tar chokes on files containing a colon (:) [solved]

graysky · 2011-07-15 20:19:08

Can someone show me the error of my way? Here is a small test file from [extra] that fails when I attempt to extract it (see example below).

$ wget ftp://ftp.gtlib.gatech.edu/pub/archlinux/extra/os/x86_64/lirc-1%3A0.9.0-4-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
$ tar zxvf lirc-1\:0.9.0-4-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz 
tar (child): lirc-1\:0.9.0-4-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz: Cannot open: Input/output error
tar (child): Error is not recoverable: exiting now

gzip: stdin: unexpected end of file
tar: Child returned status 2
tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now

This is a non sequitur to me. Wrapping the filename in double quotes does not help either. If I rename the file wo/ the colon, it extracts just fine. WTF? Note: fileroller extracts the file just fine without renaming it. Why doesn't the backslash escape the colon? My shell is bash.

Last edited by graysky (2011-07-15 20:40:26)

jac · 2011-07-15 20:32:42

Something with a colon in it is expected to be a remote resource. Using --force-local is what you want. Also, a .xz is not compatible with 'z', perhaps you meant 'J'?

Edit: I should specify, you can also prefix the thing with ./ (that is, a local path). It's just assuming that lirc-1 is some protocol, which it then doesn't understand (I think it uses rsh or something for fetching).

Last edited by jac (2011-07-15 20:36:59)

karol · 2011-07-15 20:36:50

bsdtar works.

graysky · 2011-07-15 20:40:16

thanks for the info, guys.

@jac - you're right, it's j not x and the ./archive.tar.xz works
@karol - bsdtar -xf archive.tar.xz works great, thanks

Arch Linux

#1 2011-07-15 20:19:08

tar chokes on files containing a colon (:) [solved]

#2 2011-07-15 20:32:42

Re: tar chokes on files containing a colon (:) [solved]

#3 2011-07-15 20:36:50

Re: tar chokes on files containing a colon (:) [solved]

#4 2011-07-15 20:40:16

Re: tar chokes on files containing a colon (:) [solved]

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