File loss moving files to a network share

Question

While moving some files (silly me to use move vice copy and delete later) to a SMB network share about half way through the move OSX lost connection to the share. Error message popped up telling me it couldn't complete the move and the files yet to be moved were deleted! Fortunately they were just some podcasts but I certainly didn't expect that a move operation would delete unmoved files. Is this common behavior under the Mac OSX?
Lawrence

Answer 1

Satoru Murata wrote:
And moving a file from one directory to another on the same drive is "physically" possible?
Actually, yes. They are fundamentally different. The actual file itself does not change. There is one copy of the file. There is also (at least) one hard link to the file. The hard link is what you actually see in the file system as a "file". In a true move operation, you create two links to the file. There is then one physical file with two pointers to it. Then, after that 2nd link is successfully created, you "unlink" the first one. Correspondingly, to "delete" a file, you just "unlink" the one and only link to it. Time Machine, for example, make extensive use of links to create snapshots of your files. These links are only possible on a single file system.
Why shouldn't we expect the Finder to be able to do that properly?
We should. But this is not a bug that should really affect anyone. I'm quite sure that there are more people who, after hearing about this, have tried to use a move across volumes than have ever tried it before. Yes, it is a bug. Yes, you could lose data. But it is a minor operation that few people knew about until recently.
And there's no guarantee that when you hit the "Send" button in Mail your e-mail will reach its destination. Perhaps you should snail mail it. Strike that, the USPS is even less reliable. Go deliver the mail in person.
That is a poor analogy. You still have a copy of the sent mail in your system. A better analogy would be to click "send" and then immediately deleting your copy of the sent message. Surely, that would be foolish. And I prefer DHL. I have had much better luck with them.
No one friggin' needs to use a computer, but a lot of people WANT to. And I'm saying there are people, if you can get it in your stubborn little head, who WANT to use Move instead of Copy, go back to original file/directory, click icon, drag to trash, empty trash, and click OK in confirmation dialog (which, by the way, is a few more than "one additional key" that you allude to).
My goodness! No need to get so upset
You can move files to new volumes all you want to. It is always going to be a risky operation, riskier than copying and then deleting. When Apple releases a fix, the risk will decrease, but I would not advise using it, on any platform.
First of all, who the heck are you telling me I'm the minority so I should just bite the bullet? Since apparently you're such an aficionado of the Terminal, which only 5% of Mac users use on a daily basis, I guess you would be just fine and dandy if there was a glaring bug in Leopard that prevented you from using it "until the software update is available", huh?
I'm "random guy on the Internet". I thought you knew that. That is an interesting question. I have always liked UNIX and I'm particularly fond of the Mac giving me the best of both worlds. But, I have to admit, I was a very happy Mac user long before MacOS X, so I think I could survive.
And second of all, you obviously think I'm some Vista troll or something, but I certainly am not, and it's quite insulting. I'm usually the first one to come to Apple's defense when need be. And, as I mentioned in my first post, I agree that this "problem" is totally overblown on various sites. HOWEVER, you are just an idiot fanboy of the worst kind if you maintain that there's really nothing wrong with this bug and suggest that, and I quote:
Really, the only reason for even attempting this operation is so you can get on the Internet and post a message about how Apple's horrible bug has caused you to lose data.
No, I didn't think that much about you at all. I was just trying to explain the difference between moving vs. copying and how those operations changed when performing them across two different file systems. I admit I am a bit sensitive about the Mac. I try not to evangelize anymore. I do try to respond to FUD when I see it. There has been a lot of that recently with Leopard.
I never said this wasn't a bug and that it shouldn't be fixed. I said it was a bug in a non-default behavior that few people even knew about. I also said that even attempting a move across file systems (even without this bug) is not a wise idea. It has a fairly high risk factor, a fairly low convenience factor, and no savings of space or time. It is my opinion that the only reason people care about it is so they have something to bash Apple about. I wasn't including you, personally, in that category. I was just trying to explain my thinking.
I know I'm fighting a losing battle here. In the "marketplace of opinions" the matter is already decided. Leopard is just as buggy as Vista, if not more so. I've never used Vista, so I can't say for sure. I know the Leopard is perhaps the best, fastest, most bug-free system I have ever used in 25 years. But you wouldn't think that from reading the Internet commentary-du-jour.