[Bug-tar] Re: Verifying a tar File.

[Ralph Corderoy]

Hi again,

I wrote:
>     $ tar xf small.tar home/ralph/pysloc
>     tar: home/ralph/.mozilla/firefox/mc0oqdco.default/cert8.db: \
>         invalid sparse archive member
>     tar: Skipping to next header
>     tar: Error exit delayed from previous errors
>     $ echo $?
>     2
>     $ test -f home/ralph/pysloc; echo $?
>     0
>     $
> 
> So `tar tvf' didn't notice the sparse file problem, nor did extracting a
> file that wasn't there, but extracting one that was does complain.  And
> again, apart from the unpredictable (to me, not knowing the code)
> reporting of the problem, how did the sparse archive member become
> invalid?  There were no issues raised when creating the tar file.

I've just found
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-tar/2004-12/msg00014.html where
Sergey explains 1.14.91 fixes a bug `in the algorithm of recognizing
sparse archive members'.  Is it an error that only affects tar file
reading and so the tar file was created OK?  Is the error message a
spurious one that doesn't affect extraction of the sparse file or any
other one?

Cheers,


Ralph.