2 files changed, 33 insertions, 3 deletions
diff --git a/packages/meshbay-node/src/meshbay_node/ops/roots.py b/packages/meshbay-node/src/meshbay_node/ops/roots.py
index b976e8f..c272978 100644
--- a/packages/meshbay-node/src/meshbay_node/ops/roots.py
+++ b/packages/meshbay-node/src/meshbay_node/ops/roots.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from meshbay_node.ops.node_toml import (
     _update_root_field,
     toml_string,
 )
-from meshbay_node.roots import RootError, RootSet, off_disk
+from meshbay_node.roots import RootError, RootSet, distinct_name, off_disk
 
 log = logging.getLogger("meshbay_node.ops")
 
@@ -36,12 +36,21 @@ async def add_root(state: dict, group_id: str, path: str, *,
         raise OpError("Group not configured on this node", status=404)
 
     specs = [asdict(r) for r in cfg.roots]
-    specs.append({"path": path, "name": name, "kind": kind,
-                  "writable": writable, "removable": removable})
     try:
+        # Every caller sends the folder's basename when nobody typed a name, so
+        # that is the case that gets a distinct one. A name somebody chose is
+        # still refused on a clash.
+        target = Path(path).expanduser().resolve()
+        if name.strip() in ("", target.name):
+            taken = {r.folded for r in RootSet.build(specs).roots}
+            name = distinct_name(target, taken)
+        specs.append({"path": path, "name": name, "kind": kind,
+                      "writable": writable, "removable": removable})
         built = RootSet.build(specs)
     except RootError as e:
         raise OpError(str(e)) from e
+    except OSError as e:
+        raise OpError(f"{path}: {e}") from e
 
     added = built.roots[-1]
 
diff --git a/packages/meshbay-node/src/meshbay_node/roots.py b/packages/meshbay-node/src/meshbay_node/roots.py
index 2b48292..7dded1f 100644
--- a/packages/meshbay-node/src/meshbay_node/roots.py
+++ b/packages/meshbay-node/src/meshbay_node/roots.py
@@ -211,6 +211,27 @@ def derive_name(path: Path) -> str:
     return name
 
 
+def distinct_name(path: Path, taken: set[str]) -> str:
+    """
+    `derive_name(path)`, or, when a root in `taken` (folded names) already has
+    it, that name followed by where the directory is: `Archives (H)` for
+    `H:\\Archives` beside `G:\\Archives`, `Films (b)` for `/mnt/b/Films`.
+
+    The same folder name on two drives is the ordinary case, and the interface
+    has no field to type a name into, so refusing it left no way forward.
+    """
+    base = derive_name(path)
+    candidates = [base]
+    where = path.parent.name or path.drive.rstrip(":")
+    if where:
+        candidates.append(f"{base} ({where})")
+    candidates += [f"{base} ({n})" for n in range(2, 100)]
+    for name in candidates:
+        if fold(name) not in taken and not portable_name_problem(name):
+            return name
+    return base
+
+
 @dataclass
 class RootSet:
     """