I am glad you and Richard have managed to find a way for Richard to read your files. However, it is important to note that doing it this way Richard must _not_ upload the the files using WinBMD (or edit the files using WinBMD). The character coding has not been converted and subtle errors can be introduced into the transcriptions. Barrie Hilary Wright wrote: Richard and I have solved the problem of compatibility between my Linux system and his windows systems and .bmd files. To understand the problem, here is a web page which explains things nicely, http://www.websiterepairguy.com/articles/os/crlf.html And here is a page which details the solution, http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/howto-unix-linux-convert-dos-newlines-cr-lf-unix-text-format/ I have installed the unix2dos program and written a small script which starts linBMD so that I can enter data and then converts the linBMD output using unix2dos into windows format. I attach the script in case anyone in the Linux world is interested. Open it in a text editor and modify as required for your installation. Thank you all for your help and comments. Hilary On Wed, 06 May 2009 06:49:18 -0400 Derek C Hopkins <derek.hopkins@sympatico.ca> wrote: > > Hi Hilary > > > > While yes it does fix the cr > > lf problem ir also add 4 characters at the > > start and one at the end to identify as a office > > file. WinBMD looks for the +INFO which must > > be the first characters in the file. > > > > +INFO,hilary.bh.wright@gmail.com,password,SEQUENCED,BIRTHS > > #,9z,Hilary Wright,Richard > > Oliver,1938B1C0212.bmd,03-May-2009,N,N,N,C,0 > > > > So this solution will not work > > > > FreeBMD and Wordpad have no problem with > > the Linux file It is just notepad and > > WinBMD. But any one witha PC can solve this > > by simply opening in Wordpad and resaving "Save > > As" this fixes the problem on the PC and is > > what I have always done. MAC files sent to > > me often have a similar problem. > > > > At 06/05/2009 01:37 AM, you wrote: > >> > >Hello Derek, >> > > >> > >Here is the linBMD file with CR+LF. I opened the file in OpenOffice >> > >which gave me the option of appending the CR+LF to every line, I then >> > >saved the file using OO and I have attached it to this mail. I can't >> > >tell, though, if the CR+LF has been saved too. >> > > >> > >Would you verify that it works in WinBMD? >> > > >> > >Thank you >> > > >> > >I have contacted the developer of linBMD, Andrew Higgs, and sent him >> > >Richard's errors. I will send him your comments about CR+LF. Maybe >> > >there is a configuration option he can use to set this. >> > > >> > >Regards >> > > >> > >Hilary >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > >On Tue, 05 May 2009 14:22:54 -0400 >> > >Derek C Hopkins <derek.hopkins@sympatico.ca> wrote: >> > > >> >>> > > > Hi Hilary >>> > > > >>> > > > I was right. it is the end of line that is giving >>> > > > windows the problem. I had no problem in opening the file with >>> > > > Wordpad, but not with Notepad until I forced a save in Wordpad. >>> > > > >>> > > > It will not open in notepad but it will open correctly >>> > > > in wordpad. Then if saved with a blank added at the end of any >>> > > > line (just to force a new save) or a "Save As" with a new >>> > > > name it can be read by notepad and WinBMD on a Windows XP >>> > > > PC. >>> > > > >>> > > > Do you have an option in Linux to write the file with a >>> > > > CR LF as the line terminator. (Windows txt file format) I am >>> > > > contacting my Linux user to see if he knows. >>> > > > >>> > > > At 05/05/2009 02:07 PM, you wrote: >>> >>>> > > > >Hi Derek, >>>> > > > > >>>> > > > >Thank you for your help. >>>> > > > > >>>> > > > >Here is the file as requested. >>>> > > > > >>>> > > > >Best regards >>>> > > > > >>>> > > > >Hilary >>>> > > > > >>>> > > > > >>>> > > > >On Tue, 05 May 2009 13:06:12 -0400 >>>> > > > >Derek C Hopkins <derek.hopkins@sympatico.ca> wrote: >>>> > > > > >>>> >>>>> > > > > > Hi Hilary >>>>> > > > > > >>>>> > > > > > I have Linux ( Ubuntu) and XP-pro. Please send >>>>> > > > > > me the file in