fix for gtar needing --no-unlink-first ??

[Jeremy C. Reed]

(If there is a gnu tar list that is more appropriate, please let me know.)

With some tar files (like netpbm-10.11.8.tgz and XFree86's X430src-1.tgz)
fail to extract with errors like:

/bin/tar: bin: Cannot unlink: Directory not empty
/bin/tar: include: Cannot unlink: Directory not empty

 or

/bin/tar: xc/util/memleak: Cannot unlink: Is a directory
/bin/tar: xc/util/misc: Cannot unlink: Is a directory
/bin/tar: Error exit delayed from previous errors

My workaround (which I don't want to use) is --no-unlink-first
gtar switch.

I am currently using version 1.13.25, but I have had this problem on and
off for several months on different systems (so may have been different
gtar).

This email explains it well:
http://mail.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gnu-utils/2001-08/msg00292.html

Has this issue been fixed?

If so, can someone provide or point me to a patch?

Or is not a bug? Should I complain to the providers of buggy tar files?

Maybe some related emails:

 http://mail.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gnu-utils/2003-03/msg00285.html

 http://mail.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gnu-utils/2002-01/msg00264.html

Thank you,

   Jeremy C. Reed
   http://www.isp-faq.com/