Error message (can't open "↑":2)

[Avibonky]

Hi,
when trying to save a file, I got 4 error messages in a row (refer to attachment).
I am pretty sure that the source file existed (since I loaded it into avidemux and edited) and the destination file was also no problem. After clicking all the error messages, I just tried again and it worked without any problems.

This error happens from time to time.

I use version 2.5.6 (German language).

[Jan Gruuthuse]

can you try using none special German characters: ö, ü, ß, ... . Could be that the program has issues with these? Could also be the cause when these are in your path / folder names.

[rss]

I have been having the same problem for as long as I can remember, across multiple versions of the program.

The bug only pops up when the file name (including directories) is of a certain length.

But when it does pop up, changing the file name to something shorter will almost always fix it. Entering the same long file name will sometimes work but rarely.

My guess is that file name gets corrupted in memory when it's of a certain length. I would look at what other data is near that memory area in the code, if that makes any sense. I haven't debugged code in ages but I still remember the more common mistakes.


P.S. It happened again just now. Repeatedly, actually, until I shortened the file name.

The complete file name looks like this:

F:\xxxxxxx\xxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxx xxxxxx xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxx\xxxx xxxx - xxxxxx xxxxx xxx.avi

It also works if I add just a single character to the file name. So it seems like the bug is only triggered by a specific number of characters in the file name; less or more works just fine.

[nibbles]

Is that exact filename the repeatable test case?  Can you make it happen on 2.5.6?  on 2.6?  Does it work in copy copy mode?  Or is there encoding?

[rss]

Is that exact filename the repeatable test case?  Can you make it happen on 2.5.6?  on 2.6?  Does it work in copy copy mode?  Or is there encoding?

No. Yes. Yes. No. No.

[nibbles]

It has to be either copied or encoded.  Which one?  Also we won't be able to help you unless you can craft a simple test case we can reproduce.  So if possible, make up a filename that shows the issue.  Thx.

[rss]

It has to be either copied or encoded.  Which one?  Also we won't be able to help you unless you can craft a simple test case we can reproduce.  So if possible, make up a filename that shows the issue.  Thx.

I thought I said it doesn't work in copy mode. And I don't encode enough to say.

The problem - I think - has to do with the length of the file name. I posted one file name where it happened consistently. It doesn't matter what the actual file name is, only the length, because when it does happen only changing the length works, not changing the characters in the file name.

Another clue is the error message (can't open "↑":2) is almost always the same with "↑" followed by a number, 2 in this case. So it looks to like the file name gets corrupted when it's a certain length. Maybe it overflows into another field or something.

That's about as much as I can say from where I sit.

P.S. Easiest way to recreate it is to open a small 300 frame avi clip. Copy-save it to the exact same directory-filename structure as in my first post, preferably on a disk other than the boot disk. If it works, lengthen the saved filename (same dirs) by one char, and save it again on top. Keep doing that for a bit and it's bound to pop. I just did it on the third or fourth save. I'm on a Pentium 4 XP-SP3, if that makes a difference.

[nibbles]

Oops, I worded my question poorly.  I meant to ask, does the error occur when you are in copy copy?  And you cleared that up for me, ok. 

You sat this is the filename where it fails:

Code Select Expand

F:\xxxxxxx\xxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxx xxxxxx xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxx\xxxx xxxx - xxxxxx xxxxx xxx.avi

I can't reproduce it.  I would need windows and to know how F is mounted, nfs, samba, etc.

[rss]

F is just a second (slave) drive on my Win XP system. The filename is near where it's triggered. You may need one that's a few characters longer. You will just have to try it again and again, with different filenames, each one character longer than the last.

[nibbles]

I'm happy to keep trying.  Here is what I did so you can critique my results so far.  I'm trying to use a network share:

Code Select Expand


$ pwd
/Volumes/Family Share/xxxxxxx/xxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxx xxxxxx xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxx
$ ls -l
total 32512
-rw-r--r--  1 nibbles  staff  982930 Mar  4 17:19 test.avi
-rw-r--r--  1 nibbles  staff  978226 Mar  4 17:26 xxxx xxxx - xxxxx xxxxx xxx.avi
-rw-r--r--  1 nibbles  staff  978226 Mar  4 17:26 xxxx xxxx - xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx.avi
-rw-r--r--  1 nibbles  staff  978226 Mar  4 17:26 xxxx xxxx - xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxx.avi
-rw-r--r--  1 nibbles  staff  978226 Mar  4 17:26 xxxx xxxx - xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxx.avi
-rw-r--r--  1 nibbles  staff  978226 Mar  4 17:28 xxxx xxxx - xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxx.avi
-rw-r--r--  1 nibbles  staff  978226 Mar  4 17:28 xxxx xxxx - xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxxx.avi
-rw-r--r--  1 nibbles  staff  978226 Mar  4 17:29 xxxx xxxx - xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxxxx.avi
-rw-r--r--  1 nibbles  staff  978226 Mar  4 17:29 xxxx xxxx - xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx.avi
-rw-r--r--  1 nibbles  staff  978226 Mar  4 17:26 xxxx xxxx - xxxxxx xxxxx xxx.avi
-rw-r--r--  1 nibbles  staff  978226 Mar  4 17:25 xxxx xxxx - xxxxxx xxxxx xxxx.avi
-rw-r--r--  1 nibbles  staff  978226 Mar  4 17:25 xxxx xxxx - xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxx.avi
-rw-r--r--  1 nibbles  staff  978226 Mar  4 17:25 xxxx xxxx - xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxx.avi
-rw-r--r--  1 nibbles  staff  978226 Mar  4 17:25 xxxx xxxx - xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxx.avi
-rw-r--r--  1 nibbles  staff  978226 Mar  4 17:25 xxxxx xxxx - xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxx.avi
-rw-r--r--  1 nibbles  staff  978226 Mar  4 17:25 xxxxx xxxx - xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxx.avi
-rw-r--r--  1 nibbles  staff  978226 Mar  4 17:26 xxxxx xxxx - xxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxx.avi



So I took an xvid+mp3+avi, and chopped 300 frames of it.  Put those 300 into test.avi in the directory you see above.  I reopened avidemux and opened test.avi, hit the save button, and gave it the filename you posted here.  I then saved and saved and saved with different names like you see.  Nothing strange.  Is my method ok?

[rss]

That should have done it. Maybe you do need Windows.

[Jan Gruuthuse]

There are some issues with Window paths and folders and names to I believe. When working it would be safe practice to work just 1 level below the root and keep folder names simple. The combination of working with folders in deep levels and using long names could cause this odd behavior. There are extra limitations when working through Windows API, this could be the case working with Avidemux?
MSDN Naming Files, Paths, and Namespaces

[Avibonky]

Hello,
the thing I observed is that
when I try to open the file several times, then suddenly it works.
The only systematic I could observe over weeks is that
from time to time I get that error message.

can't open "↑":2

With one file it could be a one-time error but also twice, three times ... until is suddenly works.

Could it be a timeout problem, somehow?

[Avibonky]

One more thing:
This never happens in batch mode.
What I want to say: In batch mode, everything works smooth.
Otherwise, I would expect batch mode to stop or create an error.

The error only happens when opening single files vie "file open".