Problem with embedded spaces in path name for --info-script switch in tar

[Brian Liedtke]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Christopher Faylor" <cgf-no-personal-reply-please@cygwin.com>
To: <cygwin@cygwin.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 09, 2006 12:50 PM
Subject: Re: Problem with embedded spaces in path name for --info-script 
switch in tar


> On Sun, Jul 09, 2006 at 12:43:23PM -0600, Brian Liedtke wrote:
>>Using tar-1.15.1-4.
>>
>>I am writing a script to create multi-volume archives using tar. However 
>>it
>>appears that the --info-script switch doesn't handle imbedded spaces in 
>>the
>>path name.
>>In the sample script below, I have hard-encoded the path to verify that 
>>was
>>the problem
>>and not with building the variable with the path name.
>>
>>Script:
>>#!/bin/bash
>>export ARCHIVE_DIR=/cygdrive/d
>>export ARCHIVE_NAME=full_`date +%y%m%d`
>>
>>tar -cv \
>>   --ignore-failed-read \
>>   --exclude=pagefile.sys \
>>   --exclude=*.vsv \
>>   -L4096 \
>>   -M --info-script="/cygdrive/c/Documents and Settings/Liedtke/My
>>Documents/Tasks/Backup/rename.sh" \
>>   -f$ARCHIVE_DIR/$ARCHIVE_NAME.tar .
>>
>># End script
>>
>>Output is:
>>tar: and: Warning: Cannot stat: No such file or directory.
>>tar: Settings/Liedtke/My: Warning: Cannot stat: No such file or directory.
>>tar: Documents/Tasks/Backup/rename.sh: Warning: Cannot stat: No such file
>>or directory
>>
>>I've devised a workaround by copying the script to the PWD previous to the
>>tar command and then
>>deleting it. But it should work as above, correct?
>>
>>I've searched for the problem on the web and found nothing. Am I missing
>>something
>>obvious, or is this switch not handling embedded spaces in the path name
>>correctly?
>>(Thank you Microsoft.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "Microsoft" handles spaces in paths just fine.
>
> I don't know why tar isn't in this case but you can work around the 
> problem
> by mounting the directory as something else:
>
> mount -f -x -b c:/"Documents and Settings"/Liedtke/"My Documents" /foo
>
> And then refer to "/foo/Tasks/Backup/rename.sh".
>
> I haven't tested the above and may have a typo but hopefully it is obvious
> nonetheless.  If not, then possibly "man mount" would help.
>
> cgf
>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for the suggestion.
It appears to be better that the kludge I came up with.
If no one comes up with something more on if this is a specific problem with
tar, I'll look into it myself when, and if, I get the time.

Brian 


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