Question. And I will figure out what you have >>>>> > > > > > to do. >>>>> > > > > > >>>>> > > > > > At 05/05/2009 11:55 AM, you wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> > > > > > >Dear Derek, >>>>>> > > > > > > >>>>>> > > > > > >Richard Oliver gave me your email address because I recently >>>>>> > > > > > >joined his syndicate and I am having trouble producing a >>>>>> > > > > > >winBMD compatible file from my linux machine using LinBMD. >>>>>> > > > > > > >>>>>> > > > > > >I will be contacting the developer of the linBMD software to >>>>>> > > > > > >ask him if he has any solution and I will provide him with >>>>>> > > > > > >the error messages Richard received. >>>>>> > > > > > > >>>>>> > > > > > >In parallel, could you put in contact with someone in your >>>>>> > > > > > >syndicate who does run linux and is successfully producing >>>>>> > > > > > >compatible files so that I can ask them how its done? >>>>>> > > > > > > >>>>>> > > > > > >Thank you for your help >>>>>> > > > > > > >>>>>> > > > > > >Hilary in Castelnaudary. >>>>>> >>>>> > > > > > >>>>> > > > > > >>>>> > > > > > Cheers Derek >>>>> > > > > > >>>>> > > > > > Derek C Hopkins, Phone +1(450)678-7768 >>>>> > > > > > 6640, Biarritz, Fax >>>>> > > > > > +1(450)678-4252 Brossard, >>>>> > > > > > E-Mail derek.hopkins@sympatico.ca QC, Canada, J4Z-2A2. >>>>> > > > > > >>>>> > > > > > ==== FreeBMD - England and Wales - Birth - Marriage and Death >>>>> > > > > > Transcriptions <http://FreeBMD.rootsweb.com> >>>>> > > > > > >>>>> > > > > > ==== Check out FreeBMD Scan2 Syndicate page (revised daily) >>>>> > > > > > Please bookmark our new home http://www.scan2.ca/scan2.html >>>>> > > > > > >>>>> > > > > > ==== Check out QFHS Marriage Transcription Project page >>>>> > > > > > (revised daily) (Quebec Family History Society) >>>>> > > > > > Please bookmark our new home http://www.scan2.ca/qfhs.html >>>>> > > > > > >>>>> > > > > > Check out Abney Park Indexing Project (revised 14 MAR 2008, >>>>> > > > > > 195,000 names) <http://scan2.ca/nlisa> .html> >>>>> > > > > > >>>>> > > > > > Check out the Quebec Family History web page >>>>> > > > > > <http://www.qfhs.ca/index.html> >>>>> > > > > > >>>>> >>>> > > > > >>>> > > > > >>>> >>> > > > >>> > > > >>> > > > Cheers Derek >>> > > > >>> > > > Derek C Hopkins, Phone +1(450)678-7768 >>> > > > 6640, Biarritz, Fax +1(450)678-4252 >>> > > > Brossard, E-Mail >>> > > > derek.hopkins@sympatico.ca QC, Canada, J4Z-2A2. >>> > > > >>> > > > ==== FreeBMD - England and Wales - Birth - Marriage and Death >>> > > > Transcriptions <http://FreeBMD.rootsweb.com> >>> > > > >>> > > > ==== Check out FreeBMD Scan2 Syndicate page (revised daily) >>> > > > Please bookmark our new home http://www.scan2.ca/scan2.html >>> > > > >>> > > > ==== Check out QFHS Marriage Transcription Project page (revised >>> > > > daily) (Quebec Family History Society) >>> > > > Please bookmark our new home http://www.scan2.ca/qfhs.html >>> > > > >>> > > > Check out Abney Park Indexing Project (revised 14 MAR 2008, >>> > > > 195,000 names) <http://scan2.ca/nlisa> .html> >>> > > > >>> > > > Check out the Quebec Family History web page >>> > > > <http://www.qfhs.ca/index.html> >>> > > > >>> >> > > >> > > >> > > > > > > Cheers Derek > > > > Derek C Hopkins, Phone +1(450)678-7768 > > 6640, Biarritz, Fax +1(450)678-4252 > > Brossard, E-Mail > > derek.hopkins@sympatico.ca QC, Canada, J4Z-2A2. > > > > ==== FreeBMD - England and Wales - Birth - Marriage and Death > > Transcriptions <http://FreeBMD.rootsweb.com> > > > > ==== Check out FreeBMD Scan2 Syndicate page (revised daily) > > Please bookmark our new home http://www.scan2.ca/scan2.html > > > > ==== Check out QFHS Marriage Transcription Project page (revised > > daily) (Quebec Family History Society) > > Please bookmark our new home http://www.scan2.ca/qfhs.html > > > > Check out Abney Park Indexing Project (revised 14 MAR 2008, 195,000 > > names) <http://scan2.ca/nlisa > > .html> > > > > Check out the Quebec Family History web page > > <http://www.qfhs.ca/index.html> > > > --Certified Virus Free by 4SecureMail.com ICSA-Certified Scanner--