Parameter --no-conversion deletes and overwrites files without warning or interaction

[gennaios]

Perhaps there could be more error checking. Sometimes I mistype the command, and by accident overwrite a file. In those cases, the file is overwritten without prompt, there's a warning about the chapter file already existing, and it aborts.

[sandreas]

Sometimes I mistype the command, and by accident overwrite a file.

Mmh this sounds strange. If you do not use the --force flag, nothing should be overwritten or deleted by accident.

Which full command did you execute?

[gennaios]

ah yes after verifying, what happens is a bit different. There is a warning as you say with mention of --force. btw the warning text is a bit hard to read (maybe white w/red background or just bold red?). It's when I reuse a command from shell history and forget to change the output name that overwriting of files happens. I then delete the chapters file, and if the output audio file already exists, it is overwritten. Command is:

m4b-tool merge * --skip-cover --no-conversion --output-file="/Users/----/Desktop/temp/01.m4b"

--no-conversion is the important thing for me. Unsure if it's a necessary previous step, or if --skip-cover is needed, though I before run a command to remove covers.

for i in *.m4b ; do ; AtomicParsley "$i" --artwork REMOVE_ALL --overWrite ; done

As such, --no-conversion works for me without fail.

btw, upon successful merge, and it seems even if there's an error (at least sometimes), source files are deleted as with parent folder. Is this supposed to happen? I think a better way, if intended, is to leave source files and have a parameter to remove source files only upon successful processing.

[sandreas]

btw the warning text is a bit hard to read (maybe white w/red background or just bold red?)

For future releases it is planned to rework the output component to be more precise. Unfortunately this is a bit ungrateful work, because the time i need for this cannot be used for new features - but i know that there are some things, that could be improved.

It's when I reuse a command from shell history and forget to change the output name that overwriting of files happens

Ok, if i got this right, you say that running the command

m4b-tool merge * --skip-cover --no-conversion --output-file="/Users/----/Desktop/temp/01.m4b"

twice overwrites the audio file /Users/----/Desktop/temp/01.m4b without --force.

and it seems even if there's an error (at least sometimes), source files are deleted as with parent folder

Oh boy, this could be possible, since before the --no-conversion parameter was introduced, the merged files were temporary and m4b-tool deletes temporary files by default. If you are right, this is a critical issue and could lead to data loss.

I'll check these two things in the next days and try to fix it as soon as possible.

[sandreas]

Ok, should be all fixed in latest source code... I'll trigger a build with a new version in the next days...

[gennaios]

Thank you. Will test with the next use.