My tar file contains many files but only the first file will extract

[raypru]

My tar file has many files but when I use tar xvf only the first file is extracted. What is the problem?

ray @ loninsathp1:/home/ray/scripts#ls -lrt use*
-rwxr--r-- 1 ray dba 271934 Jun 22 16:31 useful_scripts.tar


ray @ loninsathp1:/home/ray/scripts#tar -xvf useful_scripts.tar
x a.sql, 221 bytes, 1 tape blocks

tar tvf only displays one file although you can see from the size of the file in ls command the tar contains many files

 

[khalidaaa]

The ls -lrt doesn't mean that you have many files inside the tar file! it just displays the size of the tar file not its content.

But i trust you if you say so.

Why don't you redirect the output to somewhere else?

tar -xvf useful_scripts.tar /tmp/test_dir

Regards,
Khalid

 

[KenCunningham]

I take it tar -tvf (just to list the contents) gives the same result?

I want to be good, is that not enough?

 

[raypru]

There are probably 50 or 60 files in the tar. When I cat the tar file the contents of each file are displayed so the tar definitely contains all of the files. tar -tvf does the same and only shows the first file.

 

[RodKnowlton]

Does "pax -f useful_scripts.tar" give any different results?

I sounds like you've got either a corrupted file or one that was written in a buggy manner. Using a different implementation of tar (ie pax or even a PC with WinZip) might allow you to get around the problem.

- Rod


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