photo comment changed in "binary comment"

[J-Paul BERARD]

I add a comment in several photo (F3 key) (image 1) and this comment is changed in the following string : binary comment (image 2) !

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 21.10
Package: shotwell 0.30.11-0ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.13.0-20.20-generic 5.13.14
Uname: Linux 5.13.0-20-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu70
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Thu Oct 21 14:06:06 2021
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-04-10 (558 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Beta amd64 (20200402)
SourcePackage: shotwell
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to impish on 2021-10-16 (5 days ago)

[Jens Georg (yg-jensge)]

I vaguely remember that this was an issue in exiv2 but I'm currently struggling to find the related bug in shotwell/gexiv2

[J-Paul BERARD (arverne)]

Thanks.

It's a new problem with this version. I used already these comments before without problem.

[GuiYou65 (guiyou65)]

I do have the same issue. I find out this happens systematicaly when I use accentuated characters in a Comment. I am french so this is quite often !
When I close Shotwell and reopen it, the Comment is good, with accents. But the metadata of the picture still says "binary comment". Strange because I activated the option to write metadata in the picture.

Is there a link with the fact that Title begins with lang="x-default" in the metadata of the picture even if Shotwell doesn't show that ?

If you need more details, please just ask.

[J-Paul BERARD (arverne)]

I'm french as well.
I agree with you.
Nowadays, if I close and open Shotwell again, the comment appear normally under the photo and in the extended informations panel. But they become "binary comment" as soon I open the comment window again (F3).

[GuiYou65 (guiyou65)]

"But they become "binary comment" as soon I open the comment window again (F3)"

That is because, actualy, Shotwell keeps the real comment in its database but the embedded metadata of the picture (Right-Clic on the picture in Nautilus) remains as "binary comment".

[GuiYou65 (guiyou65)]

Hi again,
this bug that happened recently is still there for comments using accentuated or special characters (like french characters).

Yes, it seems to come from Exiv2 function. But Exiv2 team did bring an answer to it :
https://github.com/Exiv2/exiv2/pull/1432

Could you please take it into account for the next Shotwell version, because it is a big nuisance for non english writers.