File Name Length .xac & .log

[Derek Atkins]

Hi,

glenn bergmann <gnebergie at gmail.com> writes:

> Hi, Once a week I receive an updated .xac file from my daughter with the
> latest financial information.  The file names have been getting longer and
> longer.  The current file has 9 .xac's in its file name.  I just tried to
> copy it to a backup disc and was advised the file name is too long.
>
> How do I reduce the length of this file name and still retain the complete
> file information?  Do I have something set incorrectly in Preferences?
>
> Thanks for any guidance you can provide.  Glenn Bergmann

This means that someone (either you or your daughter) is opening up a
backup file and using that instead of making changes to the main data
file.

Basically, GnuCash creates a backup file by taking the current datafile
and adding the date/time to the end (YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.xac).  So if you're
using a file named "Foo", then you'll get backups of the form:

  Foo-20100719100214.xac

Now assume that instead of opening "Foo" you open one of these backup
files.  Now you make changes and save!  First, you've now over-written
the original backup file, so GnuCash creates a NEW backup file using the
same system.  So now you have a backup named:

  Foo-20100719100214.xac-20100719112352.xac

Lather, rinse, repeat until you get too many names for your operating
system to handle.

The fix:

1) Don't open a backup file
1a) if you DO open a backup file, never SAVE it out again
2) Make sure you're always using your base data file
3) you can always just rename the backup file something else, e.g.:

   mv Foo-20100719100214.xac-20100719112352.xac Bar

  and then File -> Open the new file, Bar.

I hope this helps,

> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.

-derek

-- 
       Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory
       Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board  (SIPB)
       URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/    PP-ASEL-IA     N1NWH
       warlord at MIT.EDU                        PGP key available