TAR file: extracting files from an absolute path

[cptk]

I have a Solaris 8 tar file containing files with prefixes all starting with /opt/somedir/blahblah... But unfortunately I can't extract the blahblah files to another workstation because I don't have root access to the /opt/ directory...and I can't temporary create /opt/somedir/.

Is there a way to extract the files and in effect ignore the leading /opt/somedir directory?

HISTORY:
Basically, what happen was that I needed to back-up my entire home directory (/opt/somedir/....) to copy to a new box. But the new box's "home" directory structure is setup a little differently compared to the older box-- it's now /export/home/somedir.

Can I use the arch cmd? How in an extract?

Yes, I know I should of been a little more careful by first cding to the /opt/somedir/ directory before creating the tar file!

Thanks ...

 

[vgersh99]

You might have to take a look at '/usr/sbin/static/tar' and 'man chroot'


vlad
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[LKBrwnDBA]

In some installation the chroot can only be executed from super-user.

Here is an alternative (may be slow because it extracts file by file from the tar file):

#!/bin/ksh
tar tvf myOptFiles.tar |awk '{print $8;}' >tarlist1
sed &quot;s/opt\/somedir/export\/home\/somedir/&quot; tarlist1 |
paste -d' ' - tarlist1 >tarlist2
while read nf tf
do
if [[ &quot;${tf%%*/}&quot; == &quot;&quot; ]]
then
mkdir $nf
else
tar xvf myOptFiles.tar $tf >$nf
fi
done <tarlist2

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The person who says it can't be done should not interrupt the person doing it. -- Chinese proverb

 

[fredericofonseca]

as I mentioned on thread80-642192

tar -xvA tarfile

&quot;A&quot; option if available in Solaris will remove the absolute pathname, and extract to the current directory.
If not available then do a &quot;man tar&quot; to see which one will be





Regards

Frederico Fonseca
SysSoft Integrated Ltd

http://www.syssoft-int.com

 

[LKBrwnDBA]

Sorry,

-A option not availabe on Solaris 5.8





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The person who says it can't be done should not interrupt the person doing it. -- Chinese proverb

 

[PHV]

You may consider gnu tar.

Hope This Help
PH.

 

[fredericofonseca]

I did say to do a &quot;man tar&quot;.

from the manual

option P (uppercase)

Suppress the addition of a trailing &quot;/&quot; on directory entries in the archive.

Now unfortunatelly this only applies to &quot;creating&quot; the archive, not to extract from it, so no good.

You have two options.
1- Recreate the backup file on the original computer
2- Do as PHV sugested and get another tar program (gnu or other) to do the restore.




Regards

Frederico Fonseca
SysSoft Integrated Ltd

http://www.syssoft-int.com