Issue with tar utility in RHEL5 on 64 bit PC

GuruduttMarathe · 05-08-2012, 08:14 AM

Hi all,

I am trying to create a zipped tar file using 'tar' utility on RHEL5 CentOS.

On 32 bit PCs, there is no issue. However, on 64 bit PCs, the tar 'utility' randomly skips the subdirectories.

Command:

tar –zvcf rootfs/rootfs.tar.gz .

The contents of the subdirectories are not being added to the tar file.

knudfl · 05-08-2012, 08:17 AM

Welcome to LQ.

tar –zvcf rootfs/rootfs.tar.gz : Wrong.

It is : tar zvcf rootfs.tar.gz rootfs/

.

GuruduttMarathe · 05-08-2012, 08:28 AM

Sorry for typo error.

I tried the below command:

tar zvcf rootfs/rootfs.tar.gz .

lithos · 05-08-2012, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuruduttMarathe

Sorry for typo error.

I tried the below command:

tar zvcf rootfs/rootfs.tar.gz .

^^^this is not going to happen !

your

Code:

tar zvcf rootfs/rootfs.tar.gz

TAR uses -f for filename, so basically you're telling Tar to create the archive file in path "rootfs/rootfs.tar.gz" with filename "rootfs.tar.gz"

What is then important is if you want to include directories you need the -R switch, so the full command would be:

Code:

tar cvzRf rootfs.tar.gz   rootfs/

this will create (-c) the archive "rootfs.tar.gz" from the directory "rootfs/" and below (rootfs/etc, rootfs/var ...)

good luck

GuruduttMarathe · 05-09-2012, 12:39 AM

Thanks lithos.

Sorry again for the confusion.

In fact the current folder was the input to the tar file.

"tar zvcf /tmp/rootfs/rootfs.tar.gz ."

Please see the "."

Another Question:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is the maximum size of the dirs/files that can be added into the tar file?

lithos · 05-09-2012, 02:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuruduttMarathe

Thanks lithos.

Sorry again for the confusion.

In fact the current folder was the input to the tar file.

"tar zvcf /tmp/rootfs/rootfs.tar.gz ."

Please see the "."

Hi,

just use the command I wrote

Code:

tar cvzRf /tmp/rootfs/rootfs.tar.gz *.*

this will create an archive of files in current dir.

Tar doesn't know what to do with ".".
BTW : what is your

Code:

tar --version
tar (GNU tar) 1.22

Quote:

Another Question:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is the maximum size of the dirs/files that can be added into the tar file?

As I'm creating the archive of server which has approx 100 GB of files (mostly HTML and PHP sites) there is no problem with it (it takes approx 30min to create the archive size of 15~16GB).

GuruduttMarathe · 05-09-2012, 04:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lithos

Code:

tar cvzRf /tmp/rootfs/rootfs.tar.gz *.*

Code:

tar: *.*: Cannot stat: No such file or directory
tar: Error exit delayed from previous errors

Quote:

Originally Posted by lithos

BTW : what is your

Code:

tar --version
tar (GNU tar) 1.22

Code:

tar --version
tar (GNU tar) 1.15.1

lithos · 05-09-2012, 07:42 AM

Hi,

Please update your TAR to newer version (I think at least 1.22).

My CentOS x64 does it:

Code:

~/zac$tar czvRf ../zac.tar.gz *.*
block 0: update.sh

Done without errors!