[KLUG Members] a question concerning tar version 1.13.19

[Rick Hayner]

Hello to all.

I'm using the woody version of debian linux.  I have been having an
interesting problem with my tape backups using tar version 1.13.19.  I
can backup okay, but when I restore with an older version of tar, I
end up with no symbolic links.  I even had a friend compile tar
version 1.13.19 with the old libraries so it would work on my older
root disks, and i still ended up with a lot of missing symbolic
links.  I finally just copied tar version 1.13 from the root disk to
/bin/tar2, and use it as the version of tar I use for the backup.  

the command for backing up my system is:
from /, tar zclpf /dev/st0 .

The restore script issues this command:
tar zxlpf /dev/st0  . when the root file system is mounted on /mnt
from a slackware root disk, and with the current directory being
/mnt.  There are absolutely no problems with the older version of tar,
but 1.13.19 apparently has a big problem.  Who do I report it to?
I've read all documentation, and I can't seem to find what's changed
that would cause all symbolic links to be ignored.  What the error
messages actually state is that the link cannot be created because the
link file doesn't exist.

Take care.

-- 
Rick Hayner
rhayner@complink.net
Member spebsqsa, Baritone Kalamazoo Mall City Chorus.
Amateur radio station wa8jqv