3
I'm trying to use tar to tar files before transfer, so I can keep the entire file path rather than losing it along the way. However, when I try to tar an empty folder, it tells me that it is cowardly refusing to create an empty archive. I want to keep the empty folder on the other end, but don't want to put anything else into the archive to make it non-empty. Is there any way to do this?
snostorm
Posted 2010-04-21T01:53:13.687
Reputation: 133
3
What command are you using? I am able to create a tar archive of an empty directory just fine:
[jnet@Stan tmp]$ mkdir test
[jnet@Stan tmp]$ tar -cf test.tar test
[jnet@Stan tmp]$ ls -lh test.tar
-rw-r--r-- 1 jnet wheel 10K Apr 20 21:58 test.tar
Josh
Posted 2010-04-21T01:53:13.687
Reputation: 7 540
Looking at your answer, I realized I forgot the first argument... so this is really just an ID10T error.
Thanks for helping anyway! – snostorm – 2010-04-21T02:03:15.077
You know it's cowardly to create an empty archive right? ;-) – Josh – 2010-04-21T02:18:47.203
@josh: i'm pretty sure it was the refusal to create an empty archive that was "cowardly". tho i'm not remembering who says that. is that a tar error or somebody else? – quack quixote – 2010-04-21T03:15:02.713
snostorm@ubuntu:~$ tar -cf filename
tar: Cowardly refusing to create an empty archive
Try tar --help' ortar --usage' for more information. – snostorm – 2010-04-21T11:32:45.123
So that's a tar error. :) – snostorm – 2010-04-21T11:33:28.867
@quack quixo: Yeah, you're right, my joke didn't make too much sense... I tried! :-) – Josh – 2010-04-21T13:03:03.730
1Works fine here. How are you doing it? – Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams – 2010-04-21T01:58:53.647