Fix: SMB Cannot See or Manage AFP-Created Accented Filenames (Xinet Server 2025.8.5 Regression)

Solution

1) Confirm you are seeing the same symptom

This issue typically presents as SMB/AFP interoperability problems for accented filenames. Common reported symptoms include:

• “With Xinet 2025.8.5, the display of files and folders whose names contain accented characters in SMB volumes is not allowed.”
• “Mount the same volume in SMB, and you will find that the file (or folder) is invisible.”
• Renaming the item to remove accented characters makes it visible/usable in SMB.
• In Xinet 2025.12.19, files were reported as fixed, but folders were still problematic from SMB (example: “The folder whose name has accented characters can only be deleted from an AFP … volume.”).

2) Check affected and fixed versions

• Reported affected (regression): Xinet Server 2025.8.5 (vs 2025.5.16)
• Partial improvement reported: 2025.12.19 (files OK; folders still problematic from SMB in customer testing)
• Fix confirmed by customer: Xinet Server 2026.02.27 (used with Portal 2025.12.19)

3) Recommended resolution: Upgrade to the fixed Server release

1. Upgrade Xinet Server to v2026.02.27.
   • This fix was delivered as a Server release.
   • The fixed Server release was confirmed compatible with Portal v2025.12.19.
2. After upgrading, retest using the AFP-first reproduction steps (create via AFP first, then validate via SMB).
3. Validate that accented-name files are visible and manageable via SMB.
4. Validate that accented-name folders are manageable via SMB (including delete/rename as required by your workflow).

Additional context (investigation findings)

• Attempts that created/uploaded accented filenames via the Xinet Portal and then checked visibility via SMB did not reproduce the issue (files remained visible).
• A key requirement to reproduce the reported behavior was creating the item on the volume via AFP first, then checking from SMB.
• Reproduction attempts may be limited by test-environment availability and AFP testing constraints (for example, AFP connectivity failures or lack of macOS client availability).
• The issue was handled as an internal defect/regression; an intermediate release (2025.12.19) improved file handling but did not fully resolve folder operations from SMB in customer testing, prompting further engineering escalation and the final fix in 2026.02.27.

How to Reproduce (Key Detail: AFP-First)

To reproduce the issue as reported, the item must be created on the volume via AFP first:

1. From a macOS desktop, copy a file or folder with accented characters in the name to an AFP volume.
2. Mount the same volume via SMB.
3. Check whether the file/folder is missing (invisible) in SMB, or whether SMB operations (notably on folders) fail.
4. Rename the file/folder to remove accented characters and re-check visibility/behavior in SMB.

Note: Creating the file via the Xinet Portal and then checking via SMB may not trigger the same AFP/SMB interoperability path and may not reproduce the issue.

Temporary Mitigation (If You Cannot Upgrade)

If upgrading immediately is not possible, a mitigation observed in the field was to disable specific SMB modules:

• Disable SMB modules xinetnamespace and xinetfilehandlin.
• Observed behavior:
  • With these modules active: accented-name items created via AFP may be not visible in SMB.
  • With these modules inactive: accented-name items created via AFP may become visible in SMB.

Important: Test this mitigation in a non-production environment first. Module changes can impact SMB behavior and features.

Validation Checklist

After applying the fix (or mitigation), confirm the following:

• A file with accented characters created via AFP is visible via:
  • Xinet Portal
  • SMB client browsing
• A folder with accented characters created via AFP is visible via SMB and supports required operations (browse/rename/delete).
• If your workflow depends on AFP, verify AFP connectivity from the macOS versions used in production (AFP support and behavior can vary by client OS/version).