nemo does not copy SOME directories/files between Linux Mint v18.10 systems

[maxreason]

I have three Linux Mint v18.10 computers and a couple Windows7 computers on a LAN. The nemo file browser can see the other computers as well as the shared directories on the LAN-attached computers.

However, I can copy some directories from computer to computer, but not other directories. I don't understand why.

Note that my username is "max" on ALL computers and my password is the same on all these computers. Also note that I tried sharing every which way possible, including:

- "guest sharing" versus "not guest sharing" (which then requires username and password be entered)
- "allow others to create and delete files" versus "don't allow" (read-only access)

I can copy some directories (with included files and recursively sub-directories and their files), and others won't work.

Sometimes it generates a totally wacko error dialog that refers to a file with an empty-string name, as in "". And other times it asks to associate a program with an unknown file type. Yup, say what? I'm trying to copy, not execute!

Often the directory that is refuses to copy ends up being created on the target system, but with no files inside. I tried manually sharing all the sub-directories, but that didn't help. And yet... some directories copied perfectly!

I'm at a loss. Any ideas?

PS: Everything I do is within nemo file browsers. I start two of them up, click "Network" on one nemo (which then displays the connected computer names). Then I click on the computer name I want to transfer from (which then displays the shared directories and files). Then (for example) I'll drag the "/home/max/project" directory on computer "mintoid" and drop it into the "/home/max" directory in the other nemo file browser (where no "project" directory currently exists). This might work (copy the whole directory/file tree). Then I'll drag some other directory... and it will fail.

[maxreason]

I have no idea what the problem is, or why such a problem would exist.

However, for anyone who encounters this problem in the future and finds this thread via a search, I offer the following "workaround" that I figured out.

#1: start the "nemo" file browser on the source computer (the one with the directory-tree or file you want to copy).

#2: right-click the directory or file you want to copy.

#3: select "compress..."

#4: specify ".tar" as the file-type. Do not select compressed types because they screw up owner/permissions and such. Well, at least some do and I didn't do a thorough test of every possible file-type.

#5: click the button to create the directoryorfilename.tar file.

#5: start the "nemo" file browser on the destination computer (the one you want to copy the directory-tree or file to).

#6: copy the "directoryorfilename.tar" file from the source computer to destination computer (drag and drop).

#7: if the directoryorfilename.tar" file is not in the directory where you want the directory or file to exist, move or copy the directoryorfilename.tar to that directory.

#8: right-click the directoryorfilename.tar file.

#9: select "extract here".

All done.

PS: I'd still like to know why I need to go through all this nonsense, especially when sometimes I don't need to for no obvious reason.

[daret]

I would say it has something to do with charsets used between your systems.

I'm not sure what charset is used on Mars Moons , but in our company, there is one Windows Server, where I can not copy files/directories with "special" local characters.

[maxreason]

I guess that's a good guess. I should have mentioned some examples.

#1: like the .mozilla directory (settings for applications like firefox and thunderbird).

#2: like the .thunderbird directory (mostly settings and email content from mozilla thunderbird application.

#3: like the .codeblocks directory (settings of a software development environment).

And I was copying from a linux mint v18.10 machine to a linux mint v18.10 machine... so it doesn't involve linux versus Windows conflicts.

So... because the problem is so weird I don't rule out what you said, but I don't think that's likely. I hope it isn't likely!

Why should a directory or file copy care what are the contents of files? The contents of all files are just bytes (as far as copies are concerned)... right? No?

[Uranium]

I advise don't use nemo try rsync and see what happens at the root. Could be running into any number of filesystem craziness up to and including samba shares. You could always try copying over ftp/sftp if that works?