Print a deprecation warning on sync for symlinks

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -35,6 +35,17 @@ Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
   the host inserts or removes plug instances while other instances of that
   plugin are processing audio.
 
+### yabridgectl
+
+- Deprecated support for the symlink-based installation method in yabridgectl
+  and removed all remaining mentions of it from the documentation. This feature
+  has for all intents and purposes already been obselete since yabridge 2.1.0,
+  but the option was still available. With modern file systems supporting
+  reflinks, there's zero reason to use this feature anymore, and enabling it can
+  lead to a number of surprises. Yabridgectl will now print a warning upon
+  syncing when using the symlink installation method, and the feature will be
+  removed completely in yabridge 4.0.
+
 ### Packaging notes
 
 - We now target VST3 SDK version 3.7.4 with git tag `v3.7.4_build_25-patched`.

tools/yabridgectl/src/actions.rs

@@ -231,6 +231,20 @@ pub fn do_sync(config: &mut Config, options: &SyncOptions) -> Result<()> {
         None => None,
     };
 
+    if config.method == InstallationMethod::Symlink {
+        eprintln!(
+            "{}",
+            utils::wrap(&format!(
+                "{}: The symlink-based installation method is currently active. This \
+                 will likely result in unexpected behavior, and the feature will be removed \
+                 entirely in a later version of yabridgectl. You can revert back \
+                 to the copy-based installation method by running '{}'.\n",
+                "WARNING".yellow().bold(),
+                "yabridgectl set --method=copy".bright_white()
+            ))
+        );
+    }
+
     if let Some((libyabridge_vst3_path, _)) = &files.libyabridge_vst3 {
         println!("Setting up VST2 and VST3 plugins using:");
         println!("- {}", files.libyabridge_vst2.display());

tools/yabridgectl/src/config.rs

@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ pub enum InstallationMethod {
     /// This will create a symlink to `libyabridge-{vst2,vst3}.so` for every VST2 plugin `.dll` file
     /// or VST3 module in the plugin directories. Now that yabridge also searches in
     /// `~/.local/share/yabridge` since yabridge 2.1 this option is not really needed anymore.
+    ///
+    /// TODO: This feature has been deprecated, remove it in yabridge 4.0
     Symlink,
 }
 

tools/yabridgectl/src/main.rs

@@ -119,15 +119,18 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
         )
         .subcommand(
             App::new("set")
-                .about("Change the installation method or yabridge path (advanced)")
+                .about("Change the yabridge path (advanced)")
                 .display_order(200)
                 .setting(AppSettings::ArgRequiredElseHelp)
                 .arg(
                     Arg::new("method")
                         .long("method")
-                        .about("The installation method to use")
+                        .about("The installation method to use (deprecated)")
                         .long_about(&format!(
-                            "The installation method to use. \
+                            "This feature has been deprecated in yabridgectl 3.7.1 and should \
+                             not be used anymore. \
+                             \n\n\
+                             The installation method to use. \
                              '{}' works in every situation but it requires you to modify your PATH \
                              environment variable so yabridge is able to find 'yabridge-host.exe'. \
                              'yabridgectl sync' whenever you update yabridge. You'll also have to \