Subject: Re: bug#18751: 25.0.50; Unable to copy hidden (dot) files from remote shared server (Linux) to local machine (OSX).

From: Michael Albinus <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 07:56:30 +0200

Keith David Bershatsky <[email-masked]> writes:

Hi Keith,

> Evaluating `(tramp-do-copy-or-rename-file 'copy filename new-filename
> t t t)` is working well on all individual files, including
> `.www.my.cnf`.
>
> `dired-do-copy` is working well on all individual files, and on
> multiple marked files.
>
> However, `dired-do-copy` cannot handle any remote directory on the
> remote server with files inside it.  Placing the cursor on any
> directory on the remote server and issuing the command `dired-do-copy`
> results in only that folder being copied to the local machine, but
> noting inside it gets copied over.

Thanks for this precision. Now I'm able to reproduce the problem, even
with older Emacs versions.

As far as I could debug, sometimes Tramp is not involved. You could see
it when you instrument the test via

(trace-function-background 'find-file-name-handler)

When you copy a remote directory from dired, there are entries in
*trace-output* like this:

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
1 -> (find-file-name-handler "/ssh:localhost:/home/albinus/.emacs.d" copy-directory)
1 <- find-file-name-handler: nil
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

But the result shall be

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
1 <- find-file-name-handler: tramp-file-name-handler
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

No idea what's up. I need more debugging; unfortunately I have to start
for a business trip just now. When time permits, I'll continue next days.

> Keith

Best regards, Michael.