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From: kherron@s.ms.uky.edu (Kenneth Herron)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.sysv386
Subject: Bugs in AT&T cpio?
Message-ID: <1991Feb1.212420.11253@ms.uky.edu>
Date: 1 Feb 91 21:24:20 GMT
Sender: kherron@ms.uky.edu (Kenneth Herron)
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Kentucky
Lines: 25

This has happened too many times to be a coincidence.

I provide technical support for several sites running AT&T Sysv/386 3.2.1.
All of the machines (6386 WGS's) are configured with AT&T 60-meg tape
drives.

Any attempt to reload a large portion of the file system from a cpio tape
invariably results in a screwed-up file system; the most visible 
symptom being 25 random files in /usr/bin being linked together.
It's not always the same files, and it's not always the same file 
being linked to, but it's always 25 links.  There are other problems;
rather than chase them all down we invariably end up rebuilding the
system from scratch.

This scuttled plans to do quick system installations via a floppy-based
unix that can read the tape drive; I have the floppy but can't build
a reliable file system except from the foundation set.  I've also had
this happen when reading a tape "on top" of an installed system.

Has anyone else seen this?  Any suggestions for getting around it?
-- 
Kenneth Herron                                            kherron@ms.uky.edu
University of Kentucky                                        (606) 257-2975
Department of Mathematics 
                                "Never trust gimmicky gadgets" -- the Doctor