I've downloaded 1.16.1, 1.15.91 and 1.15.90 from - http://www.gnu.org/software/tar/
All exhibit this problem - First check version - 279 /home/db2inst1/db2_backups$ /home/alex/Downloads/tar/usr/local/bin/tar --version tar (GNU tar) 1.15.90 Copyright (C) 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc. This is free software. You may redistribute copies of it under the terms of the GNU General Public License <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. Written by John Gilmore and Jay Fenlason. create a tar - 280 /home/db2inst1/db2_backups$ /home/alex/Downloads/tar/usr/local/bin/tar -cvpz -f /tmp/db2bkup.tar.gz . the results are - ./ ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051005113914.001 ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051005133735.001 ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051006071126.001 ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051010154146.001 ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051019181945.001 ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051021094155.001 ./primed/ ./primed/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051102205000.001 ./iefFinal/ ./iefFinal/primed/ ./iefFinal/primed/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051109132736.001 ./iefFinal/1stMonth/ ./iefFinal/1stMonth/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051109190609.001 ./iefFinal/1stWeek/ ./iefFinal/5thWeek/ ./iefFinal/5thWeek/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051111134148.001 ./iefFinal/9thWeek/ ./iefFinal/9thWeek/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051111152701.001 ./iefFinal/10thWeek/ ./iefFinal/10thWeek/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051111165346.001 compare using the -d flag - 281 /home/db2inst1/db2_backups$ /home/alex/Downloads/tar/usr/local/bin/tar -dvpz -f /tmp/db2bkup.tar.gz . the command fails - ./ ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051005113914.001 /home/alex/Downloads/tar/usr/local/bin/tar: Skipping to next header /home/alex/Downloads/tar/usr/local/bin/tar: Error exit delayed from previous errors Extract using the -x flag - 287 /home/db2inst1/db2_backups$ /home/alex/Downloads/tar/usr/local/bin/tar -xvpz -f /tmp/db2bkup.tar.gz . ./ ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051005113914.001 ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051005133735.001 ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051006071126.001 ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051010154146.001 ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051019181945.001 ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051021094155.001 ./primed/ ./primed/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051102205000.001 ./iefFinal/ ./iefFinal/primed/ ./iefFinal/primed/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051109132736.001 ./iefFinal/1stMonth/ ./iefFinal/1stMonth/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051109190609.001 ./iefFinal/1stWeek/ ./iefFinal/5thWeek/ ./iefFinal/5thWeek/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051111134148.001 ./iefFinal/9thWeek/ ./iefFinal/9thWeek/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051111152701.001 ./iefFinal/10thWeek/ ./iefFinal/10thWeek/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051111165346.001 files extracted successfully However version 1.15.1 and previous versions doesn't exhibit the above problem - it just works! check version 283 /home/db2inst1/db2_backups$ /home/alex/Downloads/tar/usr/local/bin/tar --version tar (GNU tar) 1.15.1 perform tar on directory 285 /home/db2inst1/db2_backups$ /home/alex/Downloads/tar/usr/local/bin/tar -cvpz -f /tmp/db2bkup.tar.gz . ./ ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051005113914.001 ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051005133735.001 ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051006071126.001 ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051010154146.001 ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051019181945.001 ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051021094155.001 ./primed/ ./primed/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051102205000.001 ./iefFinal/ ./iefFinal/primed/ ./iefFinal/primed/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051109132736.001 ./iefFinal/1stMonth/ ./iefFinal/1stMonth/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051109190609.001 ./iefFinal/1stWeek/ ./iefFinal/5thWeek/ ./iefFinal/5thWeek/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051111134148.001 ./iefFinal/9thWeek/ ./iefFinal/9thWeek/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051111152701.001 ./iefFinal/10thWeek/ ./iefFinal/10thWeek/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051111165346.001 compare tar with -d flag 286 /home/db2inst1/db2_backups$ /home/alex/Downloads/tar/usr/local/bin/tar -dvpz -f /tmp/db2bkup.tar.gz . ./ ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051005113914.001 ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051005133735.001 ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051006071126.001 ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051010154146.001 ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051019181945.001 ./S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051021094155.001 ./primed/ ./primed/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051102205000.001 ./iefFinal/ ./iefFinal/primed/ ./iefFinal/primed/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051109132736.001 ./iefFinal/1stMonth/ ./iefFinal/1stMonth/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051109190609.001 ./iefFinal/1stWeek/ ./iefFinal/5thWeek/ ./iefFinal/5thWeek/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051111134148.001 ./iefFinal/9thWeek/ ./iefFinal/9thWeek/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051111152701.001 ./iefFinal/10thWeek/ ./iefFinal/10thWeek/S150000.0.db2inst1.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051111165346.001 To recap the -d flag on versions subsequent to 1.15.1 generate the "Skipping to next header" message and the tar stops at that point, an extract using -x flag works. Version 1.15.1 and versions prior to this work as expected. The file it seems to fail on is a 4.6GB db2 backup file. Alex
