can't copy if filename includes ":" or "?"

[nachtigall]

If a filename of a file contains a ":" (colon) or "?" (question mark) then I cannot copy it over to the rockboxed iriver H140

Code: [Select]

$ mount
...
/dev/sda1 on /media/IHP100-1 type vfat (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,noatime,uid=1000,utf8,shortname=lower)


$ cp "colon:colon" "questionmark?questionmark" /media/IHP100-1/
cp: cannot create regular file `/media/IHP100-1/colon:colon': Invalid argument
cp: cannot create regular file `/media/IHP100-1/questionmark?questionmark': Invalid argument

From time to time a album (directory name if ripped) or a songname includes a ":" or "?". This is not uncommon, and it is annoying if one has to rename the filename by hand after ripping (left alone that it took me several hours to find out that it is these two symbols that cause the problem).

This is probably because of the vfat filesystem on the H140. Any solution?

[LinusN]

This is a limitation of the FAT32 file system. You have to live with it. It has absolutely nothing to do with Rockbox.

[bk]

That's often a result of poor unicode support by P2P clients or CD ripping applications (they replace the extended character with '?'). Find better software or configure your existing apps to handle internationalization so you don't have so many filenames with '?' in them.

[nachtigall]

That's often a result of poor unicode support by P2P clients or CD ripping applications (they replace the extended character with '?'). Find better software or configure your existing apps to handle internationalization so you don't have so many filenames with '?' in them.

no, this is because there are songs like "What is love?" ;-) Really a question mark is not something unusual in languages (and therefore songtexts, and hence the ripped filename). How do other fat32 players handle this -- the same simple "not allowed" way?

Anyway, can I format it to ext3? Does rockbox support this?

Or is it possibly on the rockbox side to substitue ? by e.g. _QM_ and : by _CL_, maybe for instance by a layer between cp and the kernel (sounds somewhat cumbersome, i know).

[LinusN]

There is nothing we can do. Rockbox is not even involved in the USB transfer.

FAT32 is the only file system Rockbox supports (and likely ever will).

[Llorean]

Just make sure the files are properly tagged and then use Database if you *really* must see the question marks in the tree, instead of just the WPS.

[nachtigall]

Just make sure the files are properly tagged and then use Database if you *really* must see the question marks in the tree, instead of just the WPS.

That's not the problem. I do not need to see the question marks or colons, but they are in the filename, meaning after ripping or also very often in podcasts, e.g. "joe user explains: love (episode 1)" (to stick with this kind of example ;-). So I guess the ipod can handle such filenames

So what does that mean, I need to manually rename the files and then copy them over by hand to the rockbox, which is a bit against the idea of subscribing to a podcast, isn't it.

ok, but if it cannot be done, then that's the way it is. Thanks for your quick answers.

[Llorean]

Please, the bold is unnecessary. Itunes renames files when copying them over to the iPod, not even human recognizeable names. I think compared to complete jumbling of the filenames, suggesting that you simply remove the questionmark, or get a syncing program that'll do so for you, is a rather minor request, especially considering it IS a physical limitation of the filesystem. Your logic that suggests the ipod can handle such filenames is flawed because of your assumption that iTunes itself doesn't rename them.

[Yotto]

I've never seen a podcast that used ? or : in the filenames, but I suppose they exist.  I'd consider telling the few who DO use them that it is causing you no end of trouble, and suggest they stop.  Any reasonable podcaster would, considering the potential lost audience of not just you, but others who might not be so nice as to tell them it's a problem.

Music, of course, is a bit different, but after you manually fix it the first time, it's never a problem again, so that's far less a big deal than podcasts (which need fixing every time you listen, essentially)

[Febs]

So I guess the ipod can handle such filenames

If by "handle," you mean rename to names like "YMDFE," then yes, the ipod can handle such file names.