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This title sounds like the actual files get modified by iCloud. This is not the case. Only external data ('extended attributes') in the filesystem gets stripped

by okket 9y ago

This title sounds like the actual files get modified by iCloud. This is not the case. Only external data ('extended attributes') in the filesystem gets stripped. It is true though that this is called metadata, but so is EXIF in photos, or OCR text in PDF scans, which definitely do not get stripped. Also note extended attributes do not survive most file transfers.

cortesoft 9y ago
Yeah, I don't know how this is really avoidable; a FS could add all sorts of stuff to a file that isn't supported by other filesystems.. what are you supposed to do with it?
- pkaye 9y ago
  I'd hope it would presevere the metadata on Apple's own filesystems though.
anfedorov 9y ago
Definitely misleading -- "document metadata" seems materially different from "file metadata".
dkonofalski 9y ago
This is what I'm wondering. Does Skim (the example used) actually store the annotations inside of the original document in a standard fashion or is it stored in some kind of additional file or as a standard xattr. If the latter is the case, then the OP needs to check to see if High Sierra is using APFS or HFS because High Sierra should have automatically converted the filesystem to APFS which has xattr support natively while Sierra, by default, would still have used HFS+ which stores xattrs in the B*-tree and not in the standard metadata for the file. Since iCloud would only sync over filesystem supported metadata, the xattrs would be dropped by Sierra. This is like complaining that a file created in Windows 95 called FileWithAReallyLongName.doc would be truncated when saved in MS-DOS as FILEWI~1.DOC.
- TazeTSchnitzel 9y ago
  The internal storage of xattrs is an implementation detail. They look the same to applications, and copying from APFS to iCloud Drive should function identically to copying from HFS+.
- Someone 9y ago
  ”because High Sierra should have automatically converted the filesystem to APFS” Not necessarily. Apple originally didn’t (and, AFAIK still doesn’t) support APFS on Fusion drives (https://www.macrumors.com/2017/09/18/apple-files-system-no-fusion-drive-support/ https://www.macrumors.com/2017/09/18/apple-files-system-no-f...)
ThomPete 9y ago
That really depends on the context of the discussion. To me and the app I am trying to add some features to it's not misleading at all. Basically I have to "zip" the fil and uncompress it to keep the data.
treve 9y ago
This is pretty interesting. I got some crap from apple engineers a few years ago when they found out I was stripping resource forks in my WebDAV server. I guess they've turned around.

by okket 9y ago

cortesoft 9y ago

Yeah, I don't know how this is really avoidable; a FS could add all sorts of stuff to a file that isn't supported by other filesystems.. what are you supposed to do with it?

pkaye 9y ago
I'd hope it would presevere the metadata on Apple's own filesystems though.

anfedorov 9y ago

Definitely misleading -- "document metadata" seems materially different from "file metadata".

dkonofalski 9y ago

This is what I'm wondering. Does Skim (the example used) actually store the annotations inside of the original document in a standard fashion or is it stored in some kind of additional file or as a standard xattr. If the latter is the case, then the OP needs to check to see if High Sierra is using APFS or HFS because High Sierra should have automatically converted the filesystem to APFS which has xattr support natively while Sierra, by default, would still have used HFS+ which stores xattrs in the B*-tree and not in the standard metadata for the file. Since iCloud would only sync over filesystem supported metadata, the xattrs would be dropped by Sierra. This is like complaining that a file created in Windows 95 called FileWithAReallyLongName.doc would be truncated when saved in MS-DOS as FILEWI~1.DOC.

TazeTSchnitzel 9y ago
The internal storage of xattrs is an implementation detail. They look the same to applications, and copying from APFS to iCloud Drive should function identically to copying from HFS+.
Someone 9y ago
”because High Sierra should have automatically converted the filesystem to APFS” Not necessarily. Apple originally didn’t (and, AFAIK still doesn’t) support APFS on Fusion drives (https://www.macrumors.com/2017/09/18/apple-files-system-no-fusion-drive-support/ https://www.macrumors.com/2017/09/18/apple-files-system-no-f...)

ThomPete 9y ago

That really depends on the context of the discussion. To me and the app I am trying to add some features to it's not misleading at all. Basically I have to "zip" the fil and uncompress it to keep the data.

treve 9y ago

This is pretty interesting. I got some crap from apple engineers a few years ago when they found out I was stripping resource forks in my WebDAV server. I guess they've turned around.