Odd chrs in filenames

[Ric Moore]

On Sun, 2011-01-09 at 11:24 +1100, Basil Chupin wrote:
> On 09/01/2011 10:51, rikona wrote:
> > I have hundreds of classical music files with what seems to be foreign
> > chrs in the file name. It is not possible to copy these to a backup -
> > it says 'file does not exist' but gives the name with some 'black
> > diamond' chrs in the name. I'm assuming these diamonds are the chrs it
> > does not know what to do with. I have to skip the file to continue.
> > There may be a thousand+ of these chrs - too many to do by hand. I
> > tried skipping manually, and it became clear this would take a VERY
> > long time, and I would still not get a copy.
> >
> > Is there a way to semi-automatically change these chrs to their
> > 'nearest good chr' so it would be approximately readable correctly in
> > English, AND the comp would like the name? :-)
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> >   rikona
> 
> 
> Has to do with the char set you are using on your computer. You are 
> probably using UTF-8 but the chars you see as "diamond" will be 
> displayed correctly if you switch over to Western (ISO 8859-1). (Or try 
> the reverse to what I just stated.)

If you can sorta figure out the filename and wish to copy/move it to
something more ascii, you could just use midnight commander (mc) for a
text file handler. When I run into Windows file names full of spaces and
prancing pink unicorns with spangles, I use mc to brute force them into
submission. It's a manly tool, for us manly Linux-OS men and for the
Linux Chics ladies, too! :) Ric

-- 
My father, Victor Moore (Vic) used to say:
"There are two Great Sins in the world...
..the Sin of Ignorance, and the Sin of Stupidity.
Only the former may be overcome." R.I.P. Dad.
Linux user# 44256