[dolphin] [Bug 488055] New: Tags and ratings are VERY easy to accidentally delete.

[bugzilla_noreply at kde.org]

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=488055

            Bug ID: 488055
           Summary: Tags and ratings are VERY easy to accidentally delete.
    Classification: Applications
           Product: dolphin
           Version: 24.05.0
          Platform: NixOS
                OS: Linux
            Status: REPORTED
          Severity: normal
          Priority: NOR
         Component: general
          Assignee: dolphin-bugs-null at kde.org
          Reporter: m1vri31c at duck.com
                CC: kfm-devel at kde.org
  Target Milestone: ---

SUMMARY
Currently it is incredibly easy to accidentally delete or lose tags. As I
understand it (I am not a developer) they are stored in extended attributes,
meaning any time a file is copied, moved or written over without maintaining
extended attributes, tags and ratings are lost.

    • Using the cp command without “-a” will lose tags and ratings

    • Using certain backup software like Timeshift will not backup tags and
ratings (use BorgBackup or a GUI for that like Vorta to make sure tags and
ratings are backed up)

    • Saving over a file in an application that is not aware of tags will
delete the tags.

    • Tags and ratings may not be copied from some mounted filesystems even
when using the same copy or move tools in Dolphin that would usually keep them

Some of the above may have proper solutions, and when they don’t they should be
clearly signposted for new users. Popups at specific times like when tagging
MIME types linked to apps that are not known to keep extended attributes when
saving would advise users to tag/rate the containing folder instead of the file
itself, or be aware the tag or rating may be saved over. There could be a first
time popup when adding tags or ratings to advise the user that the extended
attributes must me maintained to not lose the tag, and give examples of when
that may be.

I also wonder if it is possible for baloo to catch certain instances of
tags/ratings being accidentally removed and to have a popup that allows the
user to easily re-add them, with an explanation of how they got removed.

OBSERVED RESULT
Tags are unreliable and are erased unexpectedly.

EXPECTED RESULT
Have reliable tags that can be trusted enough to be used.

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
NixOS 24.11 (unstable channel)
KDE Plasma Version: 6.0.5
KDE Frameworks Version: 6.2.0 
Qt Version: 6.7.1

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