Getting GNU Tar to stop when file is found

Gault LaRue · 02-26-2007, 12:26 PM

Hello,

Here is my dilemma. When I use GNU tar (version 1.16 - standard with Slackware 10.2) to extract a particular file from a tape archive, GNU tar continues to search the tape even after the desired file has been extracted. Is there a way to make it quit once the first occurrence has been found? I've searched the GNU tar manual and Googled it to death but have come across nothing. It is frustrating watching my restore script still executing long after the file has been restored.

Thanks,
GL

anomie · 02-26-2007, 04:05 PM

Haven't tested it, but this (from tar(1) manpages) sounds promising:

Quote:

--occurrence NUM
process only NUM occurrences of each named file; used with
--delete, --diff, --extract, or --list

Gault LaRue · 02-27-2007, 11:10 AM

Thank you! It looks like it should fit the bill. I've been testing it this morning but haven't gotten it to work correctly yet, even with a simple command like:

tar -x -v --checkpoint=.1000 --occurrence=1 path/to/myfile.txt

For output, I get the checkpoint dots, then the filename once that has been found, then more checkpoint dots for a while afterward. But the --occurrence option seems to be just what I was looking for.

I'll post again once I've figured out what I'm doing wrong.

Thanks,
GL

Gault LaRue · 03-30-2007, 02:56 PM

It turns out I wasn't doing anything wrong. I reported the bug and received the reply:

> I believe there may be a bug with the GNU tar version 1.16 "--occurrence"
> option: it keeps scanning to the end of the tape even after the first
> occurrence of a file is found.

Thanks for reporting. I have fixed it in the repository.

Regards,
Sergey

Thanks,
GL