Hello,
some users on Windows 10 1903 have installed a Seafile Client and they have synchronized a library on local machine that contain a long named folder tree: the absolute path is longer than 260 characters.
The users notice some problem using the “synchronized local folder”:
when the user will try to move a file into the leaf of this tree, windows deny the operation with an error message of long path file name, so no new file can’t move on this folders.
when the user attach a file into a e-mail using Thunderbird the mail client insert the file using a “tilde” shorter name. This behavior happen also opening the file in Word, and if the file contain link to others file, word detect an error.
I will try to use the Seafile drive mapping a remote drive. The problem 2 in fixed the number 1 no.
The same behaviors happen also with the windows 10 “long path” registry feature enabled.
If I create a new folder or a new file into the library from another client (or via web interface) Windows synchronize the folder correctly.
The workaround is using shorter file names but for the user is important using this kind of naming.
Someone detected the same problem. There are some solution.
Windows’ default maximum path length is 260 characters. Any path longer than 12 characters (including the dot separating base name and file extension) is considered a long path.
Windows’ file system API supports longer file paths, but the path syntax is different (see more in the knowledge base article above).
I am not sure if the Seafile clients support these. Your tests seems to say: no, they don’t. Maybe someone else knows more.
Hi Ralf,
I guess Massimo was referring to problems caused to bad Windows management of extended-length paths (according to the KB article you cite).
I think that the seafile sync client/seafile drive client are working OK with extended-length paths. This means that such a file, e.g. created by a Mac, is sync’d or visible by the seafile clients on windows, but the user cannot move/rename/delete it because its path name is too long.
Maybe it is possible to edit the content (like in Word…) but that’s it.
And yes, tools exist like Long Path Tool to overcome this problem but still it’s feasible only for particular cases, not for daily operations by a ‘normal’ windows user.
So, given that seafile clients are working fine, Massimo question could be something like:
“anybody knows how to overcome Windows (explorer) extended-path limitations, in particular when using seafile {sync|drive} client?”
Apart - of course - from modifying the path from a different operating system…