Error: The file name(s) would be too long...

The ReadyNAS disks are EXT3. This is not a limitation of the filesystem used in the ReadyNAS, but likely rather the protocol you are using. How are you transferring the files across to the NAS? Are you using CIFS (aka SAMBA) i.e. connecting to the ReadyNAS via Windows Explorer?

What characters do the filenames use apart from the alphabet?

Yes using Explorer to transfer to a CIFS share (but confess I don't really understand the implications) It seems to take ages (like many, many hours) though for 200 gb, also copying from folder to folder on the NAS itself. Am using Gigabit throughout, & have the various ReadyNAS performance tweaks set

What model ReadyNAS is this?

What is the length of an example filename you are having problems with (including spaces, slashes etc.)?

There's a good thread (http://www.readynas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=57718) you may wish to read.

Ah - might be a clue. An example is: G:\Cadbury\CSMS\Manufacturing Best Practice\CSMS Core Materials 06.07\French\Learning Maps\CS Key 1\Original InDesign\Safety_First\__MACOSX\Safety First\Hazard Classification 2 Folder\Links\._fr_Page 17 - Employee safety Concern Sheet [Converted].ai

so its a pesky Mac resource fork & maybe system doesn't like the dodgy filenames + it hits the character limit ? Why though the problem with it on NAS but not NTFS (I guess the NAS should be OK on MAC network?)

stevebower wrote:
Ah - might be a clue. An example is: G:\Cadbury\CSMS\Manufacturing Best Practice\CSMS Core Materials 06.07\French\Learning Maps\CS Key 1\Original InDesign\Safety_First\__MACOSX\Safety First\Hazard Classification 2 Folder\Links\._fr_Page 17 - Employee safety Concern Sheet [Converted].ai

That's 249 characters. You wouldn't have to copy it too far deep onto the NAS to exceed the 255 character limit.

stevebower wrote:
so its a pesky Mac resource fork & maybe system doesn't like the dodgy filenames + it hits the character limit ?

it's a Windows/CIFS limitation.

stevebower wrote:
Why though the problem with it on NAS but not NTFS (I guess the NAS should be OK on MAC network?)

There is a 255 character limit for filenames for Windows, I think. With a filename of 249 characters in length that doesn't really leave any room for the network part of the address you are copying to. With e.g. \\ip.address.of.nas\sharename alone in front of the rest you're going to break the 255 character limit. One solution would be to rename the names of one or more of those folders or the file itself, to make them a little shorter. Another would be to move the file into a location where the path isn't so long.

Btw the NAS runs heavily customised Debian Linux.

Update - Sacked off the Mac bits & mapped a drive to the target folder. Sorted, & luvverley & quick! Not quick sure why speed should have imporved, but happy now :-)

With a mapped drive and not having problems with file lengths one would expect speeds to improve. Good to hear!

Musing - wonder if part of the speed thing is not having to resolve a UNC name for the file transfer? Way beyond me now. Maybe my 'Shares' ought to be 'Drives'?

The speed might be reduced if you transfer a lot of small files (transfering 1000 files of 10kB takes waaaaaaay longer than transfering 1 file of 10MB). My experience is that, in that case, it is usually faster to transfer using ftp instead of cifs.

From the file name you mention, it looks like some sort of manual where you store each page in a separate .ai file, this will probably result in loads of small files.

Yeh think you're right, plus the Mac forks are all tiny anyway. Once they're all over it won't be a problem, as its an archive,
Cheers