Save as causing "Ambiguous File" hell

Installation & Configuration Linux
#1

I used “Save as” to create a copy of a project I’m working on (saved with a different filename). I believe I selected “Copy external media into new session” in addition to the default “Copy media to new session”.

I definitely de-selected “Switch to newly-save version” but it switched anyway (I’ve noticed this behaviour before, I think with earlier 8.x versions).

Every time I open the new copy I’m met with an “Ambiguous File” prompt, 150+ times with no way to quit or apply to all. It happens every time I try to open the project, even though I saved the file after the first 150+ “Done” clicks.

This is with 8.6 downloaded from here. I’ve managed to create copies this way before; have I done something wrong on this occasion or is this a bug?

ETA: I’ve just remembered that I’ve successfully copied a session with 8.6 recently, as I’d done a copy of the sketching session for this project, yet now every time I try save as I end up with ambiguous file issues with the new copy?

#2

Best guess is that you may have renamed the top-level folder of the session manually in the past?

Is there more than one subdir in the interchange folder of the session bundle?

path/to/the/SESSION-NAME/interchange/

Can you provide an example of 2 conflicting/ambigous paths?

#3

In both cases, the interchange folder has only a single subfolder with the same name as the session e.g.

/home/username/Music/ARDOUR/2024/04 Jul-Aug/JUL-AUG FINAL/interchange/

…just has a single subfolder called “JUL-AUG FINAL”, which in turn has subfolders called “audiofiles”, “midifiles” and “videofiles”.

Here’s a screenshot of the first dialogue:

Ambiguous File Screenshot_20240905_214437
Ambiguous File Screenshot_20240905_214437889×251 20.8 KB

“JUL-AUG FINAL” is the original session and “JUL-AUG writing 2” is the copy.

You set me thinking about when I had to hurriedly buy a new HDD and copy everything across because the old one was dying (after nearly 11 years :person_facepalming:). But that was back in June, well before this session was created.

#4

To track down the issue, the .ardour session file may provide some insight.

As for a quick solution to get you back on track: Does it help if you move the original session to a different top-level folder?

something like

cd /data/Music/ARDOUR/2024/
mkdir "04a Jul-Aug"
mv "04 Jul-Aug/JUL-AUG writing 2" "04a Jul-Aug/"
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#5

Thanks. I just moved the session up a level to /data/Music/ARDOUR/2024/ and I still get the ambiguous file issue.

Near the top of the session file there’s this:

<Option name="audio-search-path" value="/data/Music/ARDOUR/2024/04 Jul-Aug/JUL-AUG FINAL/interchange/JUL-AUG FINAL/audiofiles"/>

I looked at another (different) session where I’d forked it by doing a “save as” and that has no path against that option in the session file.

Removing the path from the problem session file above and the session opened normally. How did it end up with the path set for that option?

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#6

Those are also available in Session > Properties > Locations.

I think this issue can arise if you pick “include media and do not copy media” in the save as dialog. Do you recall what options you chose?