Normalize file names to NFC Unicode on sync to fix macOS–Windows compatibility with Korean characters
[Problem]
macOS stores Korean characters using NFD (Canonical Decomposition), while Windows and Linux use NFC (Canonical Composition). When files with Korean names are synced between platforms, the differing Unicode normalization forms cause file name conflicts, duplication, or sync errors.
[Root cause]
macOS HFS+/APFS decomposes characters into constituent jamo (NFD). The same Korean string has a different byte sequence on macOS vs Windows/Linux, even though it looks identical to users. This is a known OS-level behavior, not a user error.
[Requested fix]
Normalize all file and folder names to NFC before syncing, regardless of the originating OS. This is the approach used by Dropbox, Google Drive, and others to prevent this class of issue.
[My story]
- I live in Korea (a country with terrible privacy laws) and I have no local alternatives. I know i must be a minority but this would help me greatly