On Tue, 2005-08-09 at 10:40 -0500, Mike McCarty wrote: > Craig White wrote: > > On Mon, 2005-08-08 at 16:15 -0500, Mike McCarty wrote: > > > >>Paul Howarth wrote: > >> > >>>On Sun, 2005-08-07 at 16:00 +0200, Liloulinx wrote: > >>> > >>> > >>>The Linux NTFS module has very limited write support. > >>> > >>>http://linux-ntfs.sourceforge.net/rpm/rel26.html > >>> > >>>Paul. > >> > >> > >>IMO, Linux has limited *read* support. I have tried with > >>two different versions of Linux to read NTFS without > >>success. It appears to copy data correctly, but as it turns > >>out this is not the case in my experience. > > > > ---- > > of course you worked with the developers of the project to help iron out > > the wrinkles on it before you thumbed it down on this list right? > > Sarcasm is unbecoming. I did the copies on Saturday of last > weekend and the weekend before that for a friend at her house. > I don't normally have access to the machine unless I go over > there. So I've had all of two days now to get everything together. > Furthermore, the versions of Linx I tried were not Fedora Core, so > posting here would hardly be the correct forum. Or would it? > > And I didn't write some sort of scathing criticism, either. I stated my > experience. > > For those with more interest, I found two things occurred, and > have not investigated enough to check for others. > > File names changed in case. I mean that a file stored in the NTFS > partition with a name like FRED.EXE might be copied to a name like > FreD.exe. In one case, the same file got copied with different > destination file names in two copies. By that I mean that I did > a copy from NTFS to a FAT32, and then repeated the same copy > (to a different destination) and the same file wound up with two > different munged names. Like FreD.exe in one copy, and FReD.Exe > in the other copy. To clarify further... > > Using a Live CD based on Debian > > $ mount /mnt/hda1 (FAT32) > $ mount /mnt/hdb1 (NTFS) > $ cd /mnt/hda1 > $ md oldd > $ cd oldd > $ cp -pr /mnt/hdb1/* . > ....... > $ diff -r /mnt/hdb1 . > diff.out > <6000+ files had different names> > > Using a different Live CD, also based on Debian > > $ cd .. > $ md newd > $ cd newd > $ cp -pr /mnt/hdb1/* . > $ diff -r /mnt/hdb1 . > diff.out > <6000+ files had different names> > > Some of the files in oldd had a different name from > the files in newd. I don't know whether using the > different versions of the Live CD contributed to this, > or whether repeating the copy would have had similar > results using the same CD again. Both of the CDs were > the latest releases of the respective packages. Names > withheld intentionally. I'm not trying to criticize those > packages, especially behind their backs. > > Some of the file names were corrupt by having unusual characters > in them. Like 0xC1 and 0xE1. I did diffs of the files, and in the > files where the names were not different, the data were correct. > But over 6,000 files (about half, I guess) had munged names. > > When I have a little more spare time, I intend to go over there > and write a script to rename the files with changed names, and > do the diffs again and see whether the data are all correct. > > In any case, I don't believe that I am obligated to help solve > the problems, as you seem to suggest. Had I posted a criticism > like "DON'T USE LINUX! IT SUX! IT RUINED MY DATA! IT'S A DOG!" > you'd be justified in replying "Then don't use Linux, and please > go away." I can think of no theory to which I subscribe which > obligates me either to report or to help solve problems. > Presumably you are attempting to shame me into feeling guilty > about not being more civic-minded in some sort of fashion. > > Well, if that was your goal, it didn't work. > > What I did was pass along what I thought might be some useful > information for a prospective user. Not write a criticism. > > Happier? ---- happier? no. interesting that you criticized my sarcasm before resorting to your own. Your problems with copying the files would appear to have nothing to do with the ntfs kernel module - but rather related to the differences between NTFS and VFAT file name handling methodologies and Linux was indifferent to it. I think you would have a much easier time of things if you shared the NTFS partition with samba to a Windows computer and allowed the Windows computer to copy the files as it understands the nuance of the filesystems. Granted a local copy is quicker than a network copy. But a local copy that doesn't work vs. a networked copy that does work seems to have greater efficacy than writing script to rename files that still may have unanticipated results. Craig
