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I have a weird problem from a long time ago already.

If I try to rename a file from "myfile.txt" to "MYFILE.txt" and vice versa, nothing changes. The filename still says "myfile.txt".

I tried to rename with Terminal, still nothing. Is this about FS? I have non-case-sensitive HFS+.

What can be the problem?

Update: upgrade osx to 10.6.6 , bug is gone in this version. =)

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5
  • 1
    Cannot reproduce. Mac OS X 10.6.6
    – Daniel Beck ♦
    Jan 30, 2011 at 18:25
  • 1
    Cannot reproduce on my 10.6.6 either. Which version are you using?
    – user3463
    Jan 30, 2011 at 19:52
  • 10.6.6 version, people tell me shell command to test with and I'll post a result.. =) for now I tried in finder and tried with "rename" util from linux (compiled my self)
    – holms
    Feb 4, 2011 at 21:55
  • ah ok it's fixed, I remembered I upgraded osx few days ago now this bug is gone thnx you guys
    – holms
    Feb 4, 2011 at 21:56
  • Note that this is only fixed through hacks in OSX's tools (e.g. /bin/mv). The filesystem is still hopelessly broken (case-insensitive but case-retaining), so things like GNU mv and other not-hacked-for-OSX will still have this problem. Terrible decision by Apple that can't be fixed because too many commercial OSX apps rely on the bad design.
    – Jim Stewart
    Jul 25, 2013 at 15:49

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
0

Upgrade Mac OS X to 10.6.6. I'm not able to reproduce there (both in Finder and Terminal), and neither is @RandolphPotter:

$ touch foo
$ ls
foo
$ mv foo FOO
$ ls
FOO
$ mv FOO Foo
$ ls
Foo
$
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7
  • I'd love to know what's wrong with this answer. As @bahamat stated, it seems to be an issue with OS X that was fixed with or before 10.6.6. The user has unfortunately not stated his OS version. According to OmniGroup statistics, two thirds of all Mac OS X machines are running Snow Leopard, making this answer very likely a practical and simple solution to the user's problem.
    – Daniel Beck ♦
    Jan 30, 2011 at 23:52
  • The user may have have a PPC system that can't upgrade past 10.5. I wasn't the one that voted you down, but I would guess this is why.
    – bahamat
    Jan 31, 2011 at 4:24
  • @bahamat Could be. But the percentage of that is even lower than the 1/3 of people you need to at least pay the 29$ for SL, seeing as Intel Macs were introduced five years ago. Thanks for the suggestion though.
    – Daniel Beck ♦
    Jan 31, 2011 at 4:26
  • is there's any change that this doesn't work on usb drives with NTFS? because it DOESNT!
    – holms
    Mar 28, 2011 at 1:45
  • @holms OS X cannot write to NTFS. The file system itself is case-preserving but case-insensitive, so the driver you're using might not rename, since there's already a file by the new name. I'm guessing here though.
    – Daniel Beck ♦
    Mar 28, 2011 at 5:11
5

I think you answered this yourself. Your filesystem is not case sensitive. Your rename operation doesn't look like a rename to the filesystem since none of the characters are changing.

If you really want to make it show up in all caps in the Finder then rename it to something else completely (like foo.txt) then rename it back with caps.

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5
  • As I commented earlier, cannot be reproduced on 10.6.6 even with a case-insensitive file system. On what (operating/file) system were you able to reproduce this?
    – Daniel Beck ♦
    Jan 30, 2011 at 19:31
  • Then he's obviously not using 10.6.6 is he?. It doesn't mean that my workaround won't work. I remember this bug from earlier OS X versions but I don't remember when it was fixed.
    – bahamat
    Jan 30, 2011 at 19:35
  • Not necessarily, bahamat. Let's see which version he's on before we make assumptions.
    – user3463
    Jan 30, 2011 at 19:52
  • 1
    OS X is case-insensitive, but it is also case preserving.
    – NReilingh
    Jan 30, 2011 at 20:55
  • people im using 10.6.6 , ok tell me SHELL command to test with... and ill post a result to you
    – holms
    Feb 4, 2011 at 21:54
0

You can reformat in a HFS+ case sensitive if you'd like. Is what I usually do because you can get in trouble with svn, git. But there is a drawback, some application doesn't work with a case sensitive FS.

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4
  • Most prominently, probably everything by Adobe.
    – Daniel Beck ♦
    Jan 31, 2011 at 20:14
  • Not only, I add some VPN tools that didn't work. I had to go in the Content/MacOS to rename some file over there. But this trick probably won't work for other app.
    – mathk
    Jan 31, 2011 at 20:17
  • Having software fail for a reason like this -- the drawback of this solution (IF it works at all -- on 10.6.6 it works without being case-sensitive, so that might not even be the issue, therefore my answer) is probably just too big to be practical.
    – Daniel Beck ♦
    Jan 31, 2011 at 20:20
  • Why not create a seperate case sensitive partition to store source code and other stuff that needs to be case sensitive. Changing the default behaviour of a system thing seems like a sure way to shoot yourself into the foot.
    – Gellweiler
    Sep 18, 2019 at 8:33

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