How to store filenames with colons?

[AdamJacobs]

I have recently bought a new Buffalo Linkstation Duo 6TB backup device.

Mostly, it works just fine, but one problem I have is that it does not seem possible to copy filenames that include a colon. I gather that this is something to do with Windows compatibility: in Windows, filenames are not allowed to contain colons. However, I am backing up from an Ubuntu PC and I have no need to share the files with a Windows system, so I would like to be able to back up files with a colon in them.

After Googling the problem, I am a little confused. Some pages I have seen tell me that this is a problem with cifs. I mount the device via a cifs entry in my fstab file. However, I also have an older Linkstation Duo (a 2 TB device), which is also mounted via cifs, and I can copy files with colons in the filename to that one just fine.

So, I assume that it must be something to do with the way the new Linkstation Duo is set up that's different to the way the old one is set up, but I can't see anything obvious in the way the devices are configured.

Any ideas how I might solve this problem?

I'm using Ubuntu 12.04 and copying the files via rsync.

Many thanks
Adam

[ratty2013]

As the linkstation is designed to be used with Windows it has to be Windows compatible and therefore colons should not be used in filenames.

[AdamJacobs]

Are you sure about that? The product information says that it's also compatible with Mac systems, which are broadly similar to Linux in their file structure.

But if it's true that it's simply not possible, then I guess I shall have to return the device to the retailer for a refund and buy a more capable device from another manufacturer. A backup device that won't back up my files is not really fit for purpose.

[ratty2013]

Did you setup your linkstation shares to use just Apple share folder support or Windows?

It should be set just on Apple only and not have Windows ticked.

[AdamJacobs]

OK, that sounds like a sensible way to proceed, but the trouble is when I try that I can no longer see the share from my Ubuntu PC.

Any idea how I can connect to a share that's ticked as having only Apple support?

[ratty2013]

I think you need to connect using smb, i.e smb://ip_address_of_linkstation/share_name

[davo]

Cannot be done with SMB, you need to use FTP. Testing and working with FTP in Ubuntu 10.10