Cannot open tar archives with some software - linux/maemo

[sirfelix]

Love hfs and had an issue with trying to download large numbers of files in my folders. After hours of searching I found your "folder archive" option. My apps cannot read this file without errors.

I tried using the following URL options, but I cannot tell any difference in the tar file contents.
~folder.tar
~folder.tar?recursive
~folder.tar?recursive&nofolders

I'm using two separate unarchiving apps under Maemo2008 OS on the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet:
1. p7zip using a Squishee GUI
2. gnutar using a xarchiver GUI

Both apps fail to view or extract the "hfsfoldername.folder.tar" file, but they work fine on any "filename.tar.gz" file.

What do I need to do to the "hfsfoldername.folder.tar" file to get these apps to view/extract this file?
What kind of archiving method does HFS use to compress its folders? Can you change to gz or zip engines instead?

Thanks
SF

[rejetto]

welcome!

0. is n810 nice?

1. what error messages do you get?

p7zip should open what 7-zip does, and i never had a problem opening tar with it.
a tar.gz file is exactly a tar that has been gzipped, so it's something only more complex than a simple tar.
it should make no sense the software to don't know how to handle a .tar while it does for a .tar.gz
more: tar is not compressed at all, while gzip has no "collecting" feature.
tar only collects, and gzip only compresses a single file.
i would like to support zip, but i didn't find a simple way to get it yet (in my spare time).

2. please try gzipping the .tar, so you get a .tar.gz and see if it works

[sirfelix]

Well, it appears that it may still be the tar file.

I created an uncompressed tar file with 7zip for windows and:
gnutar/xarchiver still gives me an "archive not recognized" with both the uncompressed 7zip file and the "hfsfoldername.folder.tar" file.

BUT p7zip/squishee works fine with the uncompressed 7zip file.
p7zip/squishee gives me an error code 512 with the "hfsfoldername.folder.tar" file.

There must be a difference in how 7zip and hsf creates these uncompressed files.

[rejetto]

i will study the differences

[sirfelix]

I also did a test where I took some random files and created an uncompressed and compressed tar file using gnutar/xarchiver and p7zip/squishee. They were able read and extract eachother's files just fine.

[rejetto]

Please, test this tar and tell me if your tablet works fine with it.

[Sirfelix]

Great news. The upload.folder.tar file works perfectly with Both Apps.

I hope that the adjustment can easily be integrated into hfs. Is there anything I need to do to 2.2f or should I wait for the next beta?

Thanks again, the whole nokia/linux/maemo community will hear about this useful tool.

[rejetto]

it's already IN my work-in-progress version
you'll get it with next beta release, that will likely be in 1-3 days.