Folder settings (metadata) lost after upgrade

This is a regression and it seems it happens in Ubuntu.

Nautilus has an utility to migrate (nautilus-convert-metadata) which was added on
http://gitorious.org/nautilus/nautilus/commit/1d14824dc8ab6f1f8573b07c11ce437ae22dc77b

Also in:
http://gitorious.org/nautilus/nautilus/commit/72f65592a84cb8e9ad2ccaa6bbfd7fe4fbe7371b

There was a (probably related) bug on the Debian package, according to the following message:
http://np237.livejournal.com/25396.html

The issue is nautilus-convert-metadata is not installed in Ubuntu. Hence, it fails to migrate the user
data. Look at the code:

3 if (g_file_test (metafile_dir, G_FILE_TEST_IS_DIR)) {
644 updated = g_build_filename (metafile_dir, "migrated-to-gvfs", NULL);
645 if (!g_file_test (updated, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS)) {
646 g_spawn_command_line_async (LIBEXECDIR"/nautilus-convert-metadata --quiet", NULL);
647 fd = g_creat (updated, 0600);
648 if (fd != -1) {
649 close (fd);
650 }
651 }
652 g_free (updated);
653 }
654 g_free (metafile_dir);
655 }

This is a regression. IMVHO it should not be low priority.

I compiled nautilus by myself and I ran manually nautilus-convert-metadata and the issue was gone.

Sebastien, it seems we just need to install the missing nautilus-convert-metadata program?

I would like to add, that if it the nautilus-convert-metadata were added,
it will work only for new upgrades.

No matter if the migration was successful or not, nautilus add the
the file migrated-to-gvfs into ~/.nautilus/metadata; which is verified
later to decide whether to run the converter program or not. Hence,
if the program is installed and the user already ran Nautilus 2.28
from Ubuntu it will not migrate the data.

Accepted nautilus into karmic-proposed, the package will build now and be available in a few hours. Please test and give feedback here. See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation how to enable and use -proposed. Thank you in advance!

After installing the nautilus packages from karmic-proposed, I had to do a 'rm .nautilus/metafiles/migrated-to-gvfs' and restart Nautilus before my old emblem assignments reappeared. All is well now.

This bug was fixed in the package nautilus - 1:2.28.1-0ubuntu2

---------------
nautilus (1:2.28.1-0ubuntu2) karmic-proposed; urgency=low

  * debian/nautilus.install:
    - install the binary used to migrate folder settings on upgrade
      (lp: #448153)

 -- Sebastien Bacher <email address hidden> Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:22:28 +0100

copied karmic-proposed to lucid.

This bug was fixed in the package nautilus - 1:2.28.1-0ubuntu2

---------------
nautilus (1:2.28.1-0ubuntu2) karmic-proposed; urgency=low

  * debian/nautilus.install:
    - install the binary used to migrate folder settings on upgrade
      (lp: #448153)

 -- Sebastien Bacher <email address hidden> Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:22:28 +0100

After doing a clean install using the Intrepid CD (downloaded 2010-02-23), I still got this problem when mounting my homedir (inheritance from Intrepid). Possibly the issue is related to rebooting and loggin in on my user account before (all) updates are installed. But I guess for most users that will be natural course of action.

I actually prefer to to do the updates before the reboot, but for that needed my wireless keys, and these are on the homedir - then re-boot and login is a logical solution.

So I think this issue isn't properly resolved until it gets into the CD.