Odd chrs in filenames

[Basil Chupin]

On 09/01/2011 17:24, Ric Moore wrote:
> 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

I prefer to use the compassionate, gentle persuasion, and a soft-voiced 
approach to solving such a problem rather than the "brute force" (you 
brute, you!) approach you are advocating O:-) .

Anyway, watcha doing still messing around with Windows garbage?! Shut 
the damn Windows and stop the bugs from getting in! (Eh, I like what I 
just wrote! I think I'll use it as a sig line - unless you want to use 
of course.)

(Still having a hard time convincing people to switch from Windows, eh? 
:-( Not to worry, Windows' time is nigh - 1111 hours on 12/12/2012 at 
the latest.)

BC

-- 
"I would rather deal with a correct asshole than a polite dipshit ANY AND EVERYDAY"
              Brian K. White