.ownership),
 							  ('Hard linking', self.hardlinks),
+							  ('Symbolic linking', self.symlinks),
 							  ('fsync() directories', self.fsync_dirs),
 							  ('Directory inc permissions',
 							   self.dir_inc_perms),
@@ -138,6 +140,7 @@
 		self.set_case_sensitive_readwrite(subdir)
 		self.set_ownership(subdir)
 		self.set_hardlinks(subdir)
+		self.set_symlinks(subdir)
 		self.set_fsync_dirs(subdir)
 		self.set_eas(subdir, 1)
 		self.set_acls(subdir)
@@ -178,6 +181,19 @@
 			self.hardlinks = 0
 		else: self.hardlinks = 1
 
+        def set_symlinks(self, testdir):
+                """Set self.symlinks to true iff symbolic links can be made"""
+                sl_target = testdir.append("symlink_target")
+                sl_target.touch();
+                sl_source = testdir.append("symlink_source")
+                try:
+                        sl_source.symlink(sl_target.path)
+                except (IOError, OSError):
+                        log.Log("Warning: symbolic links not supported by filesystem "
+                                        "at %s" % (self.root_rp.path,), 3)
+                        self.symlinks = 0
+                else: self.symlinks = 1
+
 	def set_fsync_dirs(self, testdir):
 		"""Set self.fsync_dirs if directories can be fsync'd"""
 		assert testdir.conn is Globals.local_connection