Can't change Downloads to External Drive

[sgmiller]

"it's either not normal at all that you can have in the same folder two elements with the same name (a folder and a symlink in your case),"

I don't think this can be true since when the symlink is created in the first place, it was created in the same folder.

Also, normal aliases and files with the same name can be in the same folder.

[sgmiller]

The following Macworld article on SymbolicLinker (the service which creates symbolic links) clear states that the symlink and original item CAN be in the same folder:

"A simpler alternative is the free SymbolicLinker. This OS X add-on—which is provided as a services plug-in for OS X 10.6 and later, and as a contextual-menu plug-in for OS X 10.5 and earlier—adds a Make Symbolic Link command to the Finder’s contextual menus. (In 10.5, the command is in the More submenu; in all other versions of OS X, it’s at the root level of the menu.) Just right-click or Control-click on an item in the Finder, choose Make Symbolic Link, and a link to that file is created. The link looks just like a Mac alias. Exactly where the link is created depends on where the original item is located. It will usually appear in the same folder as the original file or folder; however, if you don’t have permission to create a new file in that directory, the link will be created on the Desktop. (I’d like to see an option to choose a default location for all new symlinks.) Wherever the link is created, you can then move it to wherever you like."

http://www.macworld.com/article/144680/ ... inker.html

[zito]

"it's either not normal at all that you can have in the same folder two elements with the same name (a folder and a symlink in your case),"

It is true

Also, normal aliases and files with the same name can be in the same folder.

It's not true

[sgmiller]

I am sorry but did you read the above?? It says clearly that the symlink is created first in the same folder with the original file. As I understand it, that has been normal since System 7:

" Exactly where the link is created depends on where the original item is located. It will usually appear in the same folder as the original file or folder; "

[zito]

I am sorry but did you read the above?? It says clearly that the symlink is created first in the same folder with the original file. As I understand it, that has been normal since System 7:

" Exactly where the link is created depends on where the original item is located. It will usually appear in the same folder as the original file or folder; "

I do not see your point, do you got one ?

You can create symlinks where you want. ("man ln" in Terminal.app to figure how).
Btw symlink is unix stuff there where no symlinks in Mac before OS X
Two elements in the same folder can't have the exact same name. N E V E R.

Have a good day...

[sgmiller]

"I do not see your point, do you got one ?"
"Two elements in the same folder can't have the exact same name. N E V E R."

My point is that if a Service used to create symbolic links normally creates such links in the same folder as the original, then it cannot be true that the link and the original cannot exist in the same folder which is what you said earlier.

I am including a screenshot to show that this is exactly what has happened.

"Btw symlink is unix stuff there where no symlinks in Mac before OS X"

I was actually meaning to refer to aliases

[zito]

Your system is very badly damaged.
What's in your screenshot is supposed to be impossible.
look at my screenshot, this is what SymbolicLinker should make.
Repair it NOW, before you loose all your data...

[sgmiller]

I am sorry but I am 100% confident that my system is not damaged in the least. The result you saw in the 1st screen shot came about because I deleted "symlink" from the file name to see if it made any difference. I am attaching a 2nd screenshot to show the original result which is exactly like yours.

In fact, I am willing to bet that if you also delete "symlink" from your file name on the symbolic link, you will also have two items with the same name in the same folder.

[sgmiller]

In fact, this is exactly the same with aliases as you can see from the following two screen shots.

[sgmiller]

Also attaching Disk Warrior and Disk Utility runs to show absolutely no file system problems (the Plist errors from DW are normal and from unrelated apps)

[zito]

Wow, you're kind of stubborn, you know...

Last time I repeat it :
Mac OS X do not allow two different files in the same folder to have the same name !
If you try to rename a file with a name already used by another file in the same folder, an healthy OS X display an alert window and do not let you do it !

[sgmiller]

"Stubborn"......interesting because I don't think I am the one who is being stubborn here.

1) It is clear from Disk Utility and Disk Warrior that I have no file system problems.

2) From the screenshots, you can see that it is indeed possible to have two items with the same name in the same folder as long as one of them is an alias/symlink.

3) If you are honest, you can try it as an experiment by creating a folder, putting a file in it, create an alias, remove "alias" from the title and dragging it back to the original folder. I have three Macs in my house and it works the same on all of them


You are just wrong. If that makes me stubborn, so be it.

[zito]

Sorry for you...

[sgmiller]

Actually I am sorry for you because you did the test the wrong way by using the extension .rtf. With the extension, you cannot have two items with the same name but take off the .rtf then make the alias and then drag it back in the folder.

[sgmiller]

The good news is that you accidentally helped me find a solution. I left the "symlink" on the symbolic link to my external hard drive and when I restarted SAB, it didn't create its own file so it should work now. So, the download directory now looks like the attached screenshot.

LOL