[rdiff-backup-users] Fat32 usb from Linux with override-chars-to-quote

[Tore Ericsson]

Fat32 usb from Linux with override-chars-to-quote 
Tranfer file trees with preserved names for direct MSWin use

        Background:
On a Kubuntu system, I have designed a html gallery generator that within a 
directory with images (jpg etc.) creates a subdurectory 'album'. Within 
'album' there is a file 'index.html' as well as subdirectories with 
thumbnails, show-pictures, etc. etc. ...

        Copies of image directories (and, why use rdiff-backup?):
I copy each of such directories to a usb disk. Such a copy is best produced 
with rdiff-backup, since it can be restored, modified, and finally updated 
back on the usb disk i a secure way preserving history.

        Another usb disk on fat32:
In order to have another backup copy, I carry out the same procedure on 
another similar usb disk. In order to have all galleries ready to show on even 
a MSWin computer, this usb disk is fat32-formatted, while the first disk is 
ext3 (or ext4).

        The problem:
The command 'rdiff-backup $source $disk' works well on the ext3 disk, 
but does not produce files with proper names on the fat32 disk. That is, with 
names ready to use for showing 'album' galleries when this disk is just 
plugged into a MSWin computer that has got a web browser.

        Solution(?):
For the fat32 destination, at present I use the command
        rdiff-backup --no-hard-links \
                --override-chars-to-quote '"*/:<>?\\|;' \
                $source $disk
mainly as described at 'http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=652316' in 
the last post.

        The questions:
How does 'override-chars-to-quote' actually work here? Isn't it rather a 
'chars-to-quote'-list or 'override-chars-to-quote-except'-list? Is this a 
proper way to achieve the intended goal? Which is:
- to transfer file names literally untouched to the case-insensitive fat32
- assuming that no ambigous file names will arise (I'm caring against)
- assuming that only ascii characters are used in file names (e.g. no umlauts)
- to be able to restore a directory with untouched file names!

So far my first experiences are positive, even if I don't know all I'm doing! 
I'm interested in sharing experiences with you that has intended similar use 
of rdiff-backup, and to get advices on transferring file trees between Linux 
and MSWin in a simple way. 

My rdiff-backup has version 1.2.8.

Best regards and thanks on beforehand,
Tore

P.S. I may add that all text files in the gallery system are utf-8 coded. 
Since some utf-8 support even exists on recent MSWin systems it is not 
impossible to administer my galleries in MSWin7, for example. I haven't tested 
rdiff-backup on MSWin, though.