a tar simple question

netpumber · 11-04-2009, 06:33 PM

Hi guyz...

So listen at this..

I have a folder with images that is 4,3 Gb i run

tar -cvf /home/backup/pictures/pic.tar /home/net/pictures

and it creates the pic.tar file which is 4,3 Gb

I don't know why its the same size either zipped or unzziped . Anyway..i go to zipped one (pic.tar) and try to extract it right click extract here and returns me this error:

An error occurred while trying to open the archive

i press ok and then anoter message says:

An error occurred while opening the archive file:///home/backup/pictures/pic.tar.

Why this happens? how can i extract this tar now ?

Thanks..!!

tuxdev · 11-04-2009, 06:43 PM

It's the same size because tar doesn't zip. That's gzip, bzip2, or xz's job. Tar also remembers the pathnames given to it, so it'll try to extract to /home/net/pictures no matter what.

Code:

tar cvzf pictures.tar.gz pictures

acummings · 11-05-2009, 01:30 AM

be careful where you extract to ??

You not want to overwrite your /home/user do you ?

(I was on purpose try to overwrite /home/al)
I had prob in GUI (run level 4) couldn't extract a backup copy of /home/al -- couldn't extract and overwrite /home/al with a backup copy of /home/al

But then as root, did

telinit 3

command. Then I got the job done. But I *did overwrite /home/al* 1st I deleted /home/al then I restored /home/al from backup.
-------------

(you might try) To eliminate the overhead of the GUI

You might try in a terminal:

tar -xf pictures.tar

path relevant next

/home/user$ mkdir temp

/home/user$ cd temp

/home/user/temp$ ls
pictures.tar

/home/user/temp$ tar -xf pictures.tar

extracted path then is:

/home/user/temp/home/user/pictures

(not overwrites the /home/user in that way)

--
Alan.

acummings · 11-05-2009, 01:38 AM

you didn't use z for zip option:

tar -czf pics.tar.gz ~/pics

(tar and gzipped all in one)

tar itself does not compress/zip

--
Alan.

acummings · 11-05-2009, 02:09 AM

/home/user$

if pics is in that folder, ie

/home/user/pics

then if user is where at, ie

/home/user$ pwd
/home/user

/home/user$ tar -czf pics.tar.gz ./pics

*that* ( the ./ ) *might not* save the /home/user

IOW, *might* extract as pics folder without the /home/user on it.

but I don't recall for sure.

and it's late -- I already saw/noticed a very slight bit "off" my former post(s). (nothing harmful)- just maybe one folder off on path.

hope gets the point across <- what I posted should work for that.

--
Alan.

netpumber · 11-05-2009, 07:23 AM

So i do this :

cd /home/n3t
tar -czvf /media/disk/BACKUP/home/Pictures/$BACKUPDATE.tar.gz ./Pictures

After it creates the .tar.gz file i go to extract it with right click --> extract here.
And it says that i have no more free space..

But im sure that i have..
.tar.gz is 4.1 GB and the drive that it is in has 234Gb

Why this happens ? It try to extract it somewhere else maybe ?

lumak · 11-05-2009, 12:15 PM

where are you trying to extract it too?

disturbed1 · 11-05-2009, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by netpumber

Why this happens ? It try to extract it somewhere else maybe ?

Read tuxdev's post. Tar stores paths.

cd /home/net
tar cfvz /some/place/backup.tar.gz pictures

tar..$OPTIONS.....$OUT-PUT-FILE........$DIRECTORY-OR-FILES-TO-TAR
without the .... of course

This will create a tar gzipped file containing only the directory pictures, and the files beneath it. When you extract the archive, it will create a directory pictures and populate that directory with the files.

netpumber · 11-05-2009, 01:55 PM

i can't understand what you say...

tar..$OPTIONS.....$OUT-PUT-FILE........$DIRECTORY-OR-FILES-TO-TAR

This is not the same with what i do..?

tar -czvf /media/disk/BACKUP/home/Pictures/$BACKUPDATE.tar.gz ./Pictures

acummings · 11-05-2009, 03:53 PM

BTW it's the same, what you did

IOW what U did is an actual usage example/incidince A.K.A. yes you *did do*:

tar..$OPTIONS.....$OUT-PUT-FILE........$DIRECTORY-OR-FILES-TO-TAR
--------------------------

option x extracts

if U did went to where you had put the backup then "extract here"

you'd then be extracting to a sub folder on /media/disk as next:

/media/disk/BACKUP/home/Pictures$ pwd
/media/disk/BACKUP/home/Pictures

/media/disk/BACKUP/home/Pictures$ ls
my_backup_DATE.tar.gz

/media/disk/BACKUP/home/Pictures$ tar -xzf my_backup_DATE.tar.gz

/media/disk/BACKUP/home/Pictures$ ls
Pictures
my_backup_DATE.tar.gz

/media/disk/BACKUP/home/Pictures$ cd Pictures

/media/disk/BACKUP/home/Pictures/Pictures$ ls
all_of_my_pictures_list_here

What is /media/disk ????

and how much room does it have ???

--
Alan.

netpumber · 11-06-2009, 04:13 AM

Ok thanks acummings i understand now.. And it works..