No copy via Finder, but rsync works.

Question

I have some folders with very large amounts of data in them. When I try to use Finder to move them to a blank DVD, I get the message:
"One or more items have special permissions and cannot be copied. Do you want to skip them?"
Doing an ls -la I don't see anything special about the permissions. I use rsync to move these directires to/from my workstation without error or complaint.
How might I figure out what these "special" permissions are, and how to reset them?
Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi Purchasing Department,
   In the direction of permissions, I can think of three things: file flags, Access Control Lists and file locking mechanisms. Flags can be seen in a listing from the "ls" command by using the "-o" option. ACLs will be listed when the -e option is used. Both require that the "-l" option also be used.
   The POSIX file locking mechanism is supposed to be voluntary. However, Macintosh has traditionally had some totalitarian locking mechanism like Windoze. You've doubtless noted the Finder balking at ejecting a disk containing an open file. I don't understand it so I won't say any more about it, except to volunteer that you can identify open files with the "lsof" command. Also, a reboot should eliminate the locks so you might try a copy immediately after a boot.
   My last observation is to note that the "special permissions" message may not be an accurate error message. Some error messages are catch-alls for failed operations. It's not beyond the pale that you simply asked the Finder to copy more files than it can handle. Try using the Finder to move smaller groups. It might thus be possible to move all of the files and if not, a "divide and conquer" search could produce shrinking groups of files that don't copy, eventually focusing on the problem files. That would entail lots of copy operations but you don't have to keep the results of all of them.
Edit: I just thought of a better way of finding the problem files. If you told the Finder not to copy those then they should show up in a diff of the listings of the source and the target.
Gary
~~~~
   Save gas, don't use the shell.