Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!aplcen!haven!adm!news From: ceilidh!dnichols@uunet.uu.net (Donald Nichols) Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards Subject: Re: restore tar archives with different uid? Message-ID: <24292@adm.BRL.MIL> Date: 26 Aug 90 03:49:07 GMT Sender: news@adm.BRL.MIL Lines: 47 "Chad R. Larson says:" > > In article <1740@yenta.alb.nm.us> dt@yenta.alb.nm.us (David B. Thomas) writes: > +--------------- > | Is there a way to restore a tar archive, but force all the files > | thus created to be owned by you? > +--------------- > Well, you don't tell which version of tar you are playing with (DOS? SysV? > BSD?), but it sure sounds like a RTFM question to me. > > SysVr3.2 TAR(1) partial extract, speaking of key arguments: > > "o" - Causes the extracted files to assume the owner and group ID > of the user running the program rather than those on the > archive tape. But - for example - TFM for 3.51 unix for the unix-pc from at&t (that's actually SysVR2 + some Berkely stuff) DOES NOT MENTION the -o option. Yes - it does work, but no - it is not documented. This may have also been the case on the system which the original poster uses. IMHO, this is a misfeature, since it is easy for someone to partially extract an archive and not be able to read it. (At least, he can get rid of it :-) When AT&T, in their great wisdom, decided to let the Great Unwashed User change the ownership of files that s/he owns, they should have modified tar so that if the uid is not 0, the -o option is automatically set. This would preserve the behavior found under V7 and BSD. Perhaps also they could have made the -o option invert THIS behavior for non-root invokers. Under V7 and BSD, they could get away with blindly chown(2)ing each file or directory created, knowing that it would not work for a non-root user. SysV, however, produces problems, and should not have this as the DEFAULT behavior. > -- > Chad R. Larson ...{mcdphx,asuvax}!anasaz!chad or chad@anasaz.UUCP > Anasazi, Inc. - 7500 North Dreamy Draw Drive, Suite 120, Phoenix, Az 85020 > (602) 870-3330 "I read the news today, oh boy!" -- John Lennon > -- Donald Nichols (DoN.) | Voice (Days): (703) 664-1585 D&D Data | Voice (Eves): (703) 938-4564 Disclaimer: from here - None | Email: --- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---