Re: File truncated at ^Z character in windows

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: John Russell <jorussel@cisco.com>
> Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.help
> Date: 13 Feb 2004 16:03:04 -0500
> 
> Does anyone know what is special about the ^Z character that makes
> the file end like that?

The ^Z character is a kind of ``software end-of-file'' on DOS and
Windows systems.  This is a legacy from the old CP/M family of
operating systems, which was a predecessor of DOS and Windows.  Many
text-oriented programs on Windows, like the notorious Notepad, still
keep this back compatibility.  Text-mode I/O functions in standard
libraries available on Windows signal EOF when they see ^Z, and
console I/O does the same when you write text in cooked mode to the
shell window.

To avoid this truncation, don't use text-mode I/O when you copy files
from Unix to Windows.  For example, if you use FTP to copy files,
issue the `binary' command before the `get' command.  When using other
methods of copying files, prefer good ports of GNU software that will
DTRT and copy the entire file regardless.  For example, instead of
making a zip file, make a tar file, then untar it on Windows using a
port of GNU Tar.

If the above doesn't help, please describe how you copied the
offending file(s), and you will probably get specific advice for that
situation.