The file gtarfail.tar is a POSIX compliant tar file that is not accepted by GNU tar. Here is a star listing of the tar archive: 518 -rw-r--r-- jes/glone May 25 16:41 2001 vedpowered.gif 6825 -rw-r--r-- jes/glone Apr 29 02:19 1997 cd.gif 33354 -rw-r--r-- jes/glone Jun 22 14:17 1999 DSCN0049c.JPG 86159 -rw-r--r-- jes/glone Jun 5 20:16 2001 Window1.jpg 1310 -rw-r--r-- jes/glone May 25 15:05 2001 vipower.gif 148753 -rw-rw-rw- jes/glone Sep 15 15:08 1998 billyboy.jpg Here is how Sun's tar program lists the archive: -rw-r--r-- 486/1060 518 Mai 25 16:41 2001 vedpowered.gif -rw-r--r-- 486/1060 6825 Apr 29 02:19 1997 cd.gif -rw-r--r-- 486/1060 33354 Jun 22 14:17 1999 DSCN0049c.JPG -rw-r--r-- 486/1060 86159 Jun 5 20:16 2001 Window1.jpg -rw-r--r-- 486/1060 1310 Mai 25 15:05 2001 vipower.gif -rw-rw-rw- 486/1060 148753 Sep 15 15:08 1998 billyboy.jpg And this is how GNU tar lists is: -rw-r--r-- jes/glone 518 2001-05-25 16:41 vedpowered.gif gtar: Skipping to next file header -rw-r--r-- jes/glone 33354 1999-06-22 14:17 DSCN0049c.JPG gtar: Skipping to next file header -rw-r--r-- jes/glone 1310 2001-05-25 15:05 vipower.gif gtar: Skipping to next file header /*--------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ Next try: gtar-1.13.25 and file gtarfail2.tar A star lising of the archive: 214 -rwxr-xr-x jes/glone Sep 21 16:08 2001 .clean 0 lrwxrwxrwx jes/cats May 7 14:39 1998 RULES -> makefiles/RULES 0 drwxr-sr-x jes/glone Dec 10 01:00 2001 build/ 312019 -rw-r--r-- jes/glone Dec 10 01:00 2001 build/smake-1.2.tar.gz 0 drwxr-sr-x jes/glone Nov 9 19:20 2001 build/psmake/ 259 -rwxr-xr-x jes/glone Jan 9 17:36 2000 build/psmake/MAKE 4820 -rwxr-xr-x jes/glone Feb 25 23:45 2001 build/psmake/MAKE.sh 647 -rw-r--r-- jes/glone Feb 26 00:50 2001 build/psmake/Makefile 0 lrwxrwxrwx jes/glone Aug 29 12:53 2001 build/psmake/archconf.c -> ../archconf.c 0 lrwxrwxrwx jes/glone Aug 29 12:54 2001 build/psmake/astoi.c -> ../../lib/astoi.c star: 31 blocks + 8192 bytes (total of 325632 bytes = 318.00k). A Sun tar listing of the archive: -rwxr-xr-x 486/1060 214 Sep 21 16:08 2001 .clean lrwxrwxrwx 486/2000 15 Mai 7 14:39 1998 RULES symbolic link zu makefiles/RULES drwxr-sr-x 486/1060 0 Dez 10 01:00 2001 build/ -rw-r--r-- 486/1060 312019 Dez 10 01:00 2001 build/smake-1.2.tar.gz drwxr-sr-x 486/1060 0 Nov 9 19:20 2001 build/psmake/ -rwxr-xr-x 486/1060 259 Jan 9 17:36 2000 build/psmake/MAKE -rwxr-xr-x 486/1060 4820 Feb 25 23:45 2001 build/psmake/MAKE.sh -rw-r--r-- 486/1060 647 Feb 26 00:50 2001 build/psmake/Makefile lrwxrwxrwx 486/1060 13 Aug 29 12:53 2001 build/psmake/archconf.c symbolic link zu ../archconf.c lrwxrwxrwx 486/1060 17 Aug 29 12:54 2001 build/psmake/astoi.c symbolic link zu ../../lib/astoi.c A gtar-1.13.25 listing of the archive: -rwxr-xr-x jes/glone 214 2001-09-21 16:08:36 .clean drwxr-sr-x jes/glone 0 2001-12-10 01:00:58 build/ /tmp/gtar: Skipping to next header /tmp/gtar: Archive contains obsolescent base-64 headers drwxr-sr-x jes/glone 0 2001-11-09 19:20:33 build/psmake/ /tmp/gtar: Skipping to next header -rwxr-xr-x jes/glone 4820 2001-02-25 23:45:53 build/psmake/MAKE.sh /tmp/gtar: Unexpected EOF in archive /tmp/gtar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